| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 6 medium chicken thighs and 6 chicken drumsticks
- Kosher salt
- 18 large cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 large “knob” ginger, grated, to equal 1 heaping tablespoon
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Brown the chicken: Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add half of the oil to each. Arrange the chicken on a tray in a single layer and season with salt. Turn the pieces over and season the other side. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the chicken, skin side down, to the skillets, leaving space between each piece of chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the chicken to brown on their first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Resist the temptation to move or turn the pieces. Use metal tongs to carefully turn the chicken pieces to their second side and brown 3 to 5 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a tray and set aside.
- Prepare the garlic: Grate 6 of the cloves of garlic and set aside for the sauce. Cut the remaining 12 cloves in half lengthwise.
- Make the sauce: In one of the skillets you cooked the chicken in, add the cumin and coriander and stir rapidly over medium-low heat to give them a quick toast, 10 to 15 seconds. Immediately add the onions and grated garlic. Season with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions turn light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, pepper flakes, bay leaves and tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to cook, breaking them apart with a spoon as they cook, 8 to 10 minutes, and then add 1 cup water.
- Toast the garlic cloves: In the other skillet the you cooked the chicken in, arrange the garlic halves in a single layer in the cooking grease. Toast the garlic over low heat until golden brown and crisped, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the garlic from the skillet, sprinkle with salt and drain on a kitchen towel.
- Finish cooking the chicken: Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, in the sauce. Cover the skillet, keep the heat low and continue cooking until the pieces are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in the ginger, cream and vinegar. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 additional minutes.
- Test the center of a thigh to make sure the chicken is cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices should run “clear,” not pink. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Top with the toasted garlic and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 642 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 49 g |
| Cholesterol | 248 mg |
| Sodium | 1436 mg |
Reviews
18 cloves of garlic? Is that correct?
I literally made this tonight; except to swap 6 thighs for 12 drumsticks; this is a fantastic dish! OMG!
Excellent dish! Love the spice blend. The chicken was juicy and delicious. I, too, saw it on TV yesterday morning and made it for dinner last night. Not the first time that’s happened! This is why my husband encourages me to watch The Kitchen.
I watched the recipe today being prepared on The Kitchen show and I quickly wrote it and made it later for diner. It is so so delicious!! Such a great way to jazz up chicken recipes! I love the cinnamon flavor, and I added some anis seeds since I didn’t have cumin seeds. It was as delicious! Served it with sautéed green beans. This one is a keeper!
Didn’t like the flavor of this at all. The cinnamon totally overpowered the dish. Leaving the seeds whole gave it an odd, unpleasing texture. Very disappointed, was looking forward to a different fall recipe for one of my go toos for cold rainy days in winter.
Delicious!!!! Great recipe easy to follow. Made with rice. Great dish for the cooler weather. Make sure you have a really large pan.
Extremely tasty. Don’t need the water. Over rice or have a loaf of bread ready for the sauce.
Very good and easy to make. Thanks so much. ❣️
This is a must make recipe! The flavor just keeps out of this world delicious. Such a change in the normal flavors we eat and we a welcome change and will be in our regular rotation.
When I saw this being cooked on The Kitchen, I knew I had to try it. I’m so happy I did! It is one of the most delicious chicken dishes I have ever eaten. The flavor throughout was amazing. I admit I was hesitant about using the cinnamon stick, but choosing to do so was spot on. This will be one of my go-to recipes, and most certainly when I want to impress. Can’t go wrong! Oh, the sauce was wonderful and I didn’t use anything to help thicken it. It was not too runny, at all.