This One Pot Braised Chicken with Quinoa with added mushrooms and green peas is a complete meal that is satisfying and cooks in under an hour. It is the perfect weeknight meal when you need something easy, healthy, and delicious.
On those hectic days when we still want to eat healthy, but don’t feel like dealing with a sink full of dishes, one pot meals come in extra handy. They provide the comfort of a nutritious, home-cooked meal and bring the family together around the dinner table. That’s why they are my favorite.
The best part about this One Pot Braised Chicken with Quinoa recipe is that it’s versatile and allows you to use what you already have on hand. While this recipe uses chicken thighs, it could be made successfully with drumsticks as well. No quinoa? Well, you could definitely replace it with white rice if that’s what you have in your pantry.
One Pot Braised Chicken with Quinoa
Quinoa is one of my favorite grains. I use it quite often to create easy meals like my Sausage and Sweet Potato Quinoa. Although technically not a grain, quinoa still belongs to the whole grain family. Unlike other grains, it is very rich in protein and contains essential amino acids. It also has high levels of vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
Quinoa is gluten-free, which makes it a great alternative to other grains that contain gluten. To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free chicken stock or make your own.
Another reason why I use quinoa in this One Pot Braised Chicken with Quinoa recipe is because it absorbs all the flavors as it cooks. The chicken and mushroom juices, spices, and chicken stock are soaked up, making the quinoa fluffy and flavorful. It’s almost guaranteed that everyone will be reaching for seconds. So after a long day, if you need something quick, easy, and healthy, give this meal a try. You won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried marjoram
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- ¾ cup quinoa
- 1 cup green peas
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large sauté pot over medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, mix sea salt, black pepper, and marjoram. Rub the seasoning mix over chicken thighs. Place the chicken tights in the sautéing pot and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Stir in garlic and let it sauté for 30 seconds until it releases its flavor. Then pour in ½ cup chicken stock. Toss in fresh thyme and bring to boil. Lower the heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Move the meat to the sides of the pot to make room in the center for mushrooms. Stir in the mushrooms and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift brown bits. Let mushrooms sauté for a few minutes until they release their juice and shrink in size.
- Stir in quinoa and pour in the rest of the chicken stock. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and toss in the green peas. Cover and let simmer 15 minutes.
- Turn the heat of,f keeping the lid on. Let rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: If using larger chicken thighs or drumsticks, increase the simmering time before adding mushrooms and quinoa to 25-30 minutes to make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
We hope you love this One Pot Braised Chicken with Quinoa recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Mira from Food Smart Mom, as much as we do. If you love this delightful recipe, stop by our One Pot Meals section to find more like it. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss a single recipe, and for daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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