Beer and Onion Braised Chicken Carbonnade

The last recipe I posted turned out so well I thought I'd try another recipe that used beer. This Chicken and Caramelized Onion dinner also produces some tasty leftovers so be sure to read to the end to see what I did with the extra!




The recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine.




You need some brown sugar, bay leaf, dijon mustard, vinegar, beer, onion, beef broth, butter and of course some chicken. I served this over egg noodles but it would be great over rice or potatoes also.




Slice the onions and cut off some butter. It is going to look like a ton of onions but they cook down.




I originally poured a New Belgium beer to use with this but didn't like the flavor for the food so I used Guinness. Don't worry the New Belgium got drank while I cooked. We do not abuse alcohol here by pouring it out.




You will need some allspice for the chicken.




Season the chicken with salt, pepper and the allspice.




Melt the butter in a pan.




Brown the chicken in the butter on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.




Looking good!




While the chicken browns, measure out the brown sugar.




After the chicken is browned, get it out of the pan and get your onions and sugar in there.




Give them a good stir and cover them and cook for about 10 minutes on low. Stir them every once in a while as they cook.




Don't freak out that you have so many onions. If you don't eat them all at dinner, they are great to have around to stir into pasta or to put on a burger.




Now that your onions are done, grab your chicken and get it back in the pan.




Get all of the rest of the ingredients in and bring it to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.




Uncover and cook for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. If you are serving with noodles or rice, get that cooking right now.

After everything is cooked, get it on to a plate and enjoy!




I have to admit that the onions were my favorite part of this meal. Don't get me wrong, the chicken was moist, delicious and flavored well but I just love caramelized onions.




I took the leftover chicken thigh and some of the onions and made a great sandwich. I reheated the chicken and onions and put them on a ciabatta roll and melted some monteray jack cheese over it. It was a great way to use up some leftovers.