Braised Chicken in Tomato Sauce

Name: Braised Chicken in Tomato Sauce with Onion — Easy Drumstick Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Chicken drumsticks 4; Flour 3 tbsp (29 g); Vegetable oil 50 ml; Salt, ground black pepper to taste; Dried herbs 1–2 pinches; Onions, large 3; Canned tomato pulp 200 g; Sugar 1 tsp (5 g); Water up to ½ cup (100 ml); Garlic 1–2 cloves; Dried chili pods optional

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50 mins

Cheap and easy to find, chicken has long been an everyday staple. It cooks quickly and simply and needs no special tricks, whichever way you prepare it.

White meat makes an easy chicken schnitzel or breaded chicken. Wings turn into a superb snack — fried or baked wings. Leg quarters or drumsticks are perfect for such a wonderful dish as chicken in tomato sauce or chicken with potatoes.

In the East and in the Balkans there is a whole family of dishes that go by the name of yahnia. It most likely arrived there with the migration of peoples from Asia. As a rule, these are stews of meat and vegetables.

Yahnia can be made with a single vegetable or a mix of vegetables, and with any meat, fish or poultry. The principle of yahnia is to fry the vegetables and meat and then braise them.

Strictly speaking, yahnia is usually cooked in a cauldron or a pot, with the ingredients laid in layers. But in a city kitchen it is quite easy to make something close to yahnia that is just as tasty. Chicken in tomato sauce is a case in point. It is simple and fairly quick: the chicken and onion are first fried with spices, then everything is braised together in a sauté pan with tomatoes. The base recipe is braised chicken with vegetables, and another option is chicken with tomatoes braised in wine.

Chicken in tomato sauce with onion is a versatile and delicious dish. It is one of our family’s favorite recipes — both a main course and a thick soup.

Ingredients

2 servings

Chicken drumsticks 4
Flour 3 tbsp (29 g)
Vegetable oil 50 ml
Salt, ground black pepper to taste
Dried herbs 1–2 pinches

Onions, large 3
Canned tomato pulp 200 g
Sugar 1 tsp (5 g)
Water up to ½ cup (100 ml)
Garlic 1–2 cloves
Dried chili pods optional

Step-by-step recipe

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Preparing the chicken and onion

Prepare the chicken. Chicken in tomato sauce can be made not only with drumsticks but with almost any part of the chicken that has dark meat. Thighs, wings or even a whole chicken cut into pieces all work well. White meat, though — the breast fillet — turns out a little dry, so it is better not to use it here and to save it for a chicken schnitzel instead.

It is better not to use the drumsticks whole, but to cut or chop off the bone end with the joint. There is little to eat on that part of the drumstick anyway.
It is also worth skinning the drumsticks, though that is optional.
Put the prepared drumsticks in a small deep bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with 1–2 pinches of dried herbs: basil, oregano, parsley, savory. A Mediterranean dried herb blend works well too.
Toss the chicken pieces so the spices are spread evenly. Leave the chicken with the spices for 10–15 mins to let the salt dissolve.
Peel the onions and cut them into thick strips. Put the sliced onion in a bowl and set it aside for now.

Frying the chicken and onion

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or sauté pan.

Dredge the seasoned drumsticks generously in flour and place them in the hot oil.
Fry the drumsticks until golden brown on all sides. This takes 6–7 minutes, no longer, as flour tends to darken quickly.
Add the sliced onion to the fried chicken and fry over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is soft and golden. If you like, add a few dried hot chili pods along with the onion and finely grate in 1–2 garlic cloves.

Braising in tomato sauce

Blend half a can of canned tomato pulp (about 200 g) with 1 tsp sugar (5 g) and a pinch of salt.
Pour the tomato purée over the chicken and onion. Add a little water from the kettle — half a cup at most — so the chicken is half covered with liquid. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Braise the chicken in tomato sauce, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes. That is enough for the chicken and onion to cook through and turn tender.
Then remove the lid and let the excess liquid evaporate. The chicken should end up in a slightly thick sauce.
That said, you can sometimes leave the tomato sauce fairly thin, and the chicken in tomato sauce becomes something like a thick soup with a superb taste and aroma.

Calories and macros

620 kcal

Serving ≈ 470 g

Protein33 g22% of kcal
Fat38 g57% of kcal
Carbs32 g21% of kcal

100 g131 kcalProtein 6.9 gFat 8 gCarbs 6.7 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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To Get It Right

Which tomatoes to use

Canned tomato pulp is the easiest: half a can is about 200 g. Canned peeled tomatoes work too and make the dish especially quick.

Flour for the crust and body

Dredge the drumsticks generously: the flour gives a golden crust and thickens the sauce. Fry no longer than 6–7 minutes, as flour darkens quickly. You can fry them without flour, but the sauce will be thinner.

More heat and aroma

For herbs, use basil, oregano, parsley, savory or a ready Mediterranean blend. For heat, add dried hot chili pods and 1–2 garlic cloves with the onion.

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Questions and answers

How long do you braise chicken in tomato sauce?

About 15 minutes covered over medium heat, then uncovered until the sauce thickens. Including the frying, the whole cooking takes about 30 minutes.

How do you make braised chicken with gravy?

The gravy makes itself: the flour the drumsticks were fried in thickens the tomato purée and water. For more gravy, don’t cook the liquid down all the way, and the dish becomes like a thick soup.

Can you make chicken breast in tomato sauce?

You can, but breast fillet turns out a little dry in this dish, so drumsticks, thighs or leg quarters are better. For fillet there is a separate recipe: chicken breast with mushrooms in tomato sauce.

Can you make chicken with tomato paste instead?

Yes: dilute the tomato paste with water to the thickness of tomato purée. Paste is cooked-down, concentrated tomatoes, so use less of it than pulp, and taste the sauce for salt and sugar.

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