Chicken thighs, milk, cinnamon, lemon and garlic don't seem to be ingredients that pair well together. But give it a try — you will be amazed at the flavor!
I stumbled across this recipe on The Kitchn while searching for a main dish to serve with my Hasselback Potatoes a la Mancha. I was intrigued because chicken thighs, milk, cinnamon, lemon and garlic didn't really seem like ingredients that would pair well together. But Faith Durand, the author, called it "the best chicken of all time," so I really wanted to try it for myself.
Something else that helped convince me to try it is that this recipe is really rather budget-friendly. It's cheaper to buy a whole chicken rather than a package of breasts. The other ingredients are also relatively low-cost, and this yield on this recipe is enough for two nights' worth of food for our small family of three.
The first time I made this recipe, I made it exactly as written by Jamie Oliver. The aroma while it was cooking was nearly intoxicating. And it really was delicious. I noticed that the dark meat (the thighs and drumsticks) was a little more flavorful than the white meat. I also thought the garlic flavor didn't shine through as much as it could.
I tried the recipe again, this time with just thighs. Yes, I know I just said buying a whole chicken is cheaper. But a family pack of bone-in thighs is nearly as cheap as the whole chicken. Chicken thighs are just so forgiving. It's really hard to overcook thighs to the point of dryness. The second time around, I peeled the garlic instead of leaving the skin on, to give the garlic flavor a chance to permeate the sauce. Before I even told Dave about the changes I made, he commented on how much better the recipe tasted the second time around.
Chicken Thighs Braised in Milk
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3- inch cinnamon stick
- 6 leaves to 8 whole fresh sage, stems removed
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
- 2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Season the chicken thighs generously all over (both sides) with salt and pepper.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the chicken thighs, and sear until golden all over, 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Be patient -- the sear is complete when the chicken doesn't stick to the pan. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and drain the oil left in the pot.
- Add the chicken thighs back to the pot, and add the remaining ingredients (cinnamon stick through milk). Cover the pan and place in the oven for 45 minutes, basting halfway through. The milk will form little curds on top of the chicken.
- After 45 minutes, remove the lid from the dutch oven, and cook the chicken another 45 minutes, basting halfway through.
- Place a chicken thigh on each plate, and spoon some of the sauce from the Dutch oven onto each thigh, and serve.
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
The flavors here just sound out of this world! I can almost smell this dish!!
The Food Hunter says
I've done something similar with pork chops in the past and loved it.
Lora @cakeduchess says
I know, everyone always tells me to buy whole chicken. But it does end up being same price to get just dark meat in packages, and everyone prefers it around here. Love that you braised it in milk and looks fantastic!!
[email protected] Mom says
I'm surprised about the braising in milk as well but then again a good fried chicken is soaked in buttermilk so good call! I agree chicken is such a budget friendly meal for a family!
Heather | girlichef says
Oh, this actually sounds SO good to me. I'm just imagining how tender the thighs are, and the flavors they're infused with. I've got to try this!
Cookin Canuck says
We use chicken thighs a lot, and now I'm so curious to try this method of cooking them. I'll bet the milk makes them so tender!
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says
Well...now this is on my bucket list! So glad you found it and shared it!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
I love chicken and could literally eat it every day! Can't wait to give this recipe a try, I actually love buying whole chickens but don't normally have a lot of recipes for them!
Nancy [email protected] says
We make some similar to this at home but only with chicken breast. Yours looks amazing!
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
I love braising meat in milk because it comes out so tender.
Yum Girl says
I have done this with pork but not chicken YUM!
Thank you so much for posting such a lovely recipe on YG! It is gorgeous. As the new co-owners, we hope you will continue to submit - we are expanding and upgrading everything and even have a new mobile app for android! Kelli at Yum Goggle
Paula - bell'alimento says
Braising in milk is awesome. Love these thighs.
Rose | The Clean Dish says
My first reaction was, wait - whaaat?! But I can totally see how this would work. I mean, I have made chicken in some kind of cream sauce many times, why not braise it in milk?! Thanks for sharing this - I'm totally inspired by your post!!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I've been hearing a lot about chicken braised in milk and I'm so intrigued! They look delicious I can tell you that much. I want a bite of this right now!
Kim Beaulieu says
I want to dive head first into the pan. This is absolutely fabulous. I have to try this immediately. I haven't tried many of Jamie's recipe, I really should get one of his cookbooks.
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
Interesting! I wouldn't think to put these ingredients together but the results look delicious.
Karin says
Just made this. It is sublime! I didn't have a cinnamon stick, so I used a 1/4 teaspoon ground, and it was just delicious. I wonder if you could make it with full fat coconut milk?
Coleen says
So happy to hear it! I'm sure you could use coconut milk, though I don't know how much it will alter the flavor.
GAILEE sTRIEGEL says
Was looking for a good chix recipe this morning for my package of thighs. Found this an looked no further. Two hours later my house smells like heaven and my body says THANK YOU .... THIS IS SO GOOD I COULD JUST CRY!