This Instant Pot Citrus-Herb Basque Chicken is full of bold flavors from spicy chorizo, fragrant thyme, sweet orange juice and briny olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Enjoy with roasted vegetables or a bowl of rice.
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The Basques are indigenous to and primarily inhabit the Basque Country, tucked just between north of Spain and southwest of France. Being surrounded geographically by Western European countries and Spanish influences, the Basque cuisine is rich in bold flavors and delicious pairings.
Basque flavors make an awesome Basque Chicken
This appetizing dish is full of spicy chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet orange juice and briny olives. I was pleasantly surprised to see just how well these flavors go good together. It's different than what I usually prepare and I'm so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone to try this Basque dish. It was such a successful hit! And by successful, I mean the husband is happy, the children are fed and the cleaning fairy comes to clean my house. Okay, maybe not that last part but the first two were spot on.
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This Citrus-Herb Basque Chicken is all that and a bag of chips. The rich flavors from spicy chorizo and fragrant thyme are met with the homey classic chicken. Enjoy this on a bed of rice (kids) or spaghetti squash (me).
This recipe is one of many gorgeous, gluten-free, healthy recipes in my friend Emily's new book, The Art of Great Cooking with Your Instant Pot: 80 Inspiring, Gluten-Free Recipes Made Easier, Faster and More Nutritious in Your Multi-Function Cooker. If you've been intimidated to cook nourishing meals using an instant pressure cooker, fear no more. This cookbook features 80 allergy-friendly recipes with most either being Paleo-friendly or having grain-free/dairy-free options.
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It's full of nourishing recipes such as hearty meat dishes, tantalizing soups and stews, gourmet pasta dishes and comforting casseroles. There's also a section on appetizing breakfasts and heavenly sweet treats! Something for everyone and every time of the day.
Some of my favorite recipes from The Art of Great Cooking with your Instant Pot are Braised Lemongrass Meatballs, Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Crustless Quiche, Bacon Kale & Mushroom Spaghetti, and Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake. And this is just a teeny-tiny sampling of what's in this awesomely amazing cookbook.
Grab your copy today and get to delegating your dinner tasks to the Instant Pot.
Now, onto this tantalizing recipe...
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Instant Pot Citrus-Herb Basque Chicken
This recipe, exactly as written, is out-of-this-world delicious but I did make a few modifications. For starters, my fresh thyme was all dried up when I went out to my garden for it. And have you seen fresh herbs at the supermarket lately? Major sticker-shock. My solution: I used 3 teaspoons of dried thyme instead.
Another thing I did differently in this recipe (not by choice but by necessity), I used water in place of bone broth. But that was only because I forgot to set the IP on the day before for some broth. Sigh. But just as tasty.
Related: How to Make Bone Broth - 3 Methods
Finally, and this isn't so much of a modification as simply a note: depending on your chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and olives, you may need to adjust the salt. Don't throw tomatoes at me, but I never purchased chorizo before. In fact, I had to google it to know exactly what I'm looking for (spoiler alert: it's pork sausage). And of course when I got to the supermarket, there were like a gazillion varieties to choose from.
So what do I go with? The Spicy Pork Chorizo? No. The Sweet Pork Chorizo? No again.
I reach for Turkey Chorizo. TURKEY Chorizo. It's like TURKEY bacon. They contradict each other. It's a fraud. Turkey and chorizo simply should not be in the same sentence just like turkey and bacon should not be in the same sentence.
In my defense, I got too excited to see one of my favorite local brands on the package so I just went with it trusting the quality of the chorizo and completely dismissing what Google told me just hours prior.
As such, chorizos vary and inevitably the salt content. So, always go light on the salt but adjusting as needed.
Oh and one more thing, cilantro should never be optional. It's always mandatory. Unless it tastes like soap. 😉
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Printable Recipe
One Pan Basque Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs or a mix of thighs and drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 3-4 poblano peppers
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for heat
- ½ cup diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- 1 bay leaf
- fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 5-6 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add onions and bell peppers. Sauté 4-5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine (or broth). Add olives, bay leaf, season with a little salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, place the poblano peppers under a broiler or an open flame, turning occasionally, until the skins are blackened and blistered on all sides.
- Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover with a plate for 10-15 minutes to steam. Then peel off the skins, remove the seeds, and slice crosswise. Stir them into the tomato vegetable mixture.
- Return chicken back to the skillet, skin-side up. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165°F) and sauce is slightly thickened.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over rice.
Notes
- Sear the chicken properly. Cook skin side down until golden and crispy to lock in the flavor and prevent sogginess. You can also hit it under the broiler at the end to brown the skin a little more.
- Simmer gently. Reduce the heat when returning chicken to the pan to prevent overcooking and toughening the meat. This will help the sauce thicken without drying out the chicken.
- Peppers are too difficult to peel? Make sure to let them steam under a cover for 10-15 minutes after charring to loosen the skins.
Nutrition
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Megan Stevens says
It looks amazing, Anya!! I LOVE those flavors together. And I love what you wrote about your cooking process, and that you now love those ingredients together, too! I'm so glad I have an Instant Pot. It seriously does make dinner so much easier.
Anya says
So agree! IP makes dinner so much easier. And this recipe is the proof!