Hands down, our absolute most favorite recipe ever is this juicy, saucy dijon braised chicken thighs with potatoes that’s a one-skillet wonder!

braised chicken thighs and potatoes in cast iron skillet

Easy Braised Chicken Thighs

This is it!! Our absolute most favorite recipe we’ve ever created for our cookbook, Our Sweet Basil Kitchen. Like, seriously. I crave this stuff like a pregnant lady craves hot french fries and ice cream. Well, no I didn’t because I was too busy trying to survive, but I hear that pregnant people have cravings. The point is, this dijon braised chicken and potatoes is the bees knees.

Which is one of those sayings I still don’t understand but continue to rattle off when something is awesome. And I’ll be honest, this is completely out of our little heads, but doesn’t it seem like a good home cooking Southern meal? Maybe something you’d see them cooking up at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Fried Green Tomatoes. Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that movie.

Ingredients for Dijon Braised Chicken Thighs and Potatoes 

Dijon braised chicken and potatoes requires very few ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe: 

  • Chicken thighs 
  • Yukon gold potatoes
  • Bacon
  • Yellow onion
  • Unsalted butter
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Garlic
  • Sugar
  • Smoked paprika
  • Chicken broth
  • Fresh parsley

braised chicken thighs and potatoes in cast iron skillet with dijon sauce

How to Make Braised Chicken Thighs and Potatoes 

Start out by cooking up your bacon and then instead of cleaning out the pan, drain off most but not all of the bacon grease, season your chicken and pop it in the pan, skin side down to get all golden and pretty.

Pull the chicken out after both sides are cooked and move on to the onions and potatoes. You’ll get them cooked down a little in the leftover bacon fat, chicken juices and a touch of butter. I know, this is getting crazy already.

Now add your chicken and any juices on the plate back into the dish, pour in your mustard mixture and broth and get the whole thing in the oven for a good 40 minutes. Don’t worry about over cooking things, you’ll know it’s done when the sauce has reduced, the potatoes are roasted and tender and there’s a deep color on the chicken. Now spoon the sauce and onions over everything and sprinkle with bacon.

“Have. Mercy.” ~Jesse Katsopolis

Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead of Thighs? 

Chicken thighs offer the most flavor, but chicken breasts can be used as well. Just shorten the cooking time since there isn’t a bone involved.

braised dijon chicken and potatoes in cast iron skillet

Tips for Making Dijon Braised Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

You may be able to use another type of mustard, or a blend of mustards, instead of Dijon. However, we prefer making classic Dijon chicken and find that using just the one type of mustard works well with the other flavors in the sauce. 

We highly recommend using a cast iron skillet for this recipe since cast iron conducts heat the best. However, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet you can likely use another oven-safe skillet. 

Lastly, these braised chicken thighs and potatoes pair nicely with a simple side salad or roasted veggies. We like adding something green to the plate, but you could also enjoy this meal as is. 

More EASY CHICKEN RECIPES: 

Braised Dijon Chicken and Potatoes

Dijon Braised Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

4.32 from 25 votes
Servings: 4 -5
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Description

Hands down, our absolute most favorite recipe ever is this juicy, saucy dijon braised chicken thighs with potatoes that's a one-skillet wonder!

Ingredients 

  • 5 Bone-in Chicken Thighs, see note*
  • 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 6-8 Small Yukon Gold Potatoes, , quartered
  • 6 Bacon Slices
  • ½-1 Whole Yellow Onion
  • 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ¼ Cup Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, , minced
  • ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 ¼ Cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, , chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar and paprika. Set aside.
  • In a heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and cook each side until crisp.
  • Drain the bacon on a napkin lined plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the grease.
  • Chop the bacon and set aside.
  • Turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken seasoned with salt and pepper on the skin side), skin side down, season the other side with salt and pepper,
  • Turn down to medium-low heat and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown, flip and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
  • Increase the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan.
  • Once melted, add the onions to cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the potatoes, cooking for 3-4 minutes.
  • Nestle the chicken and any juices back into the skillet, add the vinegar mixture and the broth, simmer for 1 minute and place in a 450 degree F oven for 35-40 minutes. The juices will thicken up and the chicken will stay moist due to the liquid.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped bacon and parsley.
  • Serve spooning the pan juices over the meat and potatoes.

Notes

*Chicken thighs offer the most flavor but breasts can be used as well. Just lessen the cooking time since there isn't a bone involved.
Store left overs in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 855kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 40gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 1403mgPotassium: 1643mgFiber: 7gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 553IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 4mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: Mom's Best 100 Easy Chicken Recipes
Cuisine: American

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Hands down, our absolute most favorite recipe ever is this juicy, saucy dijon braised chicken thighs with potatoes that's a one-skillet wonder!