Stock-Braised Gold Potatoes with Chicken Thighs

Name: Stock-Braised Gold Potatoes with Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 300 g Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick, skin on; 200 g cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks; 200-250 ml chicken stock, enough to come 3/4 up the potatoes; 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 good pinch salt; Black pepper, to finish; 1-2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar, to finish

A one-pan workday lunch built around leftovers. Sliced Yukon Golds braise unattended in chicken stock with garlic and thyme while cooked thighs reheat in the steam on top. Most of the 35 minutes is hands-off.

Yield

1 serving

Prep

8 min

Cook

27 min

Total

35 min

Cal

578

Protein

55 g

Fat

17 g

Carbs

48 g

Fiber

6 g

Per serving · estimated

Main Course American chicken chicken thighs potato braised one pot weeknight meal prep high-protein dinner

Ingredients

1 serving

300 g Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick, skin on
200 g cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
200-250 ml chicken stock, enough to come 3/4 up the potatoes
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 good pinch salt
Black pepper, to finish
1-2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar, to finish

Method

1
Prep
Scrub the potatoes under running water and dry them. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds, skin on. Do not rinse the cut slices — the surface starch is what thickens the braising liquid later. Cut the cooked thighs into large chunks and set aside; they go in near the end.
2
Build the pan
Arrange the potatoes in a wide pan in roughly a single layer. Add the smashed garlic, dried thyme, and salt. Pour in stock until it comes about three-quarters up the potatoes — they should not be swimming. Add the dried thyme now rather than at the end so it rehydrates in the liquid.
3
Simmer and cover
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once it is bubbling, drop the heat to low and put the lid on.
4
Braise unattended
Leave covered on low for 15 minutes. No stirring, no attention needed.
5
Add the chicken
Lay the chicken chunks on top of the potatoes and put the lid back on for 5 minutes. They reheat in the steam without drying out, and any rendered fat drips down into the sauce.
6
Uncover and reduce
Take the lid off and raise the heat to medium. A knife should meet no resistance in a potato slice. Let the liquid reduce for about 5 minutes until it turns glossy and clings to the potatoes. Nudge the pan occasionally but do not stir hard, or the slices break down.
7
Finish
Off the heat, pull out the garlic cloves if you like. Add black pepper and a small squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar — start with a teaspoon and taste. The acid should make the dish taste more like itself, not like lemon.

Notes

Yukon Golds are the right potato here — enough starch to thicken the liquid, enough structure to hold their shape through the braise. Reds work and are slightly firmer. Russets fall apart into a starchy sludge. Use a wide pan if you have one. A tall narrow pot has less evaporation surface, so the reduction step either takes much longer or runs past the point where there is any sauce left. If you are working in a saucepan, pull the lid at 12 minutes instead of 15 so reduction happens gently over more time. Reserving a splash of stock to add back off-heat also rescues an over-reduced pan. Slice thickness does not need to be perfect. In a 20-minute covered braise the thin slices just come out softer. Smash the garlic with the flat of a knife rather than mincing it. Minced garlic dissolves into the liquid over 20 minutes and turns flat and slightly bitter; smashed cloves release flavor slowly and go soft and sweet. Do not measure the stock precisely — pour to three-quarters up the potatoes. Stock runs 5-10 kcal per 100 ml and does not meaningfully move the nutrition. Doubles well and reheats fine, so a double batch is a second lunch.