Getting bored with chicken? This reliable source of protein makes for an easy, healthy dinner, but it can be hard not to fall into a rut of steaming and roasting. Enter the braise: a simple cooking method that produces flavorful results with little effort.
Chef Greg Baxtrom explains the appeal in his cookbook, Nothing Matters... but Delicious: "Braising, a cooking method halfway between roasting and stewing, should be a model for all relationships: forgiving, low-maintenance, long-term, and reparable. Once you master the braise, you can braise anything, and the world itself becomes a one-pot wonder."
Baxtrom's braised chicken recipe also calls for something unbelievably creative that will keep your taste buds on their toes: Tostitos salsa. That's right — Baxtrom urges you to, "Go to the fridge, find all the leftover salsa you have, and add it to the pot." Don't have salsa on hand? "You can even use vaguely salsa-like things like tomato sauce."
"The most important aspect of braising is trying to time it so that the cooking medium — stock, water, a bunch of leftover salsa — doesn’t reduce too much before the meat is done," Baxtrom continues. "Tender meat and a nappé sauce (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon) are the goals, and you might have to add more water as you go to make sure the sauce doesn’t reduce too soon. (The opposite is hardly a problem. It’s very difficult to overcook something braised.)" Serve over rice, then enjoy the minimal cleanup.
Garlicky Braised Chicken Recipe
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (about 2 breasts or 4 to 6 thighs), cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose Vegeta stock powder or chicken bouillon powder
- Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion
- (8 ounces), thinly sliced 1 head garlic, minced (¼ cup)
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups cooked or drained canned chickpeas (from two 15-ounce cans)
- 1 cup Tostitos salsa, or more as desired
- 2 cups packed stemmed kale leaves, chiffonade-cut
Instructions
- Season the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the Vegeta and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the flour in a medium bowl and toss the chicken in the flour until coated, shaking off any excess flour.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Working in two batches, add the chicken to the pan in an even layer and cook, turning the chunks occasionally, until golden brown all over (see below), 3 to 5 minutes. If necessary, replenish with more oil as needed. Once the chicken is seared, transfer it to a plate.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, cover, and allow them to sweat until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, along with the water, the chickpeas, salsa, and the remaining 1 tablespoon Vegeta. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Set over medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is thick and saucy and the chicken is very tender, 40 to 45 minutes, adding more water as needed to keep the chicken partially submerged. Just before you turn off the heat, stir in the kale.
- Check for seasoning and serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from Nothing Matters. . . but Delicious, copyright © 2026 Greg Baxtrom. Photographs copyright © 2026 Murray Hall. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
