Skillet-Braised Chicken With Greens and Olives

By Melissa Clark

Updated Sept. 24, 2024

Skillet-Braised Chicken With Greens and Olives
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55 to 60 minutes
Rating
5(1,086)
Comments
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Braising chicken and greens together in a skillet does wonderful things to both bird and vegetables. As the chicken cooks, the skin browns, crisps and renders savory fat, which suffuses the greens with flavor. The greens, in turn, make a soft, moist bed on which to cook the chicken, keeping the meat supremely tender. In the end, the silky greens make a rich, mineral contrast to the juicy meat, while lemon juice and olives add brightness and acidity to the mix, giving it a needed jolt. Serve this with crusty bread or mashed potatoes to catch all the juices.

Featured in: In Praise of the Chicken Braise

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2¼ to 2½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • Fine sea salt or table salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼teaspoon hot smoked paprika, plus more for serving (or use red-pepper flakes)
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 1cup sliced shallots, about 2 to 3 (or use red onion)
  • 3garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 to 2bunches sturdy greens, such as escarole, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped (1 pound; about 10 to 12 cups)
  • 1cup coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley
  • 1¼ cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
  • ½cup pitted coarsely chopped Castelvetrano olives
  • 1lemon, halved
  • Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

607 calories; 38 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 52 grams protein; 1116 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

    Season chicken all over with ½ teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper and the paprika.

  2. Step 2

    In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook until pale golden brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add chicken to the skillet and let sear until it browns lightly on both sides and the onions turn a shade or two darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the shallots in the pan.

  4. Step 4

    Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add chopped greens, cilantro and another ¼ teaspoon salt to the pan, and stir, tossing to coat in the residual chicken fat. It may seem like a lot of greens, but they will cook down. Cook until they have just started to wilt, about 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Add the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet with the greens. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to come halfway up the chicken. Bring liquid to a gentle simmer. Partly cover and allow the chicken to finish cooking through, 25 to 35 minutes. Add more stock as needed to keep the greens tender and moist.

  6. Step 6

    Stir in olives and cook uncovered until they are warmed through, about 1 minute more. Squeeze one lemon half over everything, then taste greens, and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve topped with flaky salt, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and more smoked paprika.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,086 user ratings
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Comments

michael

I’ve used a little trick to start recipes like this off that I found on America’s Test Kitchen. In a cold, cast-iron skillet, put the thighs, skin down, turn on the heat to high, and when you hear a sizzle, turn it down to medium and continue until you get the desired brownness and crisp that you want. Then flip over and cook normally. This method renders the fat in the skin without adding additional oil and the result is crispy.

Vera

Loved this! Mine turned out just like the photo, no broiler. But rather than stovetop cooking after assembly, I finished the dish in the oven (convection 375) because I anticipated that dry heat would aid a crisp chicken skin. Bullseye. Mighty fine. Thanks again, Melissa.

Chris

I added a 1 1/2 cups of wild rice and a little extra chicken broth before step 5. Rather cook on the stovetop I put it in the oven at 450 for about 20 minutes. Turned out amazing!

Will

I riffed on the original recipe a bit and it turned out great! 1. Brown chicken thighs and remove before adding in shallots and garlic 2. Deglaze with wine when kale is added in 3. Add one cup of couscous and 1.75 cups of broth 4. Add chicken back in and finish in oven: 375 degrees for 35 minutes

Hangry

Not the best instructions, but worth tweaking. To avoid charred shallots, don't cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high. Also I'm still wondering when to add the paprika because the last mentions adding more???

Dave

1/4t paprika to season 2.5# chicken Seriously??

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