Easy Louisiana Style Chicken (Printable Version)
Tender chicken thighs in a savory tomato-creole sauce with onions, peppers, and celery. Ready in one hour.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.5 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 large onion, diced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
→ Seasonings
09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
→ Liquids
14 - 2 cups chicken broth
15 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
16 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
17 - 1 tsp hot sauce
→ To Serve
18 - Cooked white rice
19 - Fresh parsley, chopped
# How to Make It:
01 - Season chicken pieces thoroughly with salt and black pepper, ensuring even coverage on all sides.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides for 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, green bell pepper, and celery. Sauté until softened and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
05 - Stir in smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. Add canned diced tomatoes with their juice and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well to combine.
06 - Return browned chicken to the pot. Pour in chicken broth and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 35-40 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through.
07 - Remove bay leaf and discard. Taste stew and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce as desired. Serve hot over cooked white rice, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The chicken becomes impossibly tender, practically falling off the bone when you look at it
- That tomato based sauce develops layers of flavor that make you want to sop up every drop with good bread
02 -
- Rushing the browning step is the biggest mistake you can make, take your time and get good color on the chicken
- Letting the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving makes all the difference, the flavors need time to become friends
03 -
- Dont skip the Worcestershire sauce, it adds that subtle umami depth people cant quite put their finger on
- If the sauce gets too thick, splash in a little more broth rather than water