French Chicken in Vinegar Sauce (Poulet au Vinaigre)

5 from 2 votes

A classic French chicken dish with shallots and vinegar, adapted to fit the Mediterranean Diet while staying true to the original.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 25

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: French

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free

Keyword: one-pan, oven

Servings:

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Veronique Eichler

Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack set in the lower-middle position.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook 7 minutes without moving it, until the skin is well browned. Flip and cook 3 minutes on the other side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Carefully pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for about 1½ minutes, until softened but not browned.
Add the wine, red wine vinegar, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up. The chicken should not be fully submerged. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches about 195°F.
Remove the chicken to a serving dish. Return it to the turned-off oven, loosely covered, to keep warm while you finish the sauce.
Place the skillet back on the stovetop over high heat. Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary, and thyme. Reduce the sauce to about 1¼ cups, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Skillet choice: Avoid cast iron. The acidic vinegar sauce can react with cast iron and affect both the pan and the flavor. A stainless steel skillet works best.
Wine and broth: As long as you use about 2 cups of liquid total, the exact ratio of wine to broth isn’t critical. Equal parts work just fine.
Butter: The sauce is finished with just 1 tablespoon of butter, which gives it a silky texture while staying within Mediterranean Diet guidelines.
Reheating: Reheat covered in a 300°F oven for 20–30 minutes, or gently on the stovetop over low heat. Stir the sauce if it has separated slightly.
Nutrition: Nutrition values are estimates and assume all rendered chicken fat is retained, even though most of it is discarded during cooking. Actual total fat and saturated fat will be lower, depending on how much fat is poured off.