Braising—simmering in a seasoned liquid—is one of the best ways to cook chicken. It’s not the fastest cooking method, but it’s easy and produces tender meat that’s deeply infused with the other flavors in the dish. The recipe below is a great low-carb example.
I love to use dark meat chicken in braises because they have so much flavor and cook more quickly than larger chicken pieces like breasts. Bacon lays down a base of savory, salty, smoky flavor, but fresh fennel is what makes this recipe unique. It adds an unexpected, yet fully welcome sweetness to the dish.
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Cooktop Cove
Low-Carb Chicken with Fennel and Bacon
6
15 minutes
45 minutes
1 hour
4 strips bacon, chopped
3 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
2 onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup chicken broth
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Drain excess drippings from the pan, reserving about 1 tablespoon.
Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and then brown it in the skillet in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the fennel and onions to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 more minute.
Stir in the broth and lemon zest and juice. Add the chicken back to the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil.
Let the fennel and onions simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes or so, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the bacon and spoon the sauce over the chicken on the serving platter. Serve hot.
