Fall
One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Sherry Vinegar Sauce
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67 Reviews
Sharon R.
January 25, 2022
I knew straight off the bat reading the ingredients is would be a winner and it certainly was! And YES and YES again to everyone that keeps questioning the sherry – you absolutely need the richness and sweetness of the sherry to balance out the vinegar and mustard. I used Harvey's Bristol cream as listed in the recipe. The oven baked polenta was a revelation – perfect texture and creaminess. I read some posts about too much liquid, not sure why this has happened. I do have a good shallow braising dish which I think is important. I let the mixture simmer hard for at least 7 min before putting the chicken in and into the over. My oven had been preheating for a good amount of time. The sauce reduced considerably and the tops of thighs were golden brown crispy. Pre-salting the chicken is an absolute must and thank you so much for teaching me the importance of this Ali! The whole meal was delicious and honestly one of the easiest meals I’ve had the pleasure of cooking in a while! My friends raved. I’m making the same meal this Wednesday for another couple.
Leslee P.
September 15, 2020
Harvey’s Bristol Cream is a quite sweet sherry, whereas most white wine that people cook with is dry, so the 2 ingredients would yield very different results. It sounds like a dry sherry would be good in this too and I’d like to suggest that people who like to cook with a sherry, either dry or in the fuller “oloroso” style, should check out the house brand sherry at Trader Joe’s. It’s $6 a bottle. Yes really. It’s fine for cooking and perfectly acceptable for drinking a glass while doing the cooking - and it has a much longer life in the refrigerator than an opened bottle of white.
Kayan
September 14, 2020
I made this for dinner tonight and was wonderfully surprised at how easy it was and how great it tastes. I am a now single woman and live alone and I find it hard to cook just for one after having 5 children and a spouse for so many years. I thought I'd have leftovers but it was so good I ate it all. I serve it with Jasmine rice and a melody of steamed vegetables. I also added what was left of my Thai Basil as a garnish and the marriage was wonderful. this recipe is definitely a keeper!
Lara Y.
May 19, 2020
Thank you, Food52 Question Text Line! I'm allergic to yeast and cannot use wine in cooking. Food52 suggested apple juice or apple cider vinegar as a substitute for the sherry. I used 2/3 cup apple juice, 1/3 apple cider vinegar, and 2 cups water. I also had to substitute 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts for the bone-in, skin-on chicken tights because there were none at the grocery store. We wanted more vegetables so I added a 14 oz can of artichoke hearts drained and fresh white button mushrooms quartered. I cooked the mushrooms with the onion (no shallots). It turned out FANTASTIC! The chicken breasts were moist and juicy. Every bite of the vegetables tasted like the apple cider vinegar not too strong just right. My husband kept repeating how much he liked it and my kids eat it too without a single complaint that's a miracle! This one is a keeper! I can't wait to make it again.
Rebekah C.
December 9, 2019
This is a super easy and amazing recipe. It takes like a lot of work went into it and NOPE! I am happy to have followed the advice of the readers below- I completely agree to substitute water with chicken broth, I also only had white wine but did have sherrey vinegar (which I think is a must) I used one cup of broth (and 8 thighs) and also cooked at 450 for 45 minutes and then put on broil until the skins were beautifully browned. I served with mashed potatoes and put enough brother to make the plate ( Deep bowl) look pretty. It was amazing!I made this on a rainy Monday but it tasted like dinner for guests on Saturday!
Jeri
October 4, 2019
This is a fantastic recipe. I cut the recipe in half for the two of us which was just right. I used white wine and chicken broth. Used a little arrowroot to thicken but probably didn’t really need to. Can’t wait to serve to visiting friends in a couple of weeks.
Jean A.
February 21, 2019
We loved this so much. I subbed chicken stock for the water. The liquid is so good - I could drink it. I wish it were somehow thicker to ‘stick’ to the chicken better. I may reduce the liquid from the start. Or, while the chicken is resting, I would boil the liquid to reduce it. It is a delicious dish. Thank you for a true gem!
Mike
May 9, 2019
actually the easiest way to thicken your sauce up it just to use a little bit of cornstarch or flour and that should actually thicken it up really nice
Eddie S.
October 15, 2018
Hi, how much fluid should be in the pan? Should it almost cover the chicken?
Jean A.
October 6, 2018
We made this last night. It was deeeeeelish! The only change I made was that I used chicken stock instead of water. Next time, I would reduce the water/stock by a half cup just to expose the chicken a little more; I broiled for the last 5-10 minutes to try and brown the skin, but would try to get more chicken exposed. Or, I could try to cook it all in a larger dish. Hmmmm. Thank you for a true keeper!
Alexandra S.
October 8, 2018
So happy to hear this! And I think you could do either—cut back the liquid/use a larger pan—to get more exposed edges. Thanks for writing in!
Kelley S.
August 29, 2018
Ok, here’s my problem. If I want to make the sherry chicken at 400 degrees for an hour and also the oven roasted polenta at 350 degrees for almost an hour, how does that work? Can I roast them both at 375 and adjust cooking time? Would the thighs get crispy? Should I cook the polenta in a slow cooker or instant pot?
Alexandra S.
August 30, 2018
Such good questions. Ok, I don't think the thighs will brown properly at 375F. I have successfully made the polenta in an Instant Pot. One other thought is to start the polenta 20-30 minutes before you do the chicken, and then just finish it very slowly on the stove top. So, once you place the chicken in the oven, transfer the polenta to the stovetop. Hope that helps!
Kelley S.
August 30, 2018
I don’t think the thighs will brown properly either. Ok, I think I will try finishing the polenta on the stove. I just want to make sure the polenta stays really creamy and soft. My husband is not a big fan and I’m trying to win him over! I’m making this tonight, so wish me luck! Thanks for the quick reply.
Alexandra S.
August 31, 2018
I hope you won him over! And I hope the timing all worked out well for you.
Diane
August 23, 2018
I made this recipe last night and loved it. Really easy and very tasty. I read the comments about Bristol cream being too sweet but wanted to try it as written the first time. The sauce was fabulous and the chicken tender and moist. I cooked it in the oven for 40 mins, and then put under the broiler for a few mins to crisp up the chicken. It was perfect. Oops I forgot, I didn’t remember to do step 4. This didn’t seem to be a problem. I didn’t notice the sauce being too greasy. I served it with steamed broccoli ( I know boring) and toasted baguette rubbed with fresh garlic . Delicious 😋 I will definitely make it again.
Sam C.
August 22, 2018
I was just wondering what would be a simple and easy side dish for this because I'm planning on making this for dinner today
Alexandra S.
August 22, 2018
I think a salad with good greens and tomatoes would be perfect, but I also love polenta, because this recipe yields a good amount of sauce. Here's Paula Wolfert's polenta recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2017/11/30/oven-baked-polenta-miracle-poached-eggs/
A.
August 15, 2018
Wow, can't wait to try this! I'm a huge vinegar fan, and love cooking with sherry. Would like to try it with the oven baked polenta but can't find the recipe referred to by some commenters. Can you post a link? Thanks!
Alexandra S.
August 15, 2018
I use Paula Wolfert's recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2017/11/30/oven-baked-polenta-miracle-poached-eggs/ Love it!
Ann B.
August 17, 2018
I made your recipe tonight, along with the polenta recipe you shared. Both were amazing!! Thank you so much!
Michelle H.
August 15, 2018
Hi! This recipe sounds great however I’m very confused that the recipe calls for either wine or Harvey’s Bristol cream sherry. The latter is so sweet and would completely overpower the dish.. have you ever made it with the Bristol
cream sherry? I just don’t see it working!
cream sherry? I just don’t see it working!
Alexandra S.
August 15, 2018
Hi! I almost always use Harvey's Bristol Cream — the sweetness is nice as the sauce has a fair amount of vinegar, so the two balance each other out. That said, I've used wine with success — the sauce comes out a little less sweet, but it's still really nice and flavorful. You can always correct the flavor/seasonings at the end with a pinch of sugar or more salt, etc.
michelle
August 15, 2018
Thank you for your quick reply! So helpful and I will definitely make this recipe!
coleman
August 15, 2018
Had the same concerns. I think I'll use either a medium dry sherry or a not-so-dry white wine...Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or Gewurztraminer.
Alexandra S.
August 15, 2018
It's a very forgiving recipe! So many wines can work and depending on what you use — something more sweet, something more savory — the sauce will vary in flavor, but as noted above, you can adjust the flavor of the sauce at the end. All of those wines sound great. Hope you like it!
nbfox61
August 14, 2018
Hi there! Living through a kitchen renovation and have no oven. Would this recipe work with a slow cooker? I have an electric skillet but no oven.
Alexandra S.
August 14, 2018
We went through that last winter ... it's such a pain, but so worth it. Hope you get your kitchen back soon. You could make this in a slow cooker for sure, and I think the flavor will be great. You will not get any crispiness with the skin, but the meat will be super flavorful and tender. I can't really advise re liquid, but I would just try it without making any adjustments. After the chicken cooks, you could still pour the sauce into a liquid measure, let the fat rise, and skim it off. If you like it and make it again, you'll know if you need to reduce the liquid by any amount. Good luck!
coleman
August 5, 2018
Alexandra,
Thanks for the reply. Going to do the recipe with a cream sherry, but I won't spring ($$) for Harvey's!!!
Thanks for the reply. Going to do the recipe with a cream sherry, but I won't spring ($$) for Harvey's!!!
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