Greek Chicken Kokkinisto with Cinnamon and Pearl Onions

Name: Greek Chicken Kokkinisto with Cinnamon and Pearl Onions
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 21 min
Total time: 1 h 36 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 6 pieces (about 2.5 lb) (1130 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted very dry; 6 pieces (about 1.75 lb) (800 g) chicken drumsticks, patted very dry; 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, divided: 1 tsp for the chicken, 1 tsp for the sauce; ¾ tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 12 oz (340 g) pearl onions, peeled, root ends left intact so they hold together; 5 cloves (15 g) garlic, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine; 28 oz can (794 g) canned crushed tomatoes; ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken stock; 2 sticks (3-inch / 7.5 cm) (6 g) cinnamon sticks; 6 berries (1 g) whole allspice berries; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp (5 ml) red wine vinegar, added at the end; ¼ cup (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks braised on the stovetop in a red wine and tomato sauce scented with cinnamon, allspice and bay, with sweet whole pearl onions. Serve over orzo, rice or with crusty bread.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 21 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 2 hr 16 min
Makes: 6 servings (12 pieces of chicken with sauce)

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Ingredients

6 servings

6 pieces (about 2.5 lb) (1130 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted very dry
6 pieces (about 1.75 lb) (800 g) chicken drumsticks, patted very dry
2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt, divided: 1 tsp for the chicken, 1 tsp for the sauce
¾ tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz (340 g) pearl onions, peeled, root ends left intact so they hold together
5 cloves (15 g) garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine
28 oz can (794 g) canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
2 sticks (3-inch / 7.5 cm) (6 g) cinnamon sticks
6 berries (1 g) whole allspice berries
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) red wine vinegar, added at the end
¼ cup (12 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Equipment (6)

Large (5-6 quart / 5-6 L) heavy lidded braising pot or casserole with a tight-fitting lid
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Paring knife and cutting board
Small saucepan (for blanching onions)

Steps

Before you start

Pat the chicken dry and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (this is passive wait time) so it browns well and seasons evenly.
To peel pearl onions easily, boil them for 2 minutes, drain, cool under cold water, then trim the stem end and squeeze them out of their skins. Frozen peeled pearl onions also work, no thawing needed.
Use a wine you would happily drink, such as a dry Greek Agiorgitiko or any dry medium-bodied red.
This dish is cooked entirely on the stovetop; no oven is needed. Plan about 2 hours 15 minutes in total, including the 30-minute chicken rest and 10-minute final rest.

1
Season the chicken
- Pat the thighs and drumsticks very dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle all over with 1 tsp of the kosher salt and the black pepper.
- Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Chicken skin feels dry and the pieces are no longer fridge-cold
Tip: Dry skin is the key to a good sear; blot again right before browning if any moisture appears.
2
Prep the onions
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.
- Boil the pearl onions for 2 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water.
- Trim just the stem end, leaving the root end intact, and squeeze each onion out of its skin.
- Slice the garlic.
- Do this while the chicken rests.
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Ready when: Skins slip off easily when squeezed
Tip: Skip the boiling if using frozen peeled onions.
3
Brown the chicken
- Heat the olive oil in the braising pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Working in two batches, place the chicken skin-side down and cook without moving for 5-6 minutes until deep golden, then flip and cook 2 minutes more.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden brown and releases easily from the pan
Tip: Do not crowd the pan or the chicken will steam instead of brown.
4
Soften the aromatics
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Add the pearl onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until lightly browned in spots.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until it darkens to brick red.
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Ready when: Onions have golden spots, garlic smells sweet, paste is brick red
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown darkly, lower the heat; burnt garlic turns bitter.
5
Deglaze with wine
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Simmer for 4-5 minutes until reduced by about half and the sharp alcohol smell mellows.
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Ready when: Wine is reduced by about half and the pan bottom is clean
6
Build the sauce
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon sticks, allspice, bay leaves, sugar and the remaining 1 tsp salt.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring.
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Ready when: Sauce bubbles gently around the edges
7
Braise covered
- Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, into the sauce so the skin stays mostly above the liquid, and add any plate juices.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes, adjusting heat to keep bubbles lazy.
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Ready when: Chicken is tender and registers at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from bone
Tip: Keep the skin above the sauce; submerged skin turns flabby.
8
Reduce the sauce
- Remove the lid and simmer 15-20 minutes more, turning the drumsticks once, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the onions are tender when pierced with a knife.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the pan bottom leaves a trail that slowly fills in; onions are tender; chicken reads about 185°F (85°C) away from bone
Tip: If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water.
9
Finish and rest
- Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks, allspice berries (if you can find them) and bay leaves.
- Stir in the red wine vinegar and taste, adding salt if needed.
- Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley.
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Ready when: Sauce tastes balanced: rich, lightly sweet, with a bright finish
Tip: The vinegar brightens the sauce; add it only at the end.

Good to know

Tips

Brown the chicken thoroughly; the browned bits dissolved into the wine give the sauce its depth.
Keep cinnamon subtle: sticks perfume the sauce without turning it sweet, so remove them before serving.
Use a thermometer rather than time alone; thighs are best at 185°F (85°C) for tender, fall-off-the-bone meat.
Serve over orzo, buttered rice or with crusty bread to catch the sauce.

Make ahead

Make the whole dish up to 2 days ahead; the flavor improves overnight. Cool, refrigerate in the pot, and reheat gently, covered, over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until steaming hot.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered over medium-low heat with a splash of water until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).

Substitutions

dry red wine → additional chicken stock plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Gives a non-alcoholic version with slightly less depth.
pearl onions → 1 large yellow onion cut into 8 wedges, or frozen pearl onions. Frozen need no thawing; wedges cook in the same time.
canned crushed tomatoes → 2 lb (900 g) ripe grated tomatoes. Simmer an extra 10 minutes to thicken.
cinnamon sticks → ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Add with the tomatoes; ground cinnamon is stronger, so do not add more.