This may sound like a mouthful, and it honestly is. And by that, I mean it’s a flavor explosion in your mouth! But do not worry, just because there is a lot of flavor, doesn’t mean it’s a difficult dish to make. It’s actually very easy. The hardest part of this recipe is getting the ingredients (you can skip the miso by the way, I just thought it added an element of umami — it’s well worth getting if you can.)
Why did I even combine these flavors?
Well, there are a few reasons. The first reason is that it’s October and apple cider is my guilty pleasure. I could drink a gallon of apple cider without thinking twice. I also love the sweet and savory combination of apples with meats, in particular, a piece of chicken with skin or a pork chop. The second reason: the first episode of Treat Yourself with Skyler aired this week, and I felt inspired to cook with beer! When we were filming that episode, I learned all about the chemistry of beer (and how it’s good for your hair) but that helped me understand how it would also be useful in the kitchen. I also love how different beers pack different flavors. Oh, and I’m a huge sucker for beer cheese (please try it if you haven’t). Ok, so apple cider and beer kind of makes sense together, but miso, where did that come from?! To be honest, I saw it in the store, and I just knew the miso would complement the sweet and savory with its sweet, salty and slightly umami flavor. I used white miso to play it on the safe side, but if you’re a die-hard miso lover, go for the red! It will transform this dish to be even more comforting and umami than it already is.
For the spark notes lovers out there, I would say this dish’s flavor profile is:
- sweet
- savory
- salty
- comforting
- hearty
- umami
Apple Cider, Beer + Miso Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs with skin on
- Salt to taste, for seasoning chicken thighs
- Pepper to taste, for seasoning chicken thighs
- Olive oil for seasoning pan
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1 1/4 cup beer I used a corona, I recommend lighter beers for the flavor profile
- 1 tsp miso paste
- 1 spanish onion sliced
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 8 small white or red potatoes sliced
- 1 tbsp gluten-free flour *can sub for whole wheat or all purpose, this is for sauce thickening purposes
- Parsley for garnish
Equipment
- Dutch oven, stockpot, or large cast iron skillet
Directions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry, then season them generously with salt and pepper.
- Season a skillet, or the bottom of the dutch oven or stockpot, with olive oil. Heat on medium high heat until the olive oil is shimmering. Place the chicken thighs skin side down onto the hot pan, for 5-7 minutes, until crispy golden brown.
- Remove the chicken thighs and transfer to a plate.
- Add the onion, carrots and potatoes to the pan and sauté until golden brown on the outside, about 5-7 minutes. The vegetables do not need to be fully cooked through, they just need to be browned on the outside. This improves flavor.
- Add the flour to the pan and mix until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the vegetables.
- Pour the beer and apple cider into the pot. Add the miso paste and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue mixing for 5 minutes.
- Switch the heat to medium, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Place the lid on top of the pot and cover as the mixture simmers for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes, just to make sure everything is cooking evenly.
- Remove the pot from heat and garnish with fresh parsley.
- Plate and serve!
Rate & Review
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