Quick-Braised Chicken With Greens Recipe (2024)

I never understand why these recipes specify "de-stemmed" greens - if treated properly, stems add flavor and fiber, and there's no reason to waste them. As other commenters have advised elsewhere, just slice or chop the stems and add them in around the same time as the onion.

In Italy whole chickens are often roasted in an aluminum-foil packet, which skips the browning in favor of an unusually moist and flavorful bird. Season with salt, put some peppercorns, herb sprigs (parsley, thyme, rosemary) and maybe some lemon slices and shallots into the cavity, close the opening, brush with melted butter, scatter garlic and more shallots, around the bird, and seal. Start at 400 for a half hour, then reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes more. Open spectacularly at the table.

This is quite good! I modified a few things, though, which I thought was helpful:- added some minced garlic when the onions were nearly done cooking down (surprised this recipe didn't call for any!)- added a few dashes of cayenne pepper to give it some more heat- added a can of great northern beans near the endI agree with other folks that stems in this are great. I used rainbow chard, and cut the stems small enough so they had enough time to cook down.

Chard stems are delicious. I wouldn’t know about kale stems as the vegetable is all but non-existent in Italy, and regarded with suspicion as food for horses.

Chard stems are fine, but does anyone seriously like kale stems? I find them intolerable and avoid buying bags of kale where they are just lazily chopped in with the leaves. It’s like biting into a tree.

Exceeded expectations. Added diced carrot w/onions just because and grated garlic w/tomato paste etc. Decided to go “all in” & used gourmet brand sliced Greek pepperoncini. Recommend. Diced Tuscan kale ribs, cooked w/tomato paste mix. Cooking time longer for thighs to get tender enough to “shred w fork” but end result was delicious and so flavorful! Olive oil toast - rub w/garlic to up flavor to match the braise. Don’t hold back! This is delicious especially on a cold Winter’s night.

What do people - and Aly S? - think about using kimchee as the source of pickled taste? (I happen to have all the other ingredients handy).

Made this according to the recipe… but I made the fried toast in the pot that I was going to make the braise in first… then followed the recipe making this a one pot meal. Very good. Definitely make the oil-fried toast.

Made per recipe with jarred sliced cherry peppers. The olive oil toast was a sublime accompaniment. Will definitely make again!

Max Alexander: kale is eaten by Italians, at least in Tuscany. What Americans refer to as “dinosaur kale” is known as “cavolo nero” in Florence. It is widely used in soups, including the celebrated “Ribollita”.

If you're using bone-in, skin-on thighs, the soup might be fattier, but otherwise I think you could follow the recipe just the same. Might need a few more minutes to cook the chicken through.

Perfect for a cold January nite-- the sugar, peppers, and tomatoes made for a nice tanginess, and those flavors really popped with a teaspoon of white balsamic vinegar. I also used the greens's stems, diced up and sautéed with the onions.

Made it mostly as directed, with pepperoncini and a mix of kale and collards. Was scrumptious! We loved the tanginess of it. I had to simmer it longer than twenty minutes for the chicken to be tender enough to shred easily. But it’s a solid dish for a January weeknight. So easy.

Can I make this with bone-in chicken thighs and take the cooked and slightly cooled chicken off the bone and return it to the pot? if so, are there any recommended changes?

Kale is cavalo Nero in Italy, no?

Chicago edit - swapped hot giardiniera for the peppers and was generous with the vinegar/oil it’s kept in. Also added garlic as some others suggested. Perfect for late winter / false spring cooking!

Not even a fan of pickled peppers, but had some chicken thighs rainbow chard that needed to be cooked…. WOW THIS IS SO GOOD, will make again again. Added thinly sliced garlic rinsed white beans from the pantry as others suggested, seconding those additions.

Justin made and said it was pretty amazing. He made it with chard.

Use sweet jarred red peppers

Sautéed onions in butter. Simmered chicken for an hour. Added a bag of frozen collards and a can of white beans and simmered for 20 minutes. Used sliced pepperocini and added a little extra brine at the end. Made the toast with butter and sandwich bread - that is all I had on hand. This was easy and so tasty and full of veggies!

Sautéed onions in butter. Simmered chicken for an hour. Added a bag of frozen collards and a can of white beans and simmered for 20 minutes. Used sliced pepperocinis. Made the toast with butter and sandwich bread.

If you want to kick the spice up a notch, try a good healthy shake of Tabasco Scorpion. Delicious.

So much flavor in so little time. Made this a few times and always double the amount of brine. Salt and paper the chicken before putting in the pot. Generously top bowls with shredded Parmesan right before serving. Delish.

Chicken needs less time to cook. Added splash of sherry vinegar. Used broccoli rabe, added toward end. Used orzo. David gave thumbs up!

Dial back on pepperocinis - use a bit of brown sugarUse maharaja spice instead of cumin

Add garlic and a can of white beans. Add greens later - don’t need to be falling apart.

Nutrition bomb! Beautiful soup. I used a bag of frozen collards and they worked perfectly. Thanks for the idea of cannellini beans, which I threw in at the end. I’m pepper ignorant and afraid too, so I only put in one jalapeño. Added a lot more brine at the end. Bone in thighs a pain to shred but worth it and I like to think that much more nutritious. I’ll make this again. Didn’t have any decent bread to fry so used a bag of rice and ancient grains, and I did not miss the bread.

Made this tonight with the olive oil toasts and it was super tasty. Added carrots and garlic. It needed more salt at the end but overall was a big hit for us!

Did this with bone-in thighs with skin instead. Along with the extra time it took for the bone-in, it might be good to cook the whole thing with the lid on for at least 10 minutes to really cook the inside before you put it on low and then you might need to do that later towards the end. But this was really tasty, loved the sauce and the chicken came out super tender and moist. I served on quick microwave chicken flavored rice which was good and easy and added cannellini beans for protein

yum yum YUM! I've made this three times now. first time true to recipe but with homemade vegetable broth and chard. second time, homemade chicken stock and chard. third time, store bought chicken stock and cabbage. no brown sugar any time, hot banana peppers all three times. the cabbage was great but made it a little earthier. I will keep making this on repeat!