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Italian Braised Chicken

Italian Braised Chicken is one of those simple dishes that makes everyone happy.
To start off with,  it’s super delicious and has basic ingredients that will please everyone including the children. But the part I love best, is that once the initial browning off is done, the chicken needs little attention!

close up of braised chicken wings with potato chunks sprinkled with chopped parsley viewed from above

This is my favourite Italian Braised Chicken recipe. The chicken, on this occasion I used wings, are first seared in oil and butter until the skin is caramelised then they’re gently simmered in wine and rosemary. Potatoes are added at then end and cooked in the flavourful liquid while the chicken becomes super tender.

You won’t want to miss this delicious chicken dinner. And if you enjoy this chicken recipe, you don’t want to miss my Italian Chicken Cutlets, Chicken Sorrentino or my Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie which are all such delicious classics!

Ingredients needed

As I said earlier, this chicken wing dinner uses basic ingredients.

  • Chicken – I used chicken wings on this occasion but chicken thighs or legs are also excellent for this recipe.
  • Olive oil – For this dish, extra virgin olive oil is my preference but use what you have.
  • Butter – salted butter is fine but if you have unsalted butter used that.
  • Garlic – fresh garlic is my favorite. Minced garlic in a jar can be use at a pinch.
  • Rosemary – fresh rosemary is best. Used dried if that’s all you have. A teaspoon of dried rosemary is plenty.
  • Dry white wine – whatever you like to drink or is leftover in the fridge.
  • Salt – Italian Braised Chicken needs to be well seasoned.
  • Potatoes – use a variety that won’t break apart when cooked.
Butter, dry white wine, raw chicken wings, potatoes, rosemary, garlic, salt and olive oil in bowls and dishes on a wooden board

How to prepare the chicken wings

My local supermarket sells chicken wings minus the tips and cut into two at the joint called “chicken nibbles”. But if you can’t find these, it’s very simple to do at home.

  1. Simply find both joints – the wing should bend in two places.
  2. Dislocate the wing by bending the joints backwards.
  3. Place the wing on a cutting board. Press a sharp knife down between the joint. You won’t be going through any bones.
  4. Repeat with the second joint.
  5. You will end up with a drumette, a wingette (the bit with two parallel bones) and a wing tip.
  6. Only the drummette and the wingette is needed for this recipe. Keep the wing tips for this slow cooker Chicken Stock.

How to make this recipe

Photo collage of 4 images. Image 1 is raw chicken wing pieces in a pan. Image 2 is browned chicken wings with raw garlic and rosemary scattered on top. Image 3 is glass of white wine being poured over browned chicken. Image 4 is browned chicken with chunk of potatoes

This recipe is really simple.

  1. Fry chicken wings in oil and butter until well browned.
  2. Scatter sliced garlic and rosemary over browned chicken.
  3. Pour over the white wine and some water then simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Add chunky cut potatoes and continue cooking until chicken and potatoes are tender.

Substitutions

  • Chicken wings – chicken thighs, drumsticks or marylands substitute well. Keep in mind that larger pieces will need longer cooking.
  • Water – instead of water, use chicken stock. Chicken stock can be salty so reduce the salt and taste to check seasoning.
  • White wine – substitute with extra water or chicken stock.

Variations

  • omit the butter and use all olive oil
  • use thyme, sage or a couple of bayleaves instead of rosemary
  • use bottled, crushed garlic instead of fresh
  • substitute chicken stock for the wine
  • add mushrooms instead of potatoes

How to make without alcohol

While the traditional method uses white wine, this recipe is equally delicious without wine. Simply substitute 1 1/2 cups of low salt chicken stock for all the liquid including the water and proceed as directed in the recipe.

When using chicken stock, reduce salt to one teaspoon. Check seasoning at the end of the cooking and adjust to your taste.

Does this have thick gravy?

No. The sauce in this recipe is thin and flavoursome but not like a thick gravy. If you prefer a slightly thickened sauce, dust the chicken wings in all purpose flour before frying. This will slightly thicken the sauce while cooking in the liquid.

braised chicken wings with potato chunks sprinkled with chopped parsley viewed from above

What to do with leftovers?

Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a pan over medium heat, adding a little water to moisten if needed.

close up of braised chicken wings with potato chunks sprinkled with chopped parsley viewed from a 45 degree angle

Serving suggestions

Good bread is perfect to soak up the juices. Get yourself a crusty Italian loaf or make this Ligurian focaccia to really impress. Plus you’ll enjoy the freshness of this Green Bean salad or a Calebrese pizza if you have a lot of people to feed.

More recipes you will love

Honey Baked Chicken Wings
Butterfly Chicken Recipe
Chicken Limone
Lemon Rosemary Charcoal Chicken from Jaimie Eats
Greek Style Chicken and Salsa from It’s Not Complicated

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braised chicken wings with potato chunks sprinkled with chopped parsley viewed from above

Braised Italian Chicken

This simple dish of Chicken and Potatoes braised until tender and flavoursome. Get yourself some crusty bread for mopping up the delicious sauce.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings:4 people
Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp salted butter
  • 3 pounds (1½ kilograms) chicken wings without wing tip See Notes 1 & 2
  • 6 large garlic cloves sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or more to taste
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup water See Note 3
  • 4 large potatoes See Note 4
  • 2 teaspoons salt See Note 5
  • freshly ground pepper to serve
  • chopped parsley to serve

Instructions

  • Separate the wing into two at the joint.
  • Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan that has a lid.
  • Arrange the chicken in one layer in the frying pan. Fry on medium heat, turning when needed, until the chicken is evenly browned and caramelised.
  • Sprinkle garlic and fresh rosemary over chicken. Stir through the chicken and allow to fry for a a minute or two until fragrant.
  • Add wine. Bring to boil then add water.
  • Season well with salt.
  • Cover with the lid, turn down the heat. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.
  • In the meantime, peel potatoes and cut into large chunks.
  • After 20 minutes add potatoes pressing them into the sauce. Add a little more water if it is drying out.
  • Replace the lid. Continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.
  • Remove the lid and taste the sauce to check for seasoning. Add a little more salt if needed. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and a good grinding of black pepper.
  • To serve, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and a good grinding of black pepper. Provide crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

Notes

  1. To make it even easier look for chicken wings without the tips that have already be cut at the joint. They may be sold as “chicken wingettes” or “chicken nibbles”.
  2. Use chicken thighs or drumsticks instead of wings.
  3. Substitute chicken broth for water  – be sure to check before salting if you use a salty chicken stock.
  4. Waxy potatoes are best as they hold their shape .
  5. Be sure to taste and salt well.

Variations

  • omit the butter and use all olive oil.
  • use thyme, sage or a couple of bayleaves instead of rosemary.
  • use bottled, crushed garlic instead of fresh.
  • substitute chicken broth for the wine.
  • add mushrooms instead of potatoes.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and leave a comment below!

Nutritional Estimate Per Serving

Serving: 0g | Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 1364mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.

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22 Comments

  1. Marcellina, what a flavorful supper this will be! Gorgeous photos too! I’ve pinned this recipe, I will be making it soon 🙂

  2. Chicken and potatoes are a match made in heaven! My grandmother made an oven-roasted chicken and potato dish that I adored. This stovetop version looks just as nice. And I love that you used chicken wings. Let nothing go to waste!

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this easy, tasty, frugal one: hope to make one batch in the open, at least, when the things are back to “normal”.

      1. Chicken breasts wouldn’t be the best choice for this recipe because the meat would become quite dry with the long cooking. You could use chicken thighs or legs as a substitute. Hope that helps, Fran!

  4. 5 stars
    LOVE this! I see this and some crusty bread, with an extremely large glass of white wine in my very near future. Thank you so much – it’s going to hit the spot!

  5. 5 stars
    An absolute beaut! I loved how simple this dish was to make but more importantly the garlic & rosemary flavours were singing with the juicy chicken