Tanya Holland's Chicken Thighs with Barbecue Beans
Adapted from Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West. An easy and delicious barbecue sauce transforms cannellini or other white beans into something special — fabulous with meaty chicken thighs. The original recipe calls for either cooked dried white beans or canned beans; we used canned cannellinis, and would do so again in a hot minute.
‘Tanya Holland’s California Soul’ was chosen as one of Cooks Without Borders’ top cookbooks of 2022. READ the story.
Serves four to six.
Ingredients
For the barbecue sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
1 cup diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
For the rest of the dish
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper (green or red), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Italian parsley, coarsely chopped, for finishing
Instructions
1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Make the barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, molasses and mustard, and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with a lid (cast-iron or an enamel cast-iron braiser are great) over medium heat, fry the bacon until the fat renders and it is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat in the pan (or add oil so you have about 2 tablespoons in the pan). Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Over medium heat, add the onion, bell pepper, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then stir in the beans and reserved bacon, breaking the bacon into bite-sized pieces as you add it. Reserving 1/2 cup of the barbecue for serving, add the rest to the bean mixture, along with the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions and parsley and serving, passing the reserved barbecue sauce alongside.
Tanya Holland's Chicken Thighs with Barbecue Beans
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 1 cup diced or crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark molasses
- 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 small bell pepper (green or red), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- Italian parsley, coarsely chopped, for finishing
Instructions
- Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Make the barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, molasses and mustard, and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with a lid (cast-iron or an enamel cast-iron braiser are great) over medium heat, fry the bacon until the fat renders and it is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat in the pan (or add oil so you have about 2 tablespoons in the pan). Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Over medium heat, add the onion, bell pepper, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then stir in the beans and reserved bacon, breaking the bacon into bite-sized pieces as you add it. Reserving 1/2 cup of the barbecue for serving, add the rest to the bean mixture, along with the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions and parsley and serving, passing the reserved barbecue sauce alongside.
