One Pot German-Style Chicken with Sauerkraut and Braised Vegetables
/You're just going to love this recipe! The comfort of one-pot meals is incredible enough, but the flavors of this dish are outstanding. It's all thanks to our homemade sauerkraut, which along with the chicken broth, helps to provide a silky texture. You'd almost be certain that there is white wine in the recipe, but there isn't!
I'd like to take credit for helping Adrian to make sauerkraut at home recently, but when I was busy on the phone one evening, he got busy in the kitchen and decided to make our first successful batch! The result was sooooo delicious. Here's the recipe for homemade sauerkraut he used.
So why was it our first successful batch? Years ago, we tried to make sauerkraut on our own and fermented the cabbage in a mason jar for a couple weeks. We didn't use an air lock like the recipe above suggests, so our sauerkraut turned into a nice culture you might show off at the Science Fair, but wasn't something you'd want to eat. I'm so thrilled that this batch was successful! I didn't even have to lift a finger.
The first dish I wanted to make with our sauerkraut was a German-style dish that we've been experimenting with for years. I think we've finally perfected it. We usually cut up boneless-skinless chicken thighs into pieces, and add them to a sauté pan with sauerkraut, beer, and roughly chopped vegetables. But to sex the chicken up a bit for the blog, we decided to pan-sear whole skin-on chicken thighs and then transfer them to the oven with the vegetables. The result was amazing!
So there you have it. A perfected Diet Assassinista recipe. And I can thank you for for inspiring me to make it!
One Pot German-Style Chicken with Sauerkraut and Braised Vegetables
Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium boneless chicken thighs, skin-on (about 2 lbs)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
10 small bunch carrots, sliced 1/2”-inch thick
1/2 lb baby red potatoes, quartered
1 medium bunch chives, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons thyme leaves, with thyme flowers if available
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1.5 cups chicken broth
To Garnish
Chives, roughly chopped
Thyme leaves
Sour cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. Set chicken on a platter and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until browned on the opposite side, about 4-6 minutes. Set chicken aside, keeping warm.
To the same skillet, scrape up any browned bits and stir in the onions, carrots, baby potatoes, chives, and thyme. Sauté for about 8 minutes until the vegetables have softened slightly. Stir in sauerkraut, add broth, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Nestle reserved chicken in with the vegetables and transfer the skillet to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking chicken until the broth has reduced by 2/3 and the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of at least 160F.
Serve chicken on plates over braised vegetables. Top with additional chives, thyme, and dollops of sour cream. Great served with a side of crusty bread or over spiral-shaped pasta!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you will love Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Orzo, Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast with Romanesco Broccoli and Potatoes, and One-Pot Citrus Chicken with Farro
