Old-Fashioned Chicken
- SERVES
- 4
- COOK TIME
- 45 Min
Old-Fashioned Chicken is a dish that takes us back to Mom's kitchen, without all the fuss of preparing it like she did. It's a great-tasting chicken dish that doesn't take much tending, so you can get dinner on the table with minimal effort. This easy chicken dinner is sure to please the whole gang because it's packed with hearty ingredients and tons of flavor.
What You'll Need
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks (about 8 pieces)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained (See Note)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans whole potatoes, drained and cut in half
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
What to Do
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat oil. Sprinkle salt over chicken and cook 10 minutes, or until browned on each side, turning halfway through cooking.
- Add onion and saute about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients to chicken; mix well.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
Notes
- You can use any type of white bean here in place of the cannellini beans: pinto beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), or black-eyed peas.
- We love one-pot dinner recipes like these, 'cause there's hardly any work or clean-up involved! If you want more one-pot recipes, be sure to check out our collection of 50 Quick and Easy One-Pot Meals.
- If you love easy chicken recipes that use dark meat, check out our collection of 20+ Simple Chicken Drumstick Recipes.
- If you enjoyed this old-fashioned chicken recipe, be sure to check out our free eCookbook, Piece-by-Piece: 20 Easy Chicken Recipes for Drumsticks, Thighs & More.
Read NextThe Best Chicken Tenders Ever
Nutritional InformationShow More
Servings Per Recipe: 4
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Calories 666
- Calories from Fat 171
- Total Fat 19g 29 %
- Saturated Fat 4.0g 20 %
- Trans Fat 0.1g 0 %
- Protein 66g 131 %
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Cholesterol 269mg 90 %
- Sodium 1,610mg 67 %
- Total Carbohydrates 59g 20 %
- Dietary Fiber 14g 55 %
- Sugars 7.1g 0 %
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kathieh
Feb 15, 2019
I used chicken drumsticks and found that I needed 45 minutes for the chicken to become tender. If I were to make this again, I would use fresh and not canned potatoes. I believe this recipe would have been much better using Yukon potatoes.
bheart77
Sep 02, 2017
Leave a comment... fredhomer 9960735 Aug 26, 2017 It's ALL THERE UNDER "NUTRITIONAL INFO"!!!!!!!Leave a comment... Sorry Fred it isn't there. Clicking on the nutritional info doesn't do anything. Go easy on the exclamation marks and all caps, it's rude and wasn't deserved.
Tibor Bosnyak
May 20, 2017
I do it all the time! I grew up with this wonderful recipe in my home and my family uses the thigh meat too! However, I always use bones I wrap up in cheese cloth as soon as I add the liquid component. The bone impart so much with regard to flavor and at the same time, they make the sauce congeal so, I find makes it so much easier to remove the fat... I toss the bones once the dish is done.
Tibor Bosnyak
May 20, 2017
I do it all the time! I grew up with this wonderful recipe in my home and my family uses the thigh meat too! However, I always use bones I wrap up in cheese cloth as soon as I add the liquid component. The bone impart so much with regard to flavor and at the same time, they make the sauce congeal so, I find makes it so much easier to remove the fat... I toss the bones once the dish is done.
Tibor Bosnyak
May 20, 2017
I do it all the time! I grew up with this wonderful recipe in my home and my family uses the thigh meat too! However, I always use bones I wrap up in cheese cloth as soon as I add the liquid component. The bone impart so much with regard to flavor and at the same time, they make the sauce congeal so, I find makes it so much easier to remove the fat... I toss the bones once the dish is done.
kmcartoonity 62072 74
Mar 18, 2017
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and small Yukon gold potatoes in this dish and it turned out very good. I browned the chicken in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper in the morning, then added everything to my crock pot. The tarragon and tomatoes add such great flavor to the chicken and potatoes. I used garbanzo beans since I didn't have any cannellini beans on hand, and they were great.
Member 5576776
Feb 25, 2016
Can I use boneless chicken breast instead of thighs?
Test Kitchen Team
Feb 25, 2016
Yes, boneless chicken breasts can be used, but you'll have to cook the sauce mixture first without the chicken. Then, brown the chicken for 5 minutes and add to the sauce during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. Enjoy!
BeckySue
Apr 22, 2016
Do you not like dark meat? It really is more flavorful and tender. You can get boneless, skinless thighs, too. Maybe you could use both white and dark meat, so you and whoever might be eating this with you can try both.
bonnie1959 1322157
Oct 05, 2015
my favorite place for recipes!! How can I do this in a slow cooker? (Please and Thanks!!)
Test Kitchen Team
Oct 06, 2015
Hello! - We're so happy to hear that you love our recipes. :) To make this in a slow cooker, just follow the directions for the pot, but cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours (or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours), or until no longer pink. Enjoy!
Jab68d70 5159156
Aug 02, 2014
Will try soon. Can regular potatoes be used in place of can ones?
wall69eye 3292334
Aug 02, 2014
I just boil the potatoes before adding them at the end since canned ones are precooked already....so I have used regular potatoes in this but h just had to have them precooked first
raymondtreciokas 4 121902
Aug 08, 2015
Mr.Food, all your recipes are amazing ! I cooked a lot of your recipes and all my friends wants the recipe.
BeckySue
Apr 22, 2016
I would use regular potatoes. I think canned potatoes taste odd. You can boil potatoes first and add them in at the end, or cut them up and put them in the beginning with the chicken. You can vary the size of your potato chunks, so some are softer and some are firmer. that way, if you cook it too long, all your potatoes won't be mush! lol
pamred1 0802638
Oct 09, 2013
I don't have Tarragon. Is it similar to Thyme? Is there another spice I can use in it's place?
Dawn 5077626
Feb 22, 2014
Tarragon has its own unique flavor so I don't know that I'd substitute another spice for it. You can get it at just about any grocery store, in the regular spice aisle
t66tree 9270428
Sep 11, 2013
I tried this recipe last nite and all the family members loved it. They want me to try it with boneless chicken breasts next time. Will definately keep this recipe in my files.
ottillia61 7001014
Jun 23, 2013
as always not knowin what to cook for dinner;i had chicken thighs on and made old fashioned chicken one of moms from kitchen.hubby and I loved it thanks again.
Test Kitchen Team
Sep 21, 2012
We apologize for the confusion regarding reserving the juice from the canned tomatoes. What we meant was that they should be undrained, so that you are using the juice in the recipe. We have re-worded it in the recipe above. Thank you for your question!
Chef 1012652
Sep 18, 2012
Would boneless chicken breast work?
Test Kitchen Team
Sep 21, 2012
Thank you for your question! You can use boneless chicken breasts, although I would change the cooking time. In Step 1, instead of browning the chicken 20 minutes, cook the breasts 5 mins on each side. Then continue with the remaining instructions. Enjoy!
pcody1 1542508
Sep 17, 2012
I was wondering the same, what do you do with the reserved juice? There is no further mention of it.
Test Kitchen Team
Sep 21, 2012
We apologize for the confusion regarding reserving the juice from the canned tomatoes. What we meant was that they should be undrained, so that you are using the juice in the recipe. We have re-worded it in the recipe above. Thank you for your question!
gipek 5535195
Sep 01, 2012
had the same question as JVP. do you add the reserved juice from the tomatoes to the pot?
JVP
Aug 29, 2012
Just a quick, probably stupid question, but do you add the reserved juice from the tomatoes to the pot?
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