Roasted Chicken with Garlic-Sherry Sauce

Name: Roasted Chicken with Garlic-Sherry Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 2 quarts water; 1/2 cup salt; 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (12 ounces each); 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided; 2 teaspoons canola oil; 8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1/2 cup sherry or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth; 3 fresh thyme sprigs; 1/4 cup butter, cubed; 1 teaspoon lemon juice

This garlic-kissed chicken is delicious, plain or fancy. It's an elegant entree for guests-and my husband and I love its leftovers in rice casseroles and hot, open-face sandwiches. —Sheri Sidwell, Alton, Illinois

Ingredients

2 quarts water
1/2 cup salt
4 bone-in chicken breast halves (12 ounces each)
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 teaspoons canola oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

For brine, in a large saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Cook and stir until salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature.
Place a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag inside a second large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate 1-2 hours, turning several times.
Preheat oven to 400°. Drain and discard brine. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet, brown chicken in oil over medium heat.
Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Remove chicken and keep warm. Drain drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon.
In the drippings, saute garlic for 1 minute. Add broth, sherry or additional broth and thyme. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Discard thyme. Stir in the butter, lemon juice and remaining pepper. Serve with chicken.

Nutrition Facts

1 chicken breast half with 1/4 cup sauce: 534 calories, 29g fat (12g saturated fat), 197mg cholesterol, 508mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 60g protein.

Originally published as Roasted Chicken Breasts with Garlic-Sherry Sauce in Country Woman April/May 2008

Reviews

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Average Rating:

docdes

Oct 8, 2014

Great dish! My husband and 6 year old son devoured it. I did it with what I had. Skinless/boneless chicken breast. Next time I would like to try a skin on, getting the skin really crispy in the oven. I only had egg noodles on hand and they were actually a nice, light accompaniment. I have also thought of adding a little cream for a richer sauce depending on the side.
LKimK77

Nov 13, 2013

This recipe is so good one of my favorites, very flavorful, moist. Great for left-overs in a salad or wrap. I have made it several times and everyone loves it including the kids. Serve with a salad and mashed potatoes or a mixed grain rice.
Sascha18

Nov 18, 2010

I was nervous about making this, especially since it didn't have any reviews but I am so glad I did! This chicken turned out so flavorful and tender compared to chicken breasts that are normally dry and flavorless. I couldn't find chicken breats that were bone-in and already halved so I asked the meat specialist at the store to just cut split bone-in chicken breasts in half for me. I ended up having 6 servings instead of 4 but all this did was change the cooking time to about 5-10 minutes longer. Delicious! I wouldn't change a thing.