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This dish has been in heavy rotation in our home for at least 20 years. Originally made from an Italian recipe, it has morphed into our own. When the rosemary and vinegar are added to the pan of chicken, alchemy occurs. The vinegar deglazes the brown bits and reduces into a syrup, permeating the chicken with an agrodolce (sweet and sour) flavor. The dish is even better the day after it’s made.–Lucinda Scala Quinn
Vinegar Chicken Thighs with Agrodolce Sauce
Ingredients
For the agrodolce sauce
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey, plus more as needed in step 6
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- three 5-inch rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped and finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
For the chicken thighs
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, (6 to 8 thighs)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 to 12 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 anchovy fillets, or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought low sodium
- 1/3 cup golden raisins, or up to 1/2 cup, if you want more sweetness
Instructions
Make the vinegar sauce
- Thirty minutes before cooking (and up to 2 hours ahead), whisk the 1 cup white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 4 garlic cloves, and three 5-inch rosemary sprigs in a small bowl until the honey dissolves completely. Set aside. This rest time takes the raw edge off the garlic and lets the rosemary infuse the vinegar.
Sear the chicken
- Season the 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place them skin-side down in a single layer in a large (14-inch) cold skillet or two smaller skillets. Turn the heat to medium and let the thighs slowly sizzle, rendering their fat. As the fat begins to accumulate, tuck small bouquets of the 10 to 12 fresh thyme sprigs in between the thighs. Why use a cold pan?
- Now leave them alone. I mean it! If you move them too soon, they’ll stick and you’ll panic. They’ll release on their own when they’re deeply golden-brown and the skin is crispy, 20 to 22 minutes.
Flip and finish searing
- Flip the thighs and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil to keep the chicken warm, and set aside.
- Fish out and discard the naked thyme stems from the skillet. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat.
Build the sauce
- Add the 2 anchovy fillets to the hot fat in the pan and mash it with the back of a spoon until it dissolves into a paste. You won’t taste anchovy in the finished dish—just a deep, savory thrum of flavor. Scout’s honor.
- Slowly pour in the 1 cup chicken stock and scrape up all those glorious browned bits. Stir in the reserved agrodolce sauce from Step 1, then plop in the 1/3 cup golden raisins.
Reduce the sauce
- Bump the heat to high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces by about half, 6 to 8 minutes. If you'd like a more syrupy consistency, reduce a few minutes more.
☞ TESTER TIP: Hot vinegar fumes are no joke. Open a window before this step and give yourself some distance. Consider yourself warned.
- Taste the sauce. It should be assertively tart with pleasant sweetness. If the acid still snaps at you, stir in 1 more tablespoon of honey and taste. Repeat, if needed.
Finish and serve
- Reduce the heat to a simmer. Nestle the thighs back into the pan skin-side up, cover, and let them warm through and finish cooking, 3 to 6 minutes.
- Spoon the sauce generously over the chicken and rush it to the table. Act appropriately humble, even though you’re a rock star.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
We really liked this dish. It definitely fed men and boys, which is a big plus as far as I’m concerned. It was also delicious, another big plus.
I did kind of wish there was more sauce in the end because the sauce was so, so tasty. But that could easily be remedied by doubling the sauce recipes. (We’re a big sauce family.)
I would actually try this same dish with boneless, skinless chicken breasts when I’m pressed for time, which is just about always. I think it could be equally great that way.
If you need something to call your guests to the table, just let them inhale this enticing aroma! They won’t be able to resist. This chicken is flavorful, lovely to look at on the plate, and even better in the mouth. The red-wine vinegar infused with some garlic and fresh rosemary would be good on just about anything, and on this chicken it is perfect. There’s just enough zing to bring out the great taste of the cooked chicken that’s still juicy and moist inside while retaining some degree of crispness on the outside.
You won’t be disappointed. It’s an ideal recipe for a dinner party—the smooth, vibrant taste of the dish will elevate the entire evening.
This was delicious and could not be easier. . .adding anchovies, per other cook’s recommendations added great flavor. I served this chicken over Lebanese rice and with a side of steamed broccoli – what an easy and tasty meal!!! Leftover chicken was great, too.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, cheriede. We’re so pleased that you enjoyed it.
I’m so delighted you enjoyed this dish, cheriede! It’s a fave at our home.
For our Easter Brunch my Nona used Cornish Game Hens for her Chicken Frico. She’d thaw them out and cut into separate pieces (leg, breasts, thighs etc,) Same recipe as yours after that. She came to America when she was 16 years old, a butcher’s daughter. She prepared and served beautiful meals as you might imagine.
Victoria, thank you for sharing this memory of yours. So many times food brings me back to memories of my grandma and her simple yet perfect approach to cooking. I can only imaging the magnificence of what she put on the table…and the wonderful company of those who sat around it with you. Again, we appreciate you reminding us of the lineage of recipes and we hope you enjoy this one!
This is very similar to a dish from the Philippines called adobo…Many recipes (my family’s included) includes soy, which is what the anchovies commented on above would add – a saltiness that’s delicious with the tanginess!
Sounds lovely, Gloria! What other ingredients are in your family’s recipe?