Print Recipe

Chicken with Dates and Raisins

This sweet and savory chicken dish is the perfect balance between rich flavors and sweet tang. This makes a great weeknight meal to feed a hungry crew.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Global
Keyword: braise, Chicken, Dates, drumstick, Raisins, thighs
Servings: 4

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 tsp Garlic Powder
  • ¼ tsp Fresh Rosemary Finely Chopped
  • ½ tsp Paprika
  • ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • ¼ tsp Fresh Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 4 Whole Cloves
  • 3 All Spice Pods
  • 1 Large White Onion Sliced (with the grain)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 15 Seeded Dates Sliced
  • 4 tbsp Raisins
  • 14.5 oz Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes 1 can
  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 5 Chicken Drumsticks
  • 4 Chicken Thighs
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

  • First things first we want to get our spice mixture all mixed up. Take the garlic powder, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, black pepper and salt and mix them in a small bowl. Pre-heat oven to 375.
  • We also want to slice up the onion and open the can of tomatoes before we get to cooking since this will all come together pretty quickly. To slice the onion chop off both ends, place the onion on one of the ends and cut it in half vertically. Then place the onion half's flat side down and slice with the grain of the onion. By cutting them this way they'll keep their shape a little better through the braising process.
  • Using most (if not all) of the spice mixture liberally season the chicken on both sides. The trick here is to use one hand to sprinkle the spice, and the other hand to handle the raw chicken. This way there's no cross contamination and you can keep drinking your beer with the non-chicken hand between spice sprinkling.
  • Put 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan and set it on medium heat. Once the oil is hot add in the chicken thighs skin side down. If you got skinless or boneless thighs it's all good. We're going to brown the chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Because of the spices they'll brown pretty quick to keep an eye on them.
  • Once the thighs are browned on both sides take them out and put them on a plate (pro tip: less dishes if you use the same plate that you seasoned the chicken on). Grab the drumsticks and brown them on all sides as well. When the drumsticks are browned place them on the plate with the thighs.
  • Add in the onions to the pan and cook them over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes or until they loosen up a little. As the onion is cooking use them to scrape the delicious frond off the bottom of the pan. Halfway through cooking the onions add in the garlic and the rest of the spice mixture, continue to cook.
  • When the onions are soft add in the tomatoes and use them to get any residual brownage off the bottom of the pan. Bring the tomatoes to a simmer then add in the dates and raisins. Cooks for a minute just to combine, then add in the chicken stock. Mix everything together and bring it up to a simmer. (We're still on medium/medium-low heat).
  • When the mixture in the pot comes up to a simmer, nestle the chicken pieces so they're about 1/2 to 2/3rd submerged in the liquid, keeping the skin side of the thighs up (we want crisp skin!). Bring it all up to a simmer, once simmering place the pan uncovered in the oven for 40 minutes.
  • After 40 minutes the amount of liquid should be reduces, the chicken should be super tender, and the skin should be nice and crisp. Enjoy!