Golden Chicken

Chef John's golden chicken is cooked low and slow, resulting in fall-off-the-bone chicken legs drenched in an intensely flavored golden sauce.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 707 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon base
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
• 4 (12 ounce) chicken leg quarters
• 1 teaspoon dried currants
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ground coriander
• 0.125 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 0.5 cup diced celery
• 0.125 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2.5 cups cold water
• 0.5 cup diced jalapeño pepper

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place chicken leg quarters on a work surface with the skin facing up. Make a cut into the thickest part of each drumstick, all the way down to the bone. Then make two cuts, about 1 inch apart, right in the center of each thigh. Season both sides generously with 2 teaspoons kosher salt.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear until skin is nicely browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and sear for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and remove chicken to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the skillet.

Step 3

Turn the heat back on to medium; add onion, celery, jalapeño, and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Sauté until onion turns translucent and veggies have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, and garlic; cook and stir until garlic has cooked a bit and spices are toasted, about 2 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, water, and saffron. Increase heat to high and stir in currants and chicken base; bring to a simmer.

Step 5

Add chicken to the skillet, skin-side up, and reduce heat to low. Baste chicken with the liquid. Cover and cook over low or medium-low heat at a gentle simmer for 1 hour.

Step 6

Flip chicken, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is fork-tender and almost falling off the bone, about 30 more minutes.

Step 7

Flip and baste chicken again. Increase heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until chicken is very tender and the braising liquid has reduced a bit, 20 to 30 minutes more.

Step 8

Taste the braising liquid and adjust seasoning if needed before serving.