Braised Catalina Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs simmered with Catalina dressing, peppers, and onions for a flavorful main dish.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, thinly sliced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

06 - 1 cup Catalina salad dressing
07 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
08 - 2 tbsp ketchup
09 - 2 tbsp brown sugar
10 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 tsp paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels; season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
03 - Heat a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
04 - In the same pan, add onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
05 - In a bowl, mix Catalina dressing, chicken broth, ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
06 - Return chicken to the pan, arranging over the vegetables. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken.
07 - Cover with lid or foil and transfer to preheated oven. Braise for 25 minutes.
08 - Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and chicken to brown.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The oven does almost all the work while you go about your evening
  • That Catalina sauce creates this incredible sticky glaze youll want to eat with a spoon
02 -
  • Letting the chicken sear properly without moving it creates the fond that makes the sauce taste restaurant quality
  • The uncovered final 10 minutes is what transforms this from braised chicken to sticky glazed perfection
03 -
  • Patting the chicken completely dry before searing is the difference between nicely browned skin and pale steamed skin
  • Let it rest for those 5 minutes so the sauce has time to set up slightly instead of running right off

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