Braised Chicken With Tomatoes, Cumin and Feta
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2½pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 1medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 2 ½ cups)
- 3large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 to 2tablespoons harissa paste
- 1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- ½cup crumbled feta
- ¼packed cup roughly chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves and fine stems
- Crusty bread or herbed rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
942 calories; 64 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 29 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 57 grams protein; 1510 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.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Pat the chicken dry, trim away excess fat, then season well all over with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons cumin.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy 12-inch skillet over medium until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. (It’s OK if they are a little snug; they will shrink as they cook.) Cook without moving until the skin is crispy and easily releases from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use tongs to turn over and cook until the bottom is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes more, then transfer to a plate.
- Step 3
Add the onions to the rendered chicken fat in the skillet, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon cumin and the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the harissa and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, and season with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, then adjust the temperature to maintain an active simmer. Cook until it becomes a deeper red color, about 5 minutes more.
- Step 4
Add any juices that collected on the plate, stir to mix, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin-side up, so that the skin is above the sauce. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then partly cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. (If you’d like crispier skin, pop the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two.)
- Step 5
Garnish with the feta and cilantro and serve with bread or herbed rice.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mary Catherine
I've made this so many times I almost feel obligated to comment. Obviously it's a keeper, although I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I've made this recipe both ways and nothing suffers from the lack of skin and bone. It's delicious and has become a winter favorite in our house.
christina
Good with boneless skinless chicken. Would add spinach
Stephanie
I added some sliced lemons to the onions as they were frying. I think it might also benefit from a can of chickpeas.
SE cook
1/27/22 Delicious. Used total 2 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp harissa. Used 2.5# boneless skinless thighs (8). Good feta and cilantro for serving were great. John liked it s as lot. Heat just right for me. Didn’t used crushed tomatoes. Got whole San Marzanos and broke them apart by hand. (Tastier than regular crushed tomatoes.) Would be good with rice.
Joe M.
Modified this recipe a bit to make it more of a stew and it came out really good. Used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. I added a can of drained chickpeas, a couple handfuls of chopped kale, and about two cups of water. Instead of finishing on the stove, I let it braise covered in a 350 oven. Pulled the chicken after 40 minutes. Left the pot in the oven (uncovered) to reduce and caramelize for 15 min. Shredded the chicken and added it back to the stew. Served it over white rice. Delicious.
Lucia
SUPERB. Used chicken breasts in place of thighs as that was what was available. Reminiscent of shakshuka, I added a thinly sliced red pepper along with onion and have absolutely zero regrets. Would highly recommend.
Christa
This really turned out very well and was very easy to pull together. Chicken very moist and succulent and cumin flavor wonderful. Served over rice with cilantro.
Mallory
We used skinless boneless chicken breasts, and added kale and zucchini. It had excellent flavor!
Colleen
Big flavor payoff for easy and quick prep. We used cilantro and served with naan bread.
Anthony M.
This was quite good! Made exactly as written, and served with herbed rice. The feta adds a nice funky tang to the proceedings. If you like strong heat, be aware that two tablespoons of harissa may not be enough. I sliced up some fresh jalapeño for second helpings, which added the right finishing touch for us. Next time, I might try adding some turmeric and part of a cinnamon stick to the tomato sauce.
Dana
Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious. Extra points for requiring minimal ingredients and food prep. Enjoyed with a great challah. Will definitely be making this again.
if you cook again
Let Chicken cool a bit. And more feta and cilantro than you think.
Peter Coffeen
I had several cups of cooked lentils with garlic left from a few days ago and added those about five minutes before the dish was finished. It along with a spritz of lemon was a welcome addition.
mine
Add pasta and shred chicken for easier leftovers. Skin crispy and dish is good for guests.
EWitz
Made recipe with 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, added more garlic but think it could have used some cayenne as well. Next time I might add slivered carrots as well. .
Joey
Made this last night and it was good. I agree with the need for chickpeas or naan to go with to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Nice easy weeknight dish.
sarah connolly
Try with boneless next time
Anne
Harissa spice over powers this dish. Leave out next time and use red pepper flakes instead.
Joe
Did this with boneless thighs and it was delicious! Needs even more harissa though, but I suppose that will vary with your brand.
Justine
Easy, quick and flavorful. Perfect for weeknight dinner!
lisa b
Made this tonight and it was very good and flavorful. Used skin-on bone-in thighs. 1) after simmering chicken - removed meat and added back to pot. Made it easier to eat. Will use boneless thighs next time. 2) added sliced zucchini with onions. Nice add. 3) used spicy harissa as per recipe and it wasn’t spicy. Will add a little more next time for a kick. Served over rice with crusty bread. Overall will make again. Easy and delicious.
Rose Gargiulo
I used boneless, skinless thighs and was excellent! I also used crushed and whole peeled tomatoes (which I added for flavor and juiciness). I added a little more harissa for heat. Finished with baby spinach and feta. Served over steamed jasmati rice with a topping of cilantro. A perfect bowl!!
John
Overall, pretty good. Chicken thighs were nowhere close to done after the initial simmer, put the lid completely on and give it 10 more minutes, that was about right.
james
Real good. Use boneless skinless thighs and just reduced the cooking time. Feta and cilantro are key. Served with rice.
Hazel
Ate with bulgar the second day. Better than rice.
jessica
This recipe was so good and very forgiving. I had 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 1.5 lbs of breast fillets. I used all of it without changing any of the prep (I did cut the breast fillets in half to make them closer to the size of the chicken thighs), and added sliced sweet peppers, chopped spinach, and a can of garbanzo beans in the sauce step. The chicken was all tender; the whole dish came out like a warm, comforting, healthful stew and was delicious over brown rice.
Christina
Made this with kale and chickpeas. I added Ajuka seasoning along with cumin on bone in chicken. Served with cous cous and it was delicious. I had feta and parsley and completely forgot to add!! I was so bummed out, but it was a hit anyway.
Linda
Delicious. It’s definitely like dinner shakshuka. Made with skinless and boneless thighs. Like the idea of serving naan with it for next time
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