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Dutch oven chicken thighs with leeks and mushrooms are simmered to tender perfection in a savory white wine sauce. Don’t miss this elevated comfort food.
Why we love this recipe
A lot of my favorite food falls into the gently elevated comfort category. These recipes represent the best of all possible worlds. Dutch oven chicken thighs are:
- Cozy: Tender chicken, woodsy herbs, and a velvety sauce (spooned over your starch of choice, if you like) are pure hygge
- Saucy: I feel strongly that sauciness merits its own category among positive attributes. Here, the chicken and veggies simmer in a full-bodied, lightly creamy wine sauce that thickens up beautifully as it cooks.
- Savory: From the browned bits on the chicken to the shiitakes and even leeks, this dish has layer upon layer of umami
- Hearty and satisfying: This meal has plenty of high-quality protein and a touch of richness that satisfies without being over the top
- Convenient: Everything comes together in one pan, on your own timeframe.
I first published this recipe here way back in 2008. I’ve since updated the post for clarity and tweaked the recipe a bit.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs brown up beautifully and stay tender and succulent as they simmer away in the sauce.
- Use a nice, dry white wine that you like to drink. Any style is fine. I tend to default to one of my favorite bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
- Cremini and shiitake mushrooms contribute a well-rounded mushroom flavor without adding too much moisture.
- Leeks have a mild, complex flavor. By the end of cooking time they’ll practically melt into the sauce.
- A little bit of all-purpose flour thickens the sauce. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute your favorite 1:1 GF baking blend or all-purpose GF blend, whichever you have on hand.
- I like to use fresh sage and rosemary, but if you don’t have it on hand, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. You can substitute 1 teaspoon each of the dried versions.
My favorite sources for meat & pantry staples
For years, I’ve been sourcing our meat from ButcherBox. We love this curated meat delivery service, which provides grass-finished beef, heritage breed pork, organic chicken, and more from small farms direct to the customer. You can learn more in my extensive Butcher Box review and unboxing.
I love Thrive Market for a wide variety of products. Often described as one part Whole Foods, one part Costco, they’re a membership-based online market for healthier products at discounted prices. Plus, they’re mission-driven, engaged in the community, and not currently owned by a giant corporation. You can learn more in my Thrive Market review and unboxing.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a comforting batch of Dutch oven chicken thighs with leeks and mushrooms in a savory white wine sauce. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Brown the skin side of the chicken thighs in the Dutch oven and then set them aside.
- Remove excess fat from the pan. Cook the vegetables and herbs until tender and reduced in volume. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the veggies evenly.
- Pour in the wine and cook it down, then add the broth and cream and bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer until it’s cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
Expert tips and FAQs
I like to serve this meal over a bed of something starchy and comforting, like mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, or orzo. Quinoa works well too, for a lighter nutritional profile that still reads as cozy. Add a simple green salad if you like, and serve the rest of the bottle of wine you’ve used in the sauce.
You can make Dutch oven chicken thighs earlier in the day and reheat on the stovetop just before serving. Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
More favorite chicken recipes
- Prosciutto-wrapped, with mushrooms and Marsala
- Extra-saucy piccata
- BBQ baked legs and thighs
- Marinated and spatchcocked
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Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs with Leeks, Mushrooms, and White Wine
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900 grams) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts cut into half-moons
- 8 ounces (227 grams) sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
- 4 ounces (114 grams) sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 4 garlic cloves, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (235 ml) dry white wine
- 2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat a 12-inch Dutch oven braiser or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season the skin side with half of the salt and all of the pepper.
- Place chicken skin-side down in the skillet and cook, without disturbing, until golden brown on the skin side, about 5 minutes.
- Remove chicken to a plate.
- Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add the leeks, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, sage, and remaining salt. Cook, stirring often, until all the veggies have softened and substantially reduced in volume, about 10 minutes.
- Add flour and stir well to coat vegetables.
- Pour in the wine. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- When wine is almost evaporated, stir in chicken stock and cream and return to a boil.
- Arrange browned chicken pieces, skin-side up, in a single layer in the skillet and pour in any juices that have accumulated on the plate.
- Adjust heat to keep liquid at a simmer, and cook until chicken is done all the way through and sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
Notes
- Use a nice, dry white wine that you like to drink. Any style is fine. I tend to default to one of my favorite bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
- I like to use fresh sage and rosemary, but if you don't have it on hand, don't let that stop you from making this recipe. You can substitute 1 teaspoon each of the dried versions.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute your favorite 1:1 GF baking blend or all-purpose GF blend, whichever you have on hand.
- I like to serve this meal over a bed of something starchy and comforting, like mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, or orzo. Quinoa works well too, for a lighter nutritional profile that still reads as cozy. Add a simple green salad if you like, and serve the rest of the bottle of wine you've used in the sauce.
- You can make this recipe earlier in the day and reheat on the stovetop just before serving. Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hungry for more?
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How do you brown the meat with some kind of oil/fat/butter?
Hi, Linda, there’s so much fat in the skin that you won’t need extra. It renders as the chicken cooks. If you’re not using skin-on thighs, you can use a couple of tablespoons of a high-heat oil instead.