Chicken Thighs With Barley and Peas

This dish is the definition of homey and comforting. It’s inspired by the classic French comfort food dish chicken fricassee, which lands somewhere between a sauté and a stew. It’s typically a one pot dish in which chicken is simmered in a rich sauce with potatoes or noodles. This modern version uses barley instead, which amps up the fiber and texture. Peas and carrots offer lots of color and add sweetness to the meal. Make sure you take your time browning the chicken; the skin needs time to brown and get crispy in the skillet before you add broth.

chicken-thighs-barley-peas
Photo by Jennifer Causey
Chicken Thighs With Barley and Peas 2.9 39 5 1
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  • Makes 4
  • Hands-On Time
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  • Nutritional Information
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    Nutritional Information

    Per Serving

    • Calories 512 calories
    • Fat 15 g
    • Sat Fat 4 g
    • Cholesterol 99 mg
    • Sodium 853 mg
    • Protein 38 g
    • Carbohydrate 56 g
    • Sugar 3 g
    • Fiber 12 g
This dish is the definition of homey and comforting. It’s inspired by the classic French comfort food dish chicken fricassee, which lands somewhere between a sauté and a stew. It’s typically a one pot dish in which chicken is simmered in a rich sauce with potatoes or noodles. This modern version uses barley instead, which amps up the fiber and texture. Peas and carrots offer lots of color and add sweetness to the meal. Make sure you take your time browning the chicken; the skin needs time to brown and get crispy in the skillet before you add broth.

Ingredients

  1. Check 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  2. Check ½ teaspoon black pepper
  3. Check 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  4. Check 1 tablespoon olive oil
  5. Check 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  6. Check 1 8.8-oz. pkg. quick-cooking barley
  7. Check 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
  8. Check 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Season chicken with pepper and ¾ teaspoon of the salt.
  2. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Working in 2 batches, add chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook, flipping once, until chicken is deeply browned and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
  3. Add broth, barley, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to skillet, stirring to submerge all barley. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up. Transfer to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through and barley is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Transfer chicken to a plate and stir peas into barley. Return skillet to oven and cook until peas are bright green and tender, about 3 minutes.
  5. Serve chicken over barley, topped with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.

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