With sweet carrots and mild leeks, cider vinegar creates a deliciously tender, tangy, and saucy chicken stew that is excellent for a quick one-pot dinner.
My mother instilled in us the “one bite rule” when we were little. We had to sample at least one taste of the food she had prepared, regardless of how strange it might have looked, sounded, or smelled. For the most part, the first taste of dinner evolved into a successful meal. Unless they were serving liver. Then, no more remarks are required.
This dish for zesty chicken stew can easily make mom pucker up a little bit—that is, fall into the “one bite required” category. Sourdough chicken? Exists something like that? Yes, there is, in fact. And despite how strange it may seem, it tastes absolutely amazing from the very first mouthful to the very last.
How to Make Cider Vinegar Chicken Stew
This braised chicken thighs dish, which uses entire, skin-on chicken thighs that are browned, simmered, and then broiled before being put back to the stew, is simplified in this recipe. At first, we followed the method exactly, but we soon saw that there was a far simpler way to do it.
What’s In Cider Vinegar Chicken Stew
Here’s what you’ll need to make this chicken stew:
- Skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Cider vinegar
- Chicken broth
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Parsley
- Egg noodles
- Extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
The Chicken
Cut off the chicken thighs’ skin and bones. The dark flesh of the bird is the thighs, which cook to a soft and moist consistency. Boneless chicken thighs, in contrast to chicken breasts, frequently contain excess fat and tendrils that need be cut before cooking.
Divide the chicken into 1-inch pieces. By slicing boneless chicken thighs into bits, frying them, and then putting them in the oven to stew, my spouse and I simplified the original recipe. It made the meal easier to prepare as well as easier to consume.
To achieve a golden-browned crust, don’t overcrowd the pot. Brown the seasoned chicken in batches if needed. Stuffing too many chicken chunks in the pot causes the chicken to steam instead of brown. Before adding the vegetables, transfer the chicken to a bowl, and pick out any extra crisp or burned pieces from the pot.
The Vegetables
Utilize the leek’s white and light green portions. Leeks belong to the onion family and have a milder flavor than red or yellow onions, but they nevertheless give the sauce a wonderful flavor. To remove any dirt, run water over the leek leaves. Use just the sensitive white and light green sections of the leek; the dark green leaves are stiff and stringy.
Let the veggies sauté until the leeks start to turn tender. Take the chicken out of the saucepan and discard any excess browned parts, reserving those that haven’t burnt. Simmer the veggies in more oil until the garlic begins to smell fragrant and the leeks begin to soften.
The Vinegar Sauce
- To begin the sauce, mix the veggies with flour. To brown the veggies and eliminate the flavor of raw flour, sprinkle them with all-purpose flour and simmer for a few minutes.
- Cook the flour and veggies in the vinegar. To prevent a steam bath infused with vinegar, take a step back and gradually incorporate the vinegar into the floured veggies. As the mixture thickens and cooks down, stir.
- Use chicken broth to balance the vinegar. Chicken broth provides a balance to this spicy sauce. Although I like to make my own chicken broth, any high-quality retail brand would work just as well.
- Return the chicken to the pot and continue baking it. The sauce is finished with an oven braise at 350°F, its vinegary tang seeping into the soft chicken and veggies.
What to Serve With Vinegar Chicken Stew
- We really love this stew with buttery egg noodles, but you may also enjoy this one-pot dinner on its own. Alternately, serve it over big pearl couscous or cooked white rice.
- And never forget to have some crusty sourdough bread on hand to dip into and mop up all that flavorful, vinegary stew sauce.
More Chicken Recipe Ideas
- Buttered Cheesecloth Turkey
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Lemon Garlic Butter Roast Chicken
- Crock Pot Whole Chicken
Cider Vinegar Chicken Stew
This chicken stew, which pairs well with sweet carrots and mild leeks for a simple supper, is made exceptionally tender, zesty, and saucy by the addition of cider vinegar.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds boneless (skinless chicken thighs)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 5 carrots (sliced ½ inch thick)
- 5 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1 leek (white and light green parts only, thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (minced)
- 1 pound egg noodles
- Set oven temperature to 350°F.
- After removing excess fat, cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a big pot with a thick bottom or a cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, in batches if necessary, for approximately 10 minutes, or until browned. Move the chicken over to a bowl.
- After removing any remaining crispy pieces from the saucepan, drizzle in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the leek for approximately five minutes, or until it softens, after adding the carrots and garlic. For the flour to lose its raw flavor, add it and simmer for two minutes. After the vinegar has cooked down and thickened for approximately three minutes, add it to the saucepan and stir, scraping up any browned pieces from the bottom. When it comes to a boil, add the chicken broth. Readd the chicken to the saucepan and place a lid on it. Place the saucepan in the oven and let it cook for half an hour.
- As you wait, boil a big pot of water and cook the noodles in salted water, following the instructions on the package. After draining, replenish in the pot. Toss in 2 tablespoons of butter and season with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. Place aside, wrap, and refrigerate.
- After taking the stew out of the oven, add the remaining butter and stir until it melts. Garnish with parsley, add extra salt or pepper to taste, and serve over the buttered noodles.
- Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.