Braised Chicken With Cabbage and Lemon

By Carolina Gelen

Updated Aug. 29, 2024

Braised Chicken With Cabbage and Lemon
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(200)
Comments
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Cabbage is the vegetable that keeps on giving: Cheap, accessible and available year-round, it can be roasted, fermented, stuffed, turned into salads, soups and more. This one-pot recipe is all about keeping things simple and letting the schmaltzy cabbage shine as it gets tender and sweet in this bright lemon and white wine sauce. First, you’ll sear chicken thighs, then add a tumble of cabbage, white wine and sliced lemon to the pot and gently simmer the mixture. To complement those tangy notes, the dish is drizzled with honey and broiled until the chicken browns, crisps and caramelizes. To soak up all those flavorful juices, pair the dish with crusty bread or egg noodles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)
  • Salt
  • 2small lemons, preferably smooth (not very porous) ones that feel juicy when squeezed
  • 1tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable oil
  • 1medium cabbage head (about 2⅓ pounds), quartered, cored and coarsely chopped into 1½-inch pieces
  • 1cup pinot grigio
  • ¼cup honey
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

752 calories; 44 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 27 grams sugars; 44 grams protein; 1443 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat the chicken dry using a paper towel and season with salt on all sides.

  2. Step 2

    Slice 1 lemon as thinly as possible (ideally about ⅛-inch thick) and remove the seeds.

  3. Step 3

    In a large (12-inch) skillet with high sides or a standard large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and sear for 7 to 9 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden and easily releases from the bottom of the pan. Flip the chicken and cook for 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.

  4. Step 4

    Carefully add the sliced lemon to the pan in an even layer. Adjust heat to medium and cook, undisturbed, for 1 to 2 minutes, until some dark caramelized spots start developing on the bottom of the pan. Add the cabbage, a generous pinch of salt and toss everything to combine. Pour in the wine and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

  5. Step 5

    Bring the liquid to a simmer, tuck the chicken in between cabbage leaves, skin side up. Zest the whole remaining lemon over top and squeeze the juice all over the cabbage (about 3 tablespoons juice). Partly cover the pan with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Remove the lid and drizzle the honey all over the cabbage and chicken. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 2 minutes.

  7. Step 7

    Meanwhile, place an oven rack as close to the broiler as possible and set the oven to broil.

  8. Step 8

    Place the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken skin is slightly charred in places and crispy. Serve right away.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
200 user ratings
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Comments

David K

This recipe’s browning and braising technique worked extremely well—the chicken came out great—but the flavoring is another story altogether. The lack of any alliums or herbs leaves everything tasting a little flat, and all the lemon rind made it a bit bitter.

kt

We heard the previous person and just used the juice of one lemon but not the zest or slices. My go to cooking wine is Dolan dry vermouth. we were pleased with the results from the basic techniques, minimal seasoning and honey.

Elizabeth

I agree with the first poster. The lemon slices made the cabbage bitter. Definitely wouldn’t use them again.

Andy

I also used Meyer lemons and they were fantastic; the peel is paper thin on those and the flavor is amazing. I also agree that it needs more seasoning. Might try adding some black pepper next time?

Betsy

I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken skin crisped back up under the broiler after being exposed to 8 minutes of steam. Made it as directed and we thought the cabbage needed a bit of zhuzing - add fennel seed (or caraway?), increase the lemon juice but skip the bitter rind/pith. This was an easy weeknight meal that felt healthful while still tasting good. Encourage you to add in herbs/seasoning (and salt!) to have this turn out for a dish worthy of repeating.

Mad

OK! I cooked this to recipe without lemon zest and it was still verrrryyy citrusy. It's weird because they reference how juicy those lemons gotta be. One juicy lemon (per their description) sliced thin is plenty of lemon. I think this is where a lot of the "lemon bitterness" comments are coming from. In short, the lemon tartness could be balanced by a half tsp of miso. Or a dryer white wine (I.e. Cheaper) rather than pinot grigio. This might help soften the attention to the sweet lemon, honey, and cabbage (a braised cabbage is sublime due to the natural sweetnwss that releases after a 40 min braise).

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