This recipe is great for when you want to make something with simple ingredients but loads of flavor. My favorite thing about this recipe (besides the great flavor from the wine) is how the juicy and tender chicken thighs soak up all the flavor as they simmer. Try these chicken thighs in tomato & thyme wine sauce when you want tender, tasty chicken that comes together quick and easy.
To kick up all the flavors in the chicken, I like to add citrus notes and splash in a little bit of wine. The tomatoes will add acidity as well, but everything gets rounded out with splashes of chicken stock, fruity olive oil, and fresh thyme.
How To Make Chicken Thighs In Tomato & Thyme Wine Sauce
The ease of this recipe also lies in the method: toss everything together in the pan, simmer, and serve. To start everything off, begin by grabbing boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Add Onions & Garlic
Start off by mincing garlic and slicing the onions. I also added two stalks of celery to complement the flavor of the onions and the sauce. I sliced the onions and did a one inch dice for the celery (since the celery cooks a little slower than the onion, it helps to cut it smaller). They cook out just fine as they simmer.
Toss In Onions Garlic and Celery
Drizzle some olive oil plus a little butter (optional) in a wide pan over medium high heat and let it get hot. Toss in onions and celery and stir until the onions begin to sweat and celery is fragrant, about 7 or 8 minutes. Then add minced garlic cloves. Give everything another stir, cooking it through for another 5 to 8 minutes or so.
Add Chicken Thighs To The Pan
Now use the vegetables as a little bed for the chicken and place the chicken thighs over the onions and celery. I used a pack of 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you could probably fit 6 or even 7 pieces in a wide 4 quart pan.
Related: Quick Chicken & Hummus Flatbreads
Season Everything Up
Next, season the chicken with coarse sea salt, ground pepper and a little Italian seasoning. Cover the chicken with a can of petite diced tomatoes. Drizzle everything with a dash more of olive oil, if desired, and splash in the chicken stock and wine. Note: use enough chicken stock to almost cover the chicken but not all the way.
Add A Hint Of Citrus
Optional: Squeeze in a few drops of juice from a lime wedge and add some zest from the lime, if desired. You don’t need much juice, literally anywhere between 1/2 and 1/4 tsp is enough. This, along with the wine, gives everything brightness and life! It adds a slight zing to the cooking liquid and makes it flavorful, balanced, and delicious. You could also use lemon if you don’t have lime.
You could skip it, but I would recommend against it as the dash of fresh citrus makes everything pop…
Lastly, top everything off with 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring the liquid to a good simmer and then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer on low for 45 minutes. This will help the wine cook out and infuse everything with flavor. Remove the lid when finished cooking. Taste to adjust seasonings, if needed, and serve chicken thighs drizzled with the cooking liquid plus a little drizzle of fresh olive oil. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
What Can I serve with chicken thighs in tomato & thyme wine sauce?
- Serve over a bed of your favorite long or short pasta such as penne or even thing spaghetti or linguine.
- Serve with fresh steamed white rice, brown rice, or wild rice. (The rice is especially yummy since it soaks up the sauce so well).
- Serve with short pasta such as orzo which is small and similar to rice, but more like a rice-shaped pasta.
- Crusty garlic bread or a crusty artisan bread/baguette for getting in there and dipping into all those great juices!
- Serve alongside roasted vegetables like these easy roasted potatoes or these roasted carrots!
Chicken Thighs in Tomato and Thyme Wine Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 14.5 oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Dry White Wine
- 1/2 tsp lime juice - you can also use lemon
- 1 tsp each coarse sea salt, ground pepper, Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups Chicken stock - or enough to almost cover chicken
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 tbsp Good Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 large Yellow Onion - sliced
- 2 stalks Celery - diced
Instructions
- Drizzle oil in a hot pan. Add butter. Add onions and celery to pan, toss and stir until softened through and fragrant about 5 to 7 minutes. Now add garlic and stir in until softened and combined, about 5 more minutes.
- Using the vegetables to create a bed for the chicken, add chicken thighs over the onions/garlic/celery mixture. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Season with italian seasoning and top the chicken with a can of petite diced tomatoes. Add a squeeze of lime juice and splash in the dry white wine.
- Now splash in the chicken stock. Add enough chicken stock to mostly cover the chicken but not all the way.
- Add in the sprigs of fresh thyme and finish off by drizzling w/ an extra dab of olive oil, if desired. Bring liquid to a good simmer and then cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer on low for 45 minutes. Serve over steamed rice or pasta and ladle with juices.
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