Devilled chicken thighs in a spiced gravy inspired by an old Mrs Beeton recipe that uses Worcestershire Sauce, brandy and English mustard.
This recipe takes around 10 minutes to prepare and under 20 minutes to cook which makes it a quick and easy midweek meal, even when you consider the simple marinade.
Devils Chicken in Spicy Gravy
There are some dishes that I spin and revisit several times and an old fashioned British devilled sauce is at the heart of one of this dishes.
It appears on my site in several guises, classic examples like my devilled kidneys on toast and devilled mushrooms on toast are glorious. But I also have more “leftfield” options like devilled sausages and even some grilled devilled mackerel fillets.
My latest iteraton are some glorious devilled chicken thighs.
They feature a similar sauce to all of my “devilled” recipes and at the heart is a slight tweak to a recipe from Mrs Beeton’s book of household management. A book that’s been published at regular intervals since it first appeared in the 1860’s.
Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and mustard sit at the heart of my gravy, and prefer brandy over the traditional sherry. I also add a little Marmitem which adds a wonderfully deep seasoning that goes beyond just salt.
This is a wonderfully simple dish to make. The marinade takes minutes to put together and the chicken can sit in it for up to 24 hours.
A bit of shallot and garlic rounds out the flavours in a recipe that cooks in right around 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bone-in chicken thighs?
Yes, but they will take longer to cook and you are better off cooking them in the oven.
If I were to do this I would increase the stock to 250ml (1 cup) and place it in the oven (180°C or 350°F) at step 10 until it is cooked.
Can I use skinless chicken thighs?
Yes, you will lose a little flavour but this will still be tasty and the cooking times will vary a little.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but you would be better off using the same technique I mentioned above about bone-in chicken thighs?
You add no salt, is this an oversight?
No, between the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and Marmite you should have more than enough salt in this recipe.
Can I omit the Brandy?
Yes, this dish tastes great without the brandy, but better with it 😉
I don’t like Marmite, can I skip it?
Yes, although I would urge you not to! I don’t like Marmite either however I use it in almost all of my “gravy” recipes, it adds seasoning and an umami punch.
It does not make the recipe taste like Marmite!
Serving Suggestions
My devilled chicken thighs are served in these pictures with roasted crushed new potatoes and simply cooked green beans.
I use the same technique for the green beans as in my green bean amandine recipe and omit the almonds.
Mash also makes a wonderful side for this chicken and as eve,r I urge you to look beyond the magic of mashed potatoes.
The sweetness of swede works incredibly well with the devilled sauce and as a result, my swede and carrot mash or my Scottish clapshot recipes are ideal sides for this chicken dish. You can even serve it with roasted swede!
When it comes to greens you can be equally flexible, my go-to stalwart of roasted tenderstem broccoli works well here. You can even chuck them in with potatoes for 10 minutes if you are cooking the potato recipe I mentioned earlier.
Simply cooked peas also make a nice side that provides a little sweetness and buttered savoy cabbage is delicious with this recipe too!
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
- Stirring spoons, whisk and kitchen tongs.
- Medium mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Quick read meat thermometer (optional).
Devilled Chicken Thighs Step-by-Step Photos
- Begin by adding the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine, then add the chicken thighs, toss to coat and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Fry the shallots and garlic in oil over a low heat for 2-3 minutes, then push them to the side of the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Fry the chicken thighs skin side down for 5-6 minutes, then flip.
- Pour in the Brandy and reduce by half.
- Mix the leftover marinade with chicken stock and pour it into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the chicken and whisk cold butter into the sauce.
- Finally, return the chicken to the pan with any resting juices and toss to get a nice coating before serving.
Devilled Chicken Thighs Recipe
Chicken thighs cooked in an old-school British spiced devilled sauce or gravy with English mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brandy and a smidgin of Marmite and cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skin on Chicken Thighs
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp English Mustard
- ½ Tsp Marmite
- ¼-½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ⅛ Tsp Gravy Browning (Optional, this only ads colour)
- 175ml (¾ Cup) Chicken Stock
- 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 Small (35g) Echalion (Banana) Shallot
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 50ml (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Brandy (Optional)
- 35g (2 Tbsp) Cold Butter
Instructions
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, English mustard, Marmite, gravy browning and cayenne pepper to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs to the sauce and allow them to marinate for at least 30 minutes, you can leave them for up to 24 hours.
- Just before you are ready to cook, cut the shallot in half, peel it, and dice it as finely as possible.
- Peel the garlic cloves and dice them as finely as you can.
- Heat a 30cm (12") frying pan over a low heat, add the cooking oil shallots and diced garlic, then sweat down for 2-3 minutes without colouring the shallots.
- Push the shallots and garlic to the side of the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade scraping off any excess and add it to the frying pan skin side down and cook for 5-6 minutes or until it has a nice colour.
- Flip the chicken, pour in the brandy, and cook until it has reduced by half.
- Mix the chicken stock with the marinade, pour it into the pan, turn the heat down to medium and cook for a further 7-8 minutes or until the chicken has cooked. You are looking for it to reach an internal temperature of 73°C or 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the gravy for a minute or two and whisk the cold butter through the gravy before serving, return the chicken and toss it in the sauce to get a nice coating.
If you like visual guides when you are cooking, I have step-by-step process photos just above this recipe and a video just below the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 763Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 236mgSodium: 783mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 37g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Gina Strauch
Sunday 13th of October 2024
This American wonders if, by English mustard, you mean Coleman's or something else? I always have a box of Coleman's around, but while my local grocery has Dijon (crunchy and creamy) , "mustard sauce" horseradish mustard, yellow mustard, and something called "beer mustard" there's nothing labeled as English mustard.
Brian Jones
Monday 14th of October 2024
Hi Gina...
Colemans mustard is indeed English mustard, although I use the term English mustard to suggest a prepared mustard, if I am using mustard powder I would specify mustard powder.
As you may well expect Colemans isn't the only "English" mustard available here, although it is very popular. Generally speaking to turn powdered mustard into prepared mustard mix an equal amount of powder with water, I would add a couple of drops of vinegar too.
Let me have a think on it for while and I will try and add this to my FAQ section to help out folk from the US :)
Brian