Stovetop Paprika-Garlic Chicken Leg Quarters with Braised Mushrooms + Quick Collards
Fast, comforting, and deeply savory: juicy chicken leg quarters braised on the stove in a paprika-garlic pan sauce, with buttery mushrooms and quick wilted collards. It eats like a Sunday supper, cooks like a weeknight.
Back to full listIngredients
- Draper Valley All Natural Fresh Chicken Leg Quarters 1 1/2 lb (2 good-size quarters) $2.99/lb (sale)
- Simple Truth Organic® Whole Baby Bella Mushrooms 8 oz, halved/sliced $5/16 oz (reg) or $4.49/8 oz (reg)
- Organic Collard Greens 8 oz (about half the bag), stems trimmed, sliced $2.99/16 oz (reg)
- Organic Garlic 3 cloves, minced $6.99/lb (reg)
- Organic Jumbo White Onion 1/2 onion, thinly sliced $2.79 each (reg)
- Olive oil 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Chicken broth or water 3/4 cup
- Smoked paprika 1 1/2 tsp
- Dried thyme (or Italian seasoning) 1/2 tsp
- Lemon (optional) Wedge or 1 tsp juice
- Salt & black pepper To taste
Instructions
- Prep: Pat chicken very dry; season generously with salt and pepper. Slice onion, mushrooms, collards; mince garlic.
- Sear chicken (stove): Heat a large skillet with lid (cast iron or stainless) over medium-high. Add oil. Sear chicken skin-side down until deeply golden, 6–8 minutes. Flip and sear 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate (it won’t be cooked through yet).
- Sauté aromatics + mushrooms: Pour off excess fat, leaving about 1 Tbsp in the pan. Add onion and cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, 5–7 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika, and thyme for 30 seconds.
- Braise: Add broth/water, scraping up browned bits. Nestle chicken back in (skin-side up). Cover and simmer on medium-low until chicken is cooked through (165°F at the thickest part), 18–25 minutes depending on size.
- Wilt collards: Remove chicken to rest on a plate. Increase heat to medium, add collards to the pan sauce, and toss until wilted and tender-crisp, 3–5 minutes. Taste sauce; adjust salt/pepper and add a tiny squeeze of lemon if you want brightness.
- Serve: Spoon mushrooms, collards, and sauce onto plates and set chicken on top.
Health notes: ~700–900 kcal per serving (leg quarters vary). Hearty and nutrient-dense: dark-meat chicken + greens + mushrooms. Reduce calories by removing skin after searing and using less oil.
Drink pairing: Wine: Washington State Pinot Noir (pairs beautifully with mushrooms) or a dry rosé. Beer: a brown ale or amber.