This braised turmeric chicken thigh recipe is one of my favorite one pan meals from my book. The chicken bakes in a mixture of ground turmeric, ginger, black pepper and lemon juice to create a rich, golden broth that will make you want to lick the bowl. Add carrots, greens and any other veggies for a complete balanced gluten-free meal!
One dish that I riff on again and again during my weekend batch cooking sessions is a Moroccan tagine. The stew is layered with spices and is perfect for making cheaper cuts of meat tender. One weekend afternoon when I had a few pans going on the stove-top, I decided to create an oven-roasted version with whole chicken legs, a bunch of baby golden beets, and sliced leeks.
This braised turmeric chicken combination became such a hit, I immortalized it in my book The Wellness Project in the chapter on anti-inflammatory eating.
I love baking chicken in a casserole dish because it’s super hands off. Like this braised chicken with coconut milk or this Greek lemon chicken, you simply toss all the ingredients together, douse it with white wine, and forget about it in the oven until the chicken skin is browned, and the vegetables are tender.
How to make baked turmeric chicken: Step by Step
Golden beets have the benefit of lending even more color to the chicken and turmeric. But since they tend to be a little more obscure than, say, carrots, you can feel free to substitute those. Similarly, you can swap sliced shallots or onions for the leeks and use any leafy green instead of chard or kale.
You’ll also notice that over time in the oven, the color of the turmeric becomes even more vibrant and golden. If the dairy-free sauce has evaporated by the time you take the chicken out of the oven, definitely add more water to the pan so you have enough turmeric jus to douse your chicken thighs and soak up with any grains.
I like to serve the baked turmeric chicken thighs over quinoa or mashed potatoes with spinach. But if you’re not gluten-free, you can always just use a loaf of crusty bread to soak up all those delicious juices.
Read on for this easy turmeric chicken thigh recipe!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Baked Lemon-Turmeric Chicken Thighs
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 leeks white and light green parts only
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 medium golden beets or carrots scrubbed and cut into wedges
- 1 bunch lacinato kale or rainbow chard roughly chopped
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 6, or 1 whole chicken cut into parts)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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Slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse them, fanning out the outer layers to wash away any grit. Slice the cleaned leaks into thin half-moons.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, ground turmeric, ground ginger, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil until thoroughly combined. Add the leeks, beets or carrots, and kale and toss until coated. Spoon the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or casserole pan and arrange in an even layer.
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Add the chicken to the mixing bowl and toss to coat in the remaining turmeric mixture. Transfer the chicken pieces to the baking or casserole dish and nestle in the vegetable mixture skin-side up. Drizzle any of the remaining marinade over the top of the chicken (you can add more oil and salt to the chicken if necessary) and pour the wine around the sides of the dish.
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Roast until the turmeric chicken is fork-tender and the veggies are soft, about 1 hour. If too much of the liquid has burned off, add more water ½ cup at a time until there’s enough turmeric sauce to drizzle on the chicken. Serve over rice or alongside a loaf of crusty bread to soak up the golden sauce.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!