Provençal-Style Braised Chicken with Herbs

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-05 · Updated 2026-04-05

A true-to-roots French bistro classic featuring chicken thighs slow-cooked in red wine with aromatic herbs and vegetables, yielding tender meat and a deeply flavorful sauce. This mediterranean-inspired one pot ready in about 90 minutes pairs chicken thighs, olive oil, medium, diced yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 480 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium, diced yellow onion
• 1 medium, diced carrot
• 2, diced celery stalk
• 4 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season generously with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear chicken skin-side down for 6-7 minutes until golden brown; flip and cook 3 minutes more, then remove and set aside.
2. Step 2: Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pot, then cook onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Step 3: Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up browned bits, and simmer for 3 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in chicken stock, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves, then return chicken to the pot, skin-side up.
4. Step 4: Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 45 minutes until chicken is tender.
5. Step 5: Remove chicken and herbs, then strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Return the sauce to the pot, whisk in flour to form a paste, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Step 6: Return chicken to the pot, spoon sauce over top, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Discard herbs, stir in fresh parsley, and serve immediately.