Chicken Braised in Two Vinegars Recipe (2024)

I love the tips and thoughts on recipes in the NYT , but why does it always have to be so sarcastic and caustic? If you have a good idea or upgrade to a recipe is there a way to say it that isn’t demeaning or uncivil? I get enough of that from politics and am hoping my food community might be a kinder and gentler place to spend time.

I take exception to saying "best-quality balsamic vinegar." Half a cup of truly "best quality" balsamic vinegar could run you $30 or more. Over a hundred if you're using really truly "best quality." Plus it would be a shame to use it that way (best quality balsamic is a rare treat that should be enjoyed as unmolested as possible). I plan to make this, but I will use "qood quality" balsamic vinegar (the kind that sells for $8 a bottle or so).

Because I'm only cooking for one, I experimented with the measurements. For one chicken thigh, I used 1 tsp of oil, 1 clove of garlic, and 1.5 tbsp each of the vinegars. Worked out extremely well and was incredibly delicious. Ate with creamy parmesan grits, which cooked in the same amount of time as the chicken... dinner was done in less than 30 minutes.

The problem with cooking for one is that it's 90% of the work of cooking for 2 or 4, yet you only get one serving. Why not cook the whole batch and then have really excellent leftovers for the next day or two, requiring virtually no effort to warm up and enjoy? (This seems like the kind of recipe that would work really well as leftovers. You could even mix it up by using the leftovers for a sandwich.)

I certainly agree. Let's strive for a more congenial comment section. I love NYT cooking, but some of the comments are rude and uncalled for

Definitely don't use good, expensive balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar on this recipe. Those are best appreciated as they are -- cooking with them diminishes the flavors that make them worth paying $20-30 a bottle. I made this recipe with Cento red wine vinegar and balsamic from Trader Joe's and it came out just fine.

Yes, you can use bone-in thighs, but they will need much longer to cook through, about 40-45 minutes altogether. And unless you remove the skin first, it will be flabby and greasy if you follow the procedure above. If you want to keep the skin on, I'd recommend browning the thighs well, skin side down, on top of the stove, then flipping them skin side up, adding the garlic, followed by the vinegars after a minute or so, and then transferring the pan uncovered to a 350-degree oven to finish.

I used chicken breasts because I just don't care for thighs no matter what you tell me. I also used a cauliflower and yukon gold potato puree for the base. Man was it great altogether!

"Cook chicken about 3 to 5 minutes more or until the sauce has reduced by about half" In what universe does this happen in 3 to 5 minutes?

I don't get why folks are getting their shorts in a knot about the "best quality" vinegar deal. I think what Colu Henry was saying is just use the best quality vinegar available to you. I used very good balsamic and red wine vinegar that I purchased from my local Howard Edward Butt grocery store and it was perfect. I cut back on the garlic a bit. I served the chicken on a bed of rice pilaf (Pierre Franey recipe) and it was soooo good. Quick, easy and very tasty.

As others have suggested, I substituted red wine for the red wine vinegar. Be careful not to brown the chicken very long; if you do, it will be overly done once you finish braising it. I recommend no more than 2 minutes per side. And this recipe works very well for pork chops, too!

The oil needs to be drained off before adding the chicken and vinegars, The reduced sauce was covered in a layer of oil - that I skimmed off. Otherwise it was delicious.

A little concerned about the acidity, so I subbed red wine for the red wine vinegar. Wife loved it, told me it is a keeper recipe.

Yes, as these recipes are the result of a professional's creative effort, and while it's understood they won't appeal to everyone, there is a civil and respectful way to comment.

For some who found the sauce to be too vinegary, please consider adding a quarter cup or so of water or wine and reducing the sauce for 10 minutes at a brisk simmer. (Take out the chicken first to avoid overcooking.) That reduction tames the tart edges considerably and leaves the delicious sticky sweet/sour behind.

Very very simple and unscrewuppable. Since I didn’t have fresh oregano, I added a bit of dried to the salt & pepper I seasoned the chicken with. Based on the comments, I did 1/2 cup balsamic, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup red wine (cab sauv) and I think that was a good ratio. You could also go 1/3 for all u think but I wouldn’t change it much more than that.

Made per recipe, but cut in half for the two of us. Used good quality vinegars, but not the outrageously expensive. Added about 3 tbsp water when cooking down the sauce. Found it just right tangy and will make again! Served with rice pilaf.

I have made this many times, following the recipe exactly. It is delicious.

This was excellent! Followed the recipe, using good quality balsamic, and served on Parmesan polenta. Great flavor for minimal effort. This goes into the regular rotation!

I made this as directed except that I halved the amounts, and I ended up not having enough red wine vinegar and topped it up with apple cider vinegar. It was very delicious. I did not find it too tart at all. This will be part of my regular dinner rotation going forward.

I agree with positive comments. Cooking has helped me through some really tough times and there is nothing better than shared food with others. Cooking is about giving and receiving love, let's extend that to suggestions shared with love and community.

I made this last night. I used decent vinegars, not expensive ones. I did not reduce the sauce, because the balance of flavors already seemed right. Was not to acidic for us. Served with midnight pasta and zucchini sauteed with shallots, tomato, and fresh basil. Lovely dinner.

Made recipe as written and it was great, but next time I made some tweaks and it's now one of our favorite dishes!-Remove chicken after browning & add 14 oz sliced mushrooms, sauté until softened.-Use red wine in lieu of red wine vinegar; reduce wine & vinegar for 5+ min.-Whisk 1 Tbs flour into 3/4 cup chicken broth and add to sauce (tames tartness, thickens sauce)-Add chicken back to the pan, along with 1 Tbs butter-Serve on top of creamy polenta (this is key!)YUM!!!

I cooked this exactly as written and it just… was not good. Not even a little bit. I should have taken other’s advice and used red wine instead of red wine vinegar. I LOVE the bite of vinegar in general (especially balsamic) but the sauce was so acidic it quite literally made my eyes water. The only tasty part of the recipe for me was the garlic cloves—those I ate! Will not be making again.

A good recipe, but the vinegar turns out VERY strong. If you want a gentler flavor profile, try adding a quarter cup of chicken broth to the sauce before you braise the chicken.

I want to correct an earlier comment I made after my first attempt. This is flat out delicious. If it tastes vinegary, it has not cooked long enough. Reduce it! The vinegar will sweeten. It is purely addictive and now I make it all the time with polenta with a touch of Parmesan and milk. I also used the 50/50 vinegar as a sauce for lamb and now I am so hooked. Where was this my whole life?

This was OK. Definitely should have followed the advice in the comments about cleaning the pan before adding the braising liquids. There was a ton of fat on the top that I couldn't really skim off by the end. I used the tip to sub red wine for part of the red wine vinegar, which was a good decision -- it would have been too acidic otherwise.

Too vinegary. Did not have high quality vinegar, but followed recipe.

This was really good.

Reducing the sauce took much longer than the recipe stated. I keep the chicken in the pan for this process and ended up with tough poultry. Not likely to make again, but would pull the chicken out according to the recipe, tent with foil and let the sauce develop without the protein in the pan.