Tanya Holland's Chicken Thighs with Barbecue Beans

Adapted from Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West. An easy and delicious barbecue sauce transforms cannellini or other white beans into something special — fabulous with meaty chicken thighs. The original recipe calls for either cooked dried white beans or canned beans; we used canned cannellinis, and would do so again in a hot minute.

‘Tanya Holland’s California Soul’ was chosen as one of Cooks Without Borders’ top cookbooks of 2022. READ the story.

Serves four to six.

Ingredients

For the barbecue sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock

1 cup diced or crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon dark molasses

1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard

For the rest of the dish

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 slices bacon

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 small bell pepper (green or red), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock

2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced

Italian parsley, coarsely chopped, for finishing

Instructions

1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Make the barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, molasses and mustard, and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with a lid (cast-iron or an enamel cast-iron braiser are great) over medium heat, fry the bacon until the fat renders and it is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat in the pan (or add oil so you have about 2 tablespoons in the pan). Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Over medium heat, add the onion, bell pepper, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then stir in the beans and reserved bacon, breaking the bacon into bite-sized pieces as you add it. Reserving 1/2 cup of the barbecue for serving, add the rest to the bean mixture, along with the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

5. Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions and parsley and serving, passing the reserved barbecue sauce alongside.


Tanya Holland's Chicken Thighs with Barbecue Beans

Tanya Holland's Chicken Thighs with Barbecue Beans

Yield: 4 - 6
Author: Recipe by Tanya Holland; adaptation and headnote by Leslie Brenner
Adapted from 'Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West.' An easy and delicious barbecue sauce transforms cannellini or other white beans into something special — fabulous with meaty chicken thighs. The original recipe calls for either cooked dried white beans or canned beans; we used canned cannellinis, and would do so again in a hot minute.

Ingredients

For the barbecue sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dark molasses
  • 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
For the rest of the dish
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small bell pepper (green or red), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
  • 2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Italian parsley, coarsely chopped, for finishing

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and set aside.
  2. Make the barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, molasses and mustard, and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
  3. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with a lid (cast-iron or an enamel cast-iron braiser are great) over medium heat, fry the bacon until the fat renders and it is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat in the pan (or add oil so you have about 2 tablespoons in the pan). Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Over medium heat, add the onion, bell pepper, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then stir in the beans and reserved bacon, breaking the bacon into bite-sized pieces as you add it. Reserving 1/2 cup of the barbecue for serving, add the rest to the bean mixture, along with the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
  5. Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions and parsley and serving, passing the reserved barbecue sauce alongside.
best recipe for baked beans and chicken, best recipe for chicken and barbecue beans, tanya holland chicken recipe
Main Course, Chicken
American, African Diaspora
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @cookswithoutborders on Instagram and hashtag it # cookswithoutborders