Best Chicken And Fennel Recipes

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Combine spices with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Season chicken to coat both sides.
• Preheat large nonstick skillet, add olive oil. Cook chicken breasts about 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken and keep warm.
• Add the fennel and onions to the pan and saute for 7 mnutes or so. The fennel should be tender but not mushy. If the pan appears to be too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Should be enough to moisten without steaming the vegetables.
• Boil two cups of water with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add couscous to water and turn off heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff the grains before serving.
• Add juice, broth and the last 1/4 teasppon salt and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Add constarch mixed in 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until it just begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add chicken and chopped fennel , cook 2 more minutes.
• Spoon coucous onto plate, with chicken and fennel and onions. Spoon portion of sauce on top.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH APPLE, FENNEL AND ONION

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pound into a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or, alternatively, roughly chop. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the fennel seeds and season well with salt and pepper.
• Place the onion, fennel and apple slices on the sheet pan. Toss with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt. Spread in an even layer. Add the chicken skin side up on top of the vegetables and lay the rosemary (distributing evenly) on top of the chicken. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the onions, fennel and apples are softened and have begun to caramelize at the edge of the pan.
• Turn the oven to broil and move the oven rack to sit right below it. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs and broil the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes until the skin of the chicken is crispy and golden. Season with flaky salt.

BAKED CHICKEN, POTATOES, AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss potatoes with fennel (bulb and stalk), garlic, and 4 teaspoons oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing occasionally, until potato edges are browned, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm remaining teaspoon oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook, starting with skin side down, until browned on both sides, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken.
• Wipe skillet with a paper towel; add broth, and bring to a boil. Add chicken and hot broth to potato mixture in baking dish; bake until chicken is no longer pink and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with fronds.

CHICKEN WITH CREAMY MUSHROOMS, FENNEL AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Slice the leeks in half, then thinly slice them into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons. Place the leeks in a colander set over a bowl and fill the bowl with enough water to cover the leeks. Gently stir them around to help remove any excess dirt and sand. Remove the colander with the leeks from the bowl, leaving behind any dirt. Let leeks drain completely.
• Place the chicken breasts on a sheet of parchment paper. Season the chicken breasts with salt, a pinch red pepper flakes, and half the thyme leaves. Place another piece of parchment on top of the chicken. Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the chicken breasts slightly until they are an even thickness, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Hold both pieces of parchment paper and flip the chicken over; now the parchment that was originally on the bottom should be on top. Remove the parchment, exposing the unseasoned side of chicken. Season with salt, another pinch red pepper flakes, and the remaining thyme leaves. Place the parchment back on top and pound slightly to adhere the seasoning.
• Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add in the chicken breasts and cook, undisturbed, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown and reaches 165 degrees F, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the fennel, mushrooms, and leeks to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season the vegetables with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Turn the heat down to low and add in the cream. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cream has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce to taste.
• To serve, spoon the creamy vegetables over the chicken. Garnish with thyme leaves.

OVEN-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH FENNEL AND CASTELVETRANO OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large, heavy cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Brown chicken in the hot oil, about 5 minutes per side. Meat will still be pink inside. Transfer chicken into a bowl, leaving drippings in skillet.
• Turn heat down to medium; cook fennel, onion, and fennel seeds in the hot oil, stirring occasionally, until onion and fennel begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir garlic, thyme, and chile de arbol pepper into fennel mixture. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 more minute. Stir white wine into fennel mixture, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food on the bottom of the skillet.
• Pour tomatoes with puree into skillet and bring to a boil. Break tomatoes into large chunks with a wooden spoon; adjust salt and pepper. Add chicken thighs, any accumulated drippings from chicken, and olives to the skillet and stir to combine.
• Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until the chicken thighs are no longer pink inside, about 45 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fennel greens, flat-leaf parsley, and lemon zest.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH GRAPES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Season chicken legs all over with 3 tsp. salt.
• Swirl 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot to coat and heat over medium-high. Place 2 chicken legs, skin side down, in pot, making sure skin is in direct contact with pan. Cook, undisturbed, until dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat with remaining 2 chicken legs; reserve pot.
• Meanwhile, working one at a time, stand a bulb, root end down, on a cutting board and slice off a short end to create a flat surface. Turn cut side down and slice ½" thick, starting from the top end of bulb so the root end can hold the layers in place while you slice. Discard last ¼" (root end) of each bulb and pop out and discard tougher center from slices. Transfer fennel to a large bowl and add half of the grapes, ½ tsp. salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; toss to coat. Set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and combine broth, honey, chile paste, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in reserved pot. Stir to combine and dissolve salt. Place remaining grapes in pot and arrange chicken legs, skin side up and overlapping if needed, over grapes. Top with dressed fennel and grapes. (Don't worry if it looks crowded: Fennel will soften as it cooks.)
• Transfer pot, uncovered, to oven and roast until fennel is slightly softened, with some crispy, caramelized edges, grapes on top are swollen and browned in spots, and chicken is cooked through, 30-40 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer grapes and fennel to a bowl and chicken to a platter. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring braising liquid to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half (you should have about 1 cup liquid), 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and fennel fronds.
• Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with fennel and grapes alongside.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH FENNEL AND APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On two rimmed baking sheets, arrange chicken, fennel, shallots, and sage. In a small bowl, whisk together oil and vinegar and drizzle over chicken and vegetables. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Roast 35 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Add apples to sheets and roast until fennel is browned and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH FENNEL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Zest lemon and slice zest into matchsticks. Juice lemon, strain and reserve.
• Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt. Put deep frying pan over medium-high heat, pour in oil and gently sauté chicken breasts, about two minutes per side, until they are about half-cooked. Remove from pan.
• Pour off oil and discard, then add fennel, wine and lemon zest to pan. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until wine is reduced by about half and fennel is tender. Add broth and cinnamon, bring to boil and cook about 5 minutes to reduce sauce a bit.
• Add chicken with its juices and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat egg yolks with half the lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon), then ladle in about 1/4 cup of sauce. Mix well, then add to pan, mixing well. Cook over medium heat, stirring a bit, until sauce appears creamy. Taste and add more lemon juice, if you like.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMONS, FENNEL, OLIVES, AND HARISSA

Steps:

• Mix paprika, cumin, salt, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
• Pat chicken thighs dry and place them in a resealable plastic bag. Sprinkle paprika mixture over chicken thighs; massage the bag to coat chicken evenly.
• Heat oil in a tagine over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Cook and stir fennel, onion, and garlic in the tagine. Stir in half of the garbanzo beans, chicken broth, 1/2 cup green olives, harissa, 1/2 of the preserved lemon, and ginger.
• Lay chicken over garbanzo bean mixture; sprinkle remaining olives on top. Scatter cherry tomatoes on top. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Combine remaining garbanzo beans with 2 tablespoons of broth from the tagine in a food processor or blender; blend into a thin paste.
• Transfer chicken to a serving dish. Stir garbanzo bean paste into the tagine. Simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Spoon broth mixture over chicken.
• Garnish with remaining preserved lemon and toasted almonds.

SHEET-PAN CUMIN CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SQUASH, FENNEL, AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Mix brown sugar, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Toss squash, fennel, and grapes with oil and half of spice mixture on rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
• Rub chicken thighs with remaining spice mixture and arrange, skin side up, on top of fruit and vegetables. Roast until skin is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, about 35 minutes; if chicken skin or vegetables start to burn, move pan to a lower rack to finish cooking.
• Divide chicken, fruit, and vegetables among 4 plates and top with mint.

LEMONY CHICKEN SOUP WITH FENNEL AND DILL

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
• Working in batches, add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until skin is well browned and fat has started to render, 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and continue to cook until well browned, another 3 to 5 minutes. Leaving all the fat and drippings behind, transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet, a large plate or a cutting board and let rest.
• Meanwhile, if you've got the top of the fennel bulb, thinly slice it, fronds and all; set aside.
• Coarsely chop the white part of the fennel bulb and add to the pot along with the garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not yet browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes, chopped lemon and chiles, and stir to coat.
• Return chicken to the pot and add broth, seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and place the lid on the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook at a strong simmer until chicken is cooked through and nearly falling off the bone, 20 to 25 minutes. Using tongs, remove chicken and let rest until it's cool enough to handle. Pick the meat from the chicken, removing any cartilage, skin and bones. (Alternatively, leave the chicken pieces intact and serve that way.)
• Return meat to the pot along with the thinly sliced fennel top, if using. Season the soup with salt and pepper, turn the heat to medium-low and continue to gently simmer while you make the toasted fennel seed topping.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small pot or skillet over medium. Add fennel seed and half of the fresh dill, and swirl until fennel seed is toasted and dill is sizzling and crispy, about 2 minutes.
• Divide soup among bowls, and spoon fennel seed topping over it, followed by scallions and remaining fresh dill. Add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream (or crumbles of feta) and sprinkle with sumac, if you like. Zest the remaining lemon over the bowls, then cut lemon in half to squeeze juice over them too.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH OLIVES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side; remove to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the fennel chunks, leeks and garlic; season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to wilt and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the olives and lemon slices and cook until the lemons brown around the edges, about 2 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the skillet and add the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to medium high; bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the fennel fronds. Top each serving with parsley.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMONS AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Place a lemon half in cavity. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together. Add fennel and remaining lemons to sheet and toss with oil.
• Roast until juices run clear when chicken is pierced between breast and leg, or an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165, 60 to 70 minutes, basting chicken with pan juices and tossing fennel halfway through.
• Transfer chicken to a platter and cover loosely with foil; let rest 10 minutes. Carve chicken. Serve with fennel and lemons.

ROAST CHICKEN STUFFED WITH FENNEL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Cook fennel in large pot of boiling salted water until tender when pierced with knife, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons oil; garlic; 1 tablespoon each fennel seeds, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and marjoram; then 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon each fennel seeds and herbs in small bowl. Rinse chickens inside and out; pat dry. Rub chickens inside and out with lemon halves, squeezing some of juice into cavities. Rub outside of chickens with 1/4 cup oil, then fennel seed mixture. Sprinkle chickens generously with salt and pepper. Loosely stuff chickens with some of fresh fennel mixture. Tie legs together. Place chickens, breast side down, in large roasting pan. Arrange remaining fresh fennel mixture around chickens.
• Roast chickens 30 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices. Combine wine and broth and pour over chickens. Roast 15 minutes. Turn chickens breast side up. Roast chickens until juices run clear when pierced with fork in thickest part of thigh, about 40 minutes longer. Transfer chickens and fennel mixture to platter. Pour pan juices into bowl; skim off fat. Pour juices over chickens and serve.

CHICKEN AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Mix the turmeric, pepper and salt into the olive oil. Brush about half of this mixture over the chicken fillets.
• Saute chicken gently for about 30 minutes Do not cover - turn the fillets occasionally.
• Trim and clean the fennel bulbs. Cut into 4 pieces each.
• Arrange fennel pieces in the pan with the chicken. Add about one third of the water. Brush with the remaining oil mixture.
• Cover the pan and stew slowly for about an hour or until the fennel is soft. During this time add more water only if necessary. The covered pan should generate enough of its own moisture.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss chicken with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and arrange on a large rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up.
• In the same bowl, toss potatoes and fennel with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and arrange in an even layer around the chicken.
• Roast until chicken and potatoes are a deep golden brown and fennel is starting to caramelize at the edges, about 35 to 45 minutes.
• As chicken cooks, combine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, mustard, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a thin stream and stir in pecorino. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Toss the fennel fronds and parsley with the roasted vegetables.
• To serve, cut the chicken off the bone and slice. Divide chicken and vegetables among plates. Serve with a handful of leafy greens if you like, and spoon the pecorino vinaigrette over everything.

CAST-IRON ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt, inside and out. (We use 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1/2 tsp. Morton kosher salt per lb.) Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let sit 1 hour to allow salt to penetrate, or chill, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead.
• Place a rack in upper third of oven and set a 12" cast-iron skillet or 3-qt. enameled cast-iron baking dish on rack. Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Meanwhile, toss fennel, carrots, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.
• Once oven reaches temperature, pat chicken dry with paper towels and lightly coat with half of remaining oil. Drizzle remaining oil into hot skillet (this helps keep the chicken from sticking and tearing the skin). Place chicken in the center of skillet and arrange vegetables around. Roast until fennel and carrots are golden brown in spots and tender an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 155°F, 50-60 minutes (temperature will climb to 165°F as chicken rests). Let chicken rest in skillet at least 20 minutes and up to 45 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and carve. Serve with vegetables.

CHICKEN, FENNEL AND MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides then reduce heat to medium. Add lemon pepper, fennel and cream sherry. Simmer until chicken is cooked through but not dry. When chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside to cool.
• While chicken is cooling, add mushrooms, red pepper, parsley, buttermilk, half and half, water and chicken soup base; stir. Tear chicken into bite sized pieces and return them to the soup. Heat until warmed through but do not boil, mushrooms and peppers should still be firm.

PAPPARDELLE WITH CHICKEN RAGù, FENNEL, AND PEAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wide large saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium. Cook bacon, stirring often, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Season chicken all over with salt, then set in pan, skin side down. Cook, turning halfway through, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat from pan. Add onions and chopped fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 6-8 minutes. Add thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in wine and simmer, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Return bacon and chicken to pan (chicken should fit snugly in a single layer); pour in water to barely cover chicken. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and set lid askew. Cook until chicken is tender, 45-60 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a clean plate; let cool. Finely shred chicken meat; discard bones and skin.
• Add milk to pan and set over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is nearly reduced by half and slightly thickened, 8-12 minutes.
• Mix peas and chicken into sauce and cook until peas are just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh peas and 2 minutes for frozen. Season ragù with salt and plenty of pepper. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add pasta, butter, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and 1/2 cup pasta water to ragù and mix to coat pasta with sauce. Increase heat to medium (sauce should be bubbling just a little) and continue cooking, stirring and adding more cooking liquid as needed if sauce is too thick, until butter and cheese are melted and incorporated into ragù and pasta is well coated in sauce. Add parsley and toss to evenly distribute through pasta.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with fennel fronds and shaved Parmesan.
• Do Ahead
• Ragù can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat gently before using.

BROILED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ORANGES, FENNEL AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat the broiler (to high if you have the option).
• Combine the fennel, onion, olives, garlic, Maras pepper and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss gently. Spread this mixture in a 9-by-12-inch baking dish or disposable foil pan and scatter orange sections on top.
• Add the chicken and remaining tablespoon of oil to the now-empty bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place thighs on top of fennel mixture, skin side down.
• Place under broiler with pan about 4 inches from the flame and broil for 10 minutes, turning pan front to back after 4 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up and continue to broil, switching pan back to front after about 3 minutes and broiling until the skin is crisp and dark brown and the chicken is opaque throughout (or until center of flesh registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer), 5 to 7 minutes more. Serve with crusty bread or couscous to soak up the juices.