Braised Chicken Breasts
Take chicken breasts to new heights by searing them to a gorgeous golden brown and braising them in a rich, brothy sauce. Incorporate the veggies into the saucy goodness, and all you’ll need is a steamy side of rice or pasta for a complete dinner. 🤩
Chicken breast can be a little bland compared to other chicken cuts, but not when you braise it in this delightful broth! This is one of my favorite ways to let chicken breast take center stage in a meal without sacrificing flavor and a tender texture.
This simple meal packed with flavor is ideal for even the pickiest of eaters. And with peas and carrots in the broth, at least one side is good to go. Suffice it to say there’s a lot to love about this meal.
What Braising Does for Chicken
Braising meat involves cooking it in a covered pot or Dutch oven low and slow in just enough liquid (broth, wine, etc., but not water) to barely cover. While most braised meats are cooked in the oven, you can certainly do it on the stovetop.
The advantage of braising chicken breasts in the oven is being able to set it and forget it. And that’s how we make these chicken breasts juicy, tender, and flavor-packed.
How to Braise Chicken Breasts
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- Spice Mix – Mix the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. (Photo 1)
- Prep Chicken – Pat the chicken breasts dry. Layer each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound to a ½-inch thickness using a meat tenderizer. (That allows even cooking for a juicier breast.)
- Season the chicken generously with the spice mix on both sides. (Photo 2)
- Sear – Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet. Add the chicken breasts, turning to brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Remove and set aside. (Photos 3-4)
- Braising Seasonings – Melt the butter in the pan, then add the onions, garlic, and thyme. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Next, stir in the diced tomatoes and bouillon powder and cook for 5-6 minutes. (Photo 5)
- Sauce – Gradually pour in the white wine. Follow with the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil, and then add the carrots and celery. Simmer for about a minute, and adjust seasonings to taste. (Photos 6-7)
- Braise – Next, return the seared chicken breasts to the pan, cover it with a lid, and put it in the oven. Oven-braise the boneless, skinless chicken about 20 minutes or bone-in, skin-on breasts for 40 minutes or until tender and the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75℃). To get gorgeously golden breasts, remove the lid during the last five minutes and broil them. (Photo 8)
- Rest – Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve – Sprinkle it with parsley, and serve it with your favorite veggies and mashed potatoes or rice.
Recipe Notes
- You could easily make this recipe with thighs or even legs. Simply adjust your cooking time accordingly and make sure the chicken cooks to the right internal temperature (165℉/75℃).
- Feel free to toss other veggies into the sauce before braising. Asparagus, corn on the cob, or green beans would all taste great.
- Add some heavy cream to the sauce towards the end of the braising period for an extra creamy sauce.
- Take the lid off during the last five minutes and broil the braised chicken breasts for a beautiful golden brown.
- If you don’t have an oven-proof pan or Dutch oven, transfer the chicken and sauce to a baking dish to braise it.
- Don’t crank up the heat. If you braise the chicken at temperatures higher than 350℉ (175-180℃), it might cook a little quicker but will likely toughen.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can complete all the stovetop steps a day ahead, store it in the fridge, and then finish braising it the next day. You can also braise, cool, and freeze this meal for up to three months. Leftover chicken stores well in the fridge for 3-5 days or freezes well for 2-3 months.
What Goes With Braised Chicken Breasts
Rice and pasta are always a great choice, but garlic mashed potatoes are also tasty. The sauce makes a fantastic gravy. Sometimes, I amp up the veggies with parmesan-crusted asparagus or spicy green beans.
More Amazing Chicken Breast Recipes to Try
- Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Breast
- Chicken Madeira
- Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Braised Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds (1.2kg) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) white pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1g) garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon (1g) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (1g) paprika
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1g) thyme, minced
- 1 cup (200g) tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) bouillon powder
- ½ cup (120ml) white wine
- 1¾ cups (414ml) chicken broth
- 3 medium carrots, slice lengthwise then cut into 1-inch half moons (makes about a cup)
- 3 ribs celery, sliced into ½-inch pieces (about a cup)
- chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- Mix the garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl.
- Pat the chicken dry, place each breast between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap, and pound them with a meat tenderizer until they're ½-inch thick.
- Generously season the chicken breasts on both sides with the spice mix.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts in the hot oil, turning to brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the pan; add the onions, garlic, and thyme; and saute for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Next, add the diced tomatoes and bouillon powder and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Gradually pour in the white wine, follow with the chicken broth, and stir. Bring to a boil, then add the carrots and celery. Cook for another minute, and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Next, return the browned chicken breasts to the pan, cover with a lid, and put the pan in the oven.
- Oven-braise the chicken breasts for 15-20 minutes or until they're tender and the internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75℃). For a beautiful golden brown, remove the lid during the last five minutes and broil it.
- Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Then serve with your favorite veggies and mashed potatoes or rice.
Tips & Notes:
- Take the lid off during the last five minutes and broil the chicken for a beautiful golden brown.
- If you don’t have an oven-proof pan or Dutch oven, transfer the chicken and sauce to a baking dish to braise it.
- Don’t crank up the heat. If you braise the chicken at temperatures higher than 350℉ (175-180℃), it might cook a little quicker but will likely toughen.
- Braise for about 40 minutes if using bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Made this for the family and it was a huge hit! I made a few substitutions. I used Better Than Bullion versus a dry powder. We also like more spice so I used some red pepper flakes. And lastly, we substituted the white wine with vegetable stock and one tbsp. of white wine vinegar…perfect substitute for a non-alcoholic version of this dish. I might scale the chicken stock back by 1/2 cup next time so it’s not as ‘brothy’.
Great!!! Thank you so much for sharing your tweaks. I love it when people make the recipe their own.
serious question…WHERE did that cooking time come from. I followed the recipe exactly, checked the braised at the 30 min mark (vs 40 in the recipe) and the breasts were at 185*.
I think you have to lower the temp, cooking time, and/or reduce the sear time, since that isn’t making a fond anyway. maybe all three.
Hi Mark. Thanks for pointing that out. The cooking time is for bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, not boneless, skinless. I will definitely correct that.
You are the best!
Thanks, Miriam :)!