Name: chicken thighs with barbecue beans
Ingredients: 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pound dried medium-sized white beans, soaked in water 8 hours or overnight; 2 cups diced yellow onions, from 1 large or 2 small onions ((about 10 ounces)); 1 1/4 cups diced green bell peppers, from 1 large or 2 small peppers ((about 6 ounces)); 1/2 cup diced celery, from about 2 stalks ((about 3.5 ounces)); 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ((optional)); 6 cups chicken stock; 2 bay leaves; 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds ((or a pinch of ground fennel)); 1 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup ketchup; 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Does your family love authentic baked beans? What we have here is an awesome alternative to baking those beans. No need to heat up your oven. This deliciousness happens on your stovetop. With just one pan. Really. And there’s a bonus …as the chicken thighs hang out in that flavorful concoction, they end up absorbing an enormous amount of flavor. I highly recommend giving these Chicken Thighs With Barbecue Beans a try.

Did I already mention that this is created in one pan? To start off, you sear and cook the chicken thighs in your large skillet. They are then removed from the pan and set aside. Be sure to leave all of those awesome drippings in the pan.

While the thighs are cooking, there’s some prepping to be done…

Once the chicken is removed from the skillet, the pre-soaked beans go in along with the prepped veggies and chicken stock. Just a quick note on the beans …choose a variety that is medium-sized such as cannellini beans.

And on those spicy red pepper flakes …I use 1/2 teaspoon and it gives the dish a very subtle kick. The original recipe calls for 3X that amount but I wouldn’t suggest using that much unless your entire gang enjoys their food with some serious spicy heat!

After a 90-minute simmer, the remaining ingredients are blended in. This is where the barbecue flavor happens. If you need this to be gluten-free, just check to be sure that your Worcestershire sauce is Certified GF and you’re good to go.

Once everything is well combined, return the chicken thighs to the mix and let the magic happen. Let this simmer for another 10 minutes.

Let’s talk about that chicken…

The original recipe for this delicious dish comes from chef, Todd Richards in his 2018 cookbook titled, SOUL: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes. He mentions that in his family they always loved having the extra beans with this dish. I tend to agree …if you are serving this along with other dishes for a gathering, the ratio of chicken to beans is perfect.

But here’s another thought …why not add some extra chicken to the mix? Just be sure to use a large enough skillet to hold it all. The skillet used here is similar to this one …it measures 12” wide and holds about 96 ounces. There is definitely adequate juice in there to handle more chicken. No worries about the chicken or beans being too dry.

Your Chicken Thighs and Barbecue Beans are almost ready…

When you turn off the heat, you’ll notice that there’s quite a bit of extra sauciness goin’ on. It’s important to let it all take a rest for about 25 minutes before serving. It will thicken up considerably during that time. You’ll see. Enjoy!

chicken thighs with barbecue beans

Adapted from Chef Todd Williams' cookbook, SOUL

One-pot wonder that rivals the most authentic baked beans.

Servings 4 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound dried medium-sized white beans, soaked in water 8 hours or overnight
2 cups diced yellow onions, from 1 large or 2 small onions (about 10 ounces)
1 1/4 cups diced green bell peppers, from 1 large or 2 small peppers (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup diced celery, from about 2 stalks (about 3.5 ounces)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds (or a pinch of ground fennel)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Instructions

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium. Sear the chicken thighs, skin side down, in the hot oil, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over, and cook until browned on the other side, about 5 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan; set aside. Allow the pan drippings to remain in the skillet.
Drain the beans and add them to the skillet along with the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), chicken stock, bay leaves, and fennel seeds. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stir the brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, and remaining teaspoon of salt into the pan. When combined, return the chicken to the pan, and simmer until the chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Let stand for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and thinly sliced scallions before serving.

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