Bone-in chicken thighs braise low and slow in cider vinegar, becoming tender and tangy. This shelf's sour note drives the dish, making a quick pan sauce without cream or stock. You'll have a one-pan weeknight dinner with deep flavor.

Serves 2. 55 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 420 calories a serving, 30 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat. From USDA figures for 75% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Pat 4 bone-in chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering, then lay the thighs skin-side down and cook until golden, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. In the same skillet, stir 1 medium diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, stirring to dissolve them.
3. Return the chicken to the skillet skin-side up, add 4 sprigs fresh thyme, reduce heat to low, and cover. Braise until the thighs are tender and the internal temperature reaches 165°F [74°C], about 35 minutes. Check at the 25-minute mark and add 1/4 cup water if the liquid is evaporating too fast.35 min
4. Uncover and transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Discard the thyme sprigs and simmer the pan sauce over medium heat for 2 minutes, tasting and adjusting salt and pepper as needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Note Swap fresh thyme for 1/2 teaspoon dried. Leftovers keep four days covered; shred the meat and toss with pasta or rice the next night. Serve with roasted carrots or a simple green salad to balance the vinegar's sharp tang.