Bursting with flavor, this balsamic braised chicken is loaded with carrots, onions and mushrooms in a hearty sauce
Before you begin the recipe, you’ll want to thoroughly clean your mushrooms and remove and dirt particles. It’s never really recommended to “wash” mushrooms per say as the undersides tend to absorb too much liquid.
This is one of our favorite recipes that sounds difficult because it has a few ingredients in it, but is actually really simple. Chicken pieces are often very inexpensive, we frequently purchase 10# bags for as little as 92¢ per pound.
You’ll Need:
4 pounds assorted bone-in, skin on chicken pieces (breasts and thighs)
2 pounds mushrooms (cremini, white, or baby bella, etc)
3 Carrots, Chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Large Red onion, Chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. Golden Raisins
3 slices raw bacon (or pancetta!), cut into little strips
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 c. Red Wine Vinegar
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Season both sides of chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Heat large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add bacon pieces and cook until browned, transfer to small dish. In the hot pan, Sear the chicken pieces until browned evenly on all sides, then transfer to a separate plate and set aside.
Add the olive oil to the pan, heat until very hot, add carrots and onions, saute until tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes, or until softened, then add crushed garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Transfer vegetables to the plate with the chicken.
To the pot add the vinegars and bring them to a boil, gently scraping off and little browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add broth, raisins, bay leaves and browned chicken pieces.
Bring it to a boil, immediately reduce the heat and partially cover (allowing steam to escape out one side).
Reduce heat to low, allowing it to simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Return vegetables to Dutch oven, allow them to heat through for about4-5 minutes, then serve with reduced sauce. (Remove Bay leaves prior to serving).
