Braised Catalina Chicken Thighs (Print Version)

Juicy chicken thighs braised with tangy Catalina dressing and vibrant peppers in a comforting dish.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (approximately 2 pounds)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, thinly sliced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

06 - 1 cup Catalina salad dressing
07 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
08 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
09 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt, pepper, and paprika.
03 - Heat a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin side down and sear for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
04 - In the same pan, add onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together Catalina dressing, chicken broth, ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
06 - Return chicken to the pan, arranging over the vegetables. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
07 - Cover with lid or foil and transfer to preheated oven. Braise for 25 minutes.
08 - Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and chicken to brown.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The sauce develops this incredible sweet-tangy flavor that feels like something from a fancy restaurant but comes together with pantry staples
  • Everything cooks in one pan, and the vegetables become almost candy-like while absorbing all that seasoned flavor
02 -
  • Do not skip the searing step, it creates fond on the bottom of the pan that dissolves into the sauce adding incredible depth
  • The sauce will seem thin when you pour it, but it reduces and concentrates beautifully during that uncovered cooking time
03 -
  • Use a store-bought dressing with good ingredients since it is the backbone of the flavor profile
  • Let the pan cool slightly before deglazing if you want to really scrape up every bit of flavor

Go Back