Roasted Chicken Thighs With Blueberries

By Ham El-Waylly

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Roasted Chicken Thighs With Blueberries
Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(701)
Comments
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This easy roasted chicken dinner packs a bright, puckery blueberry punch. The whole-grain mustard gives the sauce spice and a satisfying pop that plays off the jammy blueberries. Patting the thighs dry and starting them in a cold pan allows the skin plenty of time to render brown and crisp. The most important thing is to ensure the skins are getting full contact with the skillet’s surface. (If your thighs are large and crowd a medium pan, use a large skillet instead, so they brown rather than steam.) Save any leftover sauce as a mustardy sandwich condiment.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds total)
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 6garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1teaspoon hot paprika
  • 3cups fresh blueberries (about 18 ounces)
  • 3tablespoons whole-grain mustard, plus more to taste
  • 1tablespoon honey
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • ½cup picked tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
  • Crusty bread, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

637 calories; 39 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 860 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry; generously season them all over with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Place the thighs skin side down in a medium or large oven-safe skillet, making sure the pan is large enough to avoid crowding. Turn the heat to medium and cook, undisturbed, until the fat on the chicken skin has rendered, the thighs release easily from the pan and the skin is a golden brown with splotches of dark brown, about 15 minutes. Flip the thighs over and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer the chicken to a plate, setting it skin side up. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the garlic and ⅓ cup of water, and scrape up any browned bits with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon. Simmer until water has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the coriander and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the blueberries, mustard, honey and a large pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Place the thighs on top, skin side up, pressing gently to nestle them into the sauce.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the blueberries have burst and the thighs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper and mustard.

  5. Step 5

    Garnish with tarragon and serve alongside thick slices of crusty bread.

Ratings

4 out of 5
701 user ratings
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Comments

Barbara Mc

I followed the recipe and it was excellent. I almost skipped the fresh tarragon, but I'm glad I didn't. It added a wonderful complexity and elevated the dish. Also glad I didn't use less mustard, which I considered. It is an important part of the sauce and I could have actually used a bit. more.

Ann

Sounds wonderful but would love suggestions for turning this into a sheet pan recipe. Thanks.

Liv

This was such a nice, easy recipe to cook! I cooked it with frozen blueberries and just skipped the added water step. With or without tarragon was great, I actually preferred without.

Deborah

I thought this dish not at all good. The flavors fought each other.

David Dare

I loved this recipe but I personally would back off the hot paprika by half or two thirds.

Jessica Martin

This was a stunner. A few hours before making this dish, I marinaded the chicken in olive oil, orange juice, honey, coriander, salt and pepper. The blueberry sauce was nicely complex, very flavorful, perfectly seasoned. I served it with roasted new potatoes. I would serve this to guests I wanted to impress.

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