A gorgeous and flavorful dinner, this one pot olive oil braised chicken is packed with bright citrus flavor, fennel and eye-catching turmeric.
This recipe has been in my head for years but have been nervous about trying fennel for the first time. I've heard gorgeous stories of recipes using raw and cooked fennel, how it caramelizes when cooked and stays bright and crisp when left raw. But I couldn't shake the horrid thoughts of forcing down black licorice as a kid and now 20 years later, haven't tasted licorice since. I have crazy thoughts, don't I?
This gorgeous Olive Oil braised chicken exemplifies everything I love about the Mediterranean Diet. I start by marinating free range chicken in bright flavors of lemon zest, mustard and herbs and then braise it in a good amount of fruity Olive Oils. As the chicken browns, fennel and citrus slices are layered and an extra helping of fresh thyme from my garden.
I can't even express how beautiful this olive oil braised chicken is. The full flavor of Olive Oil paired with a bit of the chickens fat created a luxurious liquid that kept the protein incredibly moist and full of intense flavors.
This is truly a gorgeous golden feast and is superb with softened fennel and caramelized lemon slices.
The thinner you cut the citrus, the easier the skin will soften and you can't help but beg to chew on the sweet zest. Serve this Olive Oil braised chicken with your favorite rice dish and a side of thick yogurt.
Olive Oil Braised Chicken with Citrus, Fennel and Turmeric
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3-4 chicken drumsticks
- 2 Tb stone ground mustard
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ lemon zested and juiced
- ½ orange zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves removed + more for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Olive Oil from Spain
- 1 fennel bulb stems removed and cut into eighths
- ½ lemon sliced thin
- ½ orange sliced thin
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock may need more if liquid reduces
Instructions
- First, pat dry chicken pieces with a paper towel and add to a large bowl. Then add mustard, garlic, turmeric, orange and lemon zest and juice and thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Massage marinade all over the chicken and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 425 F
- Next, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add Olive Oils from Spain. Carefully add chicken to the hot cast iron and sear on each side so the outside is a deep yellow brown color, about 3 minutes on each side.
- Once seared, add the sliced fennel, orange and lemon slices and more thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper if necessary and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer and then carefully place skillet in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked inside. As chicken cooks, use a ladle to spoon braising liquid over the chicken.
- Once chicken is done, the sauce should have thickened and fennel and citrus tender. Allow to rest for 5 minute before cutting into chicken. Serve with Greek yogurt on the side, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
mila furman says
Your pictures are beautiful...and this dish just screams spring to me. I love a simple roasted chicken dish...could have it any day or any night 🙂
Samantha says
Thank you so much Mila...I agree..nothing better than a good roast chicken dish!
Allie @ Sweet Potato Bites says
oooh I love this! I have the same aversion to black licorice so I hear you on the fennel thing...but I do love cooking with it.
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Oh I am so in love with everything about this dish! Especially the whole oranges. I love cooking and baking with whole citrus and I think it's something that totally under used. Beautiful photos!
Samantha says
Thank you so much Liz!! I LOVE cooking with citrus and citrus zest too...brings out such a gorgeous brightness! :))
Kaye says
I made your recipe last night. I only used 1/4 olive from Italy. Since it was a mild day in Upper Michigan, we cooked it on our grill which kept the mess outside. It was a beautiful looking dish and quite delicious! We will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks! I served it with a wild rice mix by Lundberg and a nice spinach and strawberry salad. I just bought some strawberries and the salad went well with this dish. Thanks!
Samantha says
Hi Kaye! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I will have to try it on the grill next time! And I also love adding fruit to my salads...what a lovely meal you had!
Kaye says
P.S. I love Spain too but just went to Italy last spring and shipped home Italian olive oil. : )
artchee @ pangbenta.com says
I like chicken and I try to look for recipes that I haven't tried yet. It's a good thing I came across your post while I was searching because I'm a fan of turmeric as well.
I like adding turmeric to my meals but I don't like it tastes too much so I try to add it with other ingredients to hide its taste.
I'll go ahead and try your recipe and check. If it doesn't taste too "turmericy," I'll definitely add it to my recipes list. Thanks for sharing this.
Tracey says
I'm trying this recipe tonight but don't have stone ground mustard.. Could I subtitute Dijon mustard or dry mustard, and if so, how much? Thank you.