Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Thighs with Carrots
Tender chicken thighs braised with carrots and onions in a sweet-and-sour sauce made with honey and lemon juice, seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon and paprika. This one-skillet dish is finished with fresh herbs for a delicious Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Ingredients
- •8 pieces small chicken thighs with skin and bone (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 lb total), trimmed of excess fat
- •2 teaspoons salt
- •1¼ teaspoons paprika
- •¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- •½ teaspoon black pepper
- •1½ tablespoons olive oil
- •1 large onion
- •1 lb carrots
- •2 tablespoons minced garlic
- •½ cup water
- •¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- •2 tablespoons mild honey
- •1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- •1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Pat chicken dry. Stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with paprika, cinnamon, and pepper and rub onto chicken.
5 min
- 2.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning over once, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate.
20 min
- 3.
Discard all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add onion and carrots. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.
11 min
- 4.
Return chicken, skin sides up, to skillet, nestling it into vegetables. Stir together water, lemon juice, and honey until blended and add to skillet, then cook over moderately low heat, covered, until chicken is cooked through and carrots are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. If necessary, skim fat from sauce, then add salt to taste. Sprinkle with herbs just before serving.
30 min