Joy the Baker

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

by 57 Comments

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

Sometimes making dinner is an exercise in You’re Not Going To Beat Me, Monday.  Let’s acknowledge that it takes grit and fortitude to stand in the kitchen and hustle ingredients together at the end of a day.  Sure, we can easily categorize dinner as a nighttime necessity, but I prefer to think of it as radical self-care… because anything that isn’t popcorn or scrambled eggs is me really taking care of myself. 

This dinner is thoughtful in its ease and economy, making us very good at adults, if only for today.  

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

Here we go.  We’ve got dinner in about 40 minutes, with about 20 minutes in there to stand next to the stove, have a glass of wine, and space out while the chicken simmers.  

This recipe is great with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Not only are they delicious and really easy to cook, chicken thighs are also super affordable.  Could you make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breast?  If you must… but slice a large chicken breast in two before cooking.  Really though… go thighs.  

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

The chicken thighs are seasoned generously with salt and pepper.  Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper are preferred if you have. 

Brown the chicken thighs in olive oil until golden and just slightly crisp on both sides.  This isn’t about cooking the chicken through, it’s about caramelization.  

Sliced onion, big chunks of potato, and whole cloves of garlic are tossed in to sauté.

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

White wine is added to deglaze the pan, scraping up and flavorful bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.  And chicken stock to be a simmer for the potatoes, chicken, and garlic.  

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

Braised to tender in 25 minutes!  

Those are the 20 minutes you should consider sipping wine and spacing out.  The simmer does all the work.  

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

The potatoes will be soft and moist, the chicken fall-apart tender, and the garlic softened to irresistible.  

Serve with rice and buttered peas and pat yourself on the back for resisting the microwave popcorn siren song.  Win. 

Print

The Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner

★★★★★

4.2 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 40
Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 red new potatoes, diced into large chunks
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • cooked white rice and peas

Instructions

  1. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add all of the chicken pieces, allowing to cook to golden, about 4 to 5 minutes before flipping and browning on the opposite side. When both sides are browned, add the onion slices, potato chunks, and whole peeled garlic cloves. Toss so that all of the ingredients begin to cook down, about 4 minutes more.
  3. Add the white wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Place the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the mixture for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken and potatoes to a platter. Discard the bay leaf. Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  6. Serve with white rice and cooked peas, chicken, and sauce.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

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Comments

  2. Aja

    I made this tonight with o little cooking sherry in chicken broth instead of the wine bc I didn’t have any. And I only used 4 thighs and one potato bc there is only 2 of us. It was great! I wasn’t sure about carb on carb, but the rice is key! We had it with steamed spinach (bc healthy, dang it lol)
    Definitely a keeper recipe! I shredded up all the chicken at the end and put it back in the reduced sauce and then scooped it over the rice.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. Laura J Benson

    After I made this (easy, yummy, and all three young boys ate it), I emailed the recipe to my MIL and my sister. Both tried it and replied back that their families loved it, too. THANK YOU for all of us!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  4. Doris

    Sounds good. Have used this method with other meats with much success. I would, however, not serve the chicken and potatoes with additional carbs like rice and peas. I might use shredded cauliflower or sautéed or steamed spinach and drizzle the pan juices over it for servings or just add chunks of carrots to the chicken after adding the broth.

    ★★★

    Reply

  5. Cara

    I know rice and potatoes are often served together in some cultures, but I would have one or the other not both. There are just too many carbs, starches, in it. By the way, you do not have my permission to sell my email or send it to any other person, company, or store. I get enough spam.

    ★★★

    Reply

  7. erinmdaly

    I’m not usually a dark meat chicken gal but I’m eating this for dinner right now and ohhh my word, you’re changing my mind about dark meat chicken. So stupidly simple but the end result is so impressive and fancy! It was my first time cooking with wine, too. Makes me feel like a real-life adult. And it was so easy to half the recipe, since I’m cooking for myself. I’m definitely making this one again!

    Reply

  10. Joanna Gregg

    This is seriously the BEST chicken!! I’ve made it so many times since you posted and I look forward to cooking/eating it again and again! Does not get old and tastes amazing everytime! Thanks SO much for this recipe post!! :)

    Reply

  12. Lena

    As usual your recipes do not disappoint. Made this last night and not a drop was left. Hard to find a meal that all three of my kids love, but this one was it! Thank you.

    Reply

  14. Anna

    I made this for dinner tonight – it was absolutely delicious, and so simple to make! The thickened sauce is so tangy, I couldn’t stop going back for more. I can’t wait to have it for lunch tomorrow. The only semi-issue I had was that I bought bone-in chicken thighs by accident; I’ll definitely use boneless next time to keep the cooking time short. Thanks for a great recipe, Joy!

    Reply

  15. Sarah

    Made this for dinner last night. Added some thyme and served it over couscous. I kept saying to my fiance…”this is the best f-ing thing I have made in awhile.” Thank you for sharing this!!!

    Reply

  16. Nathalie

    I made this last week and it was wonderful even though I didn’t have a bay leaf or peas on hand. I reheated the leftovers at work the next day and made my colleagues jealous. Thanks Joy!

    Reply

  19. Dustin

    Omg this recipe was DOPE. It was a perfectly easy situation to pull together and the turnout was a tender, buttery, bitchin’ chicken dish. Seriously therapeutic. Roasted asparagus makes for an amazing side and some nice color. Mad Props!

    Reply

  20. Tara Macolino

    Winner winner chicken dinner! I just made this, ate it, loved it, now on the couch in a food coma. This was a winner of a dish. Way to go Joy! Adding another favorite to my kitchen repertoire.

    Reply

  21. Tess

    I just finished making this. My grocery store was out of chicken thighs, and as I’m a devoted dark meat fan, I opted to go with drumsticks and simmered until it started to fall off the bone. At the end, the sauce wasn’t thickening, so I added some flour and thickened it that way. Delicious!

    Reply

  22. Kyra

    Hi Joy! I am curious – what kind of rice did you use? I normally use Uncle Ben’s but this looks more like a Carolina rice or something stickier!

    Reply

  23. Rachel

    Tried this a few days ago. I added half a lemon squeezed over the top at the end. I thought it added some needed acidity. My husband and a couple of friends we had over loved it!

    Reply

  24. Lisa

    I made this for dinner last night when I was too busy to think after work and just needed someone to tell me what to do. It was great because we usually have all of those ingredients on hand. The best part is when you open that bottle of wine to add to the chicken and….you have to finish the rest of the bottle. #win

    Reply

  28. Natasha @ Salt and Lavender

    I’m a big fan of easy weeknight recipes. As much as I love to cook, it’s sometimes hard coming home from work and spending a couple of hours in the kitchen. Pinned!

    Reply

  29. Libby

    This is definitely a fancier (but still just as easy) version of my usualy weeknight go-to (chicken breast in a skillet with some microwaved frozen veggies). I’ll definitely be throwing this into the rotation. Any excuse to bust out the wine after work.

    Reply

  33. Jayne | Tenacious Tinkering

    This is going to be dinner tonight. I took out some chicken drumsticks to defrost but had no idea what to do with them. I happen to have some pink potatoes as well! I think I’ll pair this with some steamed okra. Thanks for the dinner save!

    Reply

    • Cooper

      Hey, I can’t wait to make this. You think it would work sweet potatoes? Thank you always, your blog always makes me inspires and sometimes just makes a day brighter??

      Reply

      • joythebaker

        Yes I think this recipe would certainly work with sweet potatoes! They have a slightly different texture than starchy white potatoes so they may break down more during cooking but if that’s ok with you… go for it!

        Reply

  34. Elizabeth

    Made this tonight! You are a lifesaver. Everyone loved it–even the 15 month old. Just what we needed in our lives. Thank you!!

    Reply

  35. Yelle

    This recipe is surprisingly similar to coq au vin – which is so easy! I love dipping a crunchy baguette into a white wine sauce. Coq au vin is my favorite, since it’s got salty bits of pancetta in it. However, for when I’m out of pancetta, this recipe will definitely do!

    Reply

    • joythebaker

      I didn’t realize it was similar to coq au vin, but you’re right! I like that this recipe is so versatile. Adding pancetta, or fresh thyme, or any fresh herb on hand… the flexibility is what makes it great!

      Reply

  36. BamaCarol

    I absolutely, positively, in no way whatsoever can eat dark meat chicken so will be doing this with breasts. I’m sure the taste will be just as good (or better for those of us who cannot stand the dark meat, including my husband).

    Reply

      • Lauren

        I love how accessible this recipe felt — I’m one of those people who is easily intimidated by a recipe (especially one that looks delicious), so I seriously appreciate ingredients that I actually have and methods that I know I can pull off! Thanks Joy, you inspired me to actually cook on a Monday! (Also, this is perfect timing because now I can take it to work for lunch for the next two days — hooray, two birds, one stone, etc etc.)

        Reply

  40. Madeline

    I definitely need this recipe in my life. Weeknights are the worst–I usually just throw together whatever I have on hand and it takes about 30-40 minutes max. This dish looks hearty yet healthy and perfect for winter!

    Reply

  41. Janabelle

    Niiiiiice. Looks delish and super easy. I actually have some thighs in my freezer. Just need to pick up wine and chicken stock. I know, I know. I need to stock my pantry a little better than that!

    Reply

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