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Jamie Oliver Chicken and Cannellini Beans

Jamie Oliver Chicken and Cannellini Beans
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Jamie Oliver’s Chicken and Cannellini Beans is a Mediterranean-style chicken dish where chicken pieces are cooked slowly with cannellini beans, garlic, herbs, and stock. The beans soften and release starch, creating a rich, glossy sauce that coats the chicken without the need for added cream.

Ingredients

Scale

    • 6–8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on or skinless)

    • 2 tins cannellini beans (400 g each), drained and rinsed

    • 1 large onion, finely chopped

    • 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

    • 750 ml chicken stock

    • 1 tablespoon tomato purée

    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme

    • Olive oil

    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    • Fresh parsley or rosemary, to finish

Instructions

Step 1: Brown the chicken

Heat a large, deep pan or casserole over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan skin-side down and cook for 6–8 minutes until golden. Turn and cook briefly on the other side, then remove and set aside. This step builds flavour and helps keep the chicken juicy.

Step 2: Build the flavour base

Lower the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pan and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and lightly golden. The onions should release sweetness without burning.

Step 3: Add garlic and herbs

Add the crushed garlic and dried herbs. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep the heat moderate to avoid bitterness from the garlic.

Step 4: Add tomato purée

Stir in the tomato purée and cook it out for 1–2 minutes. This deepens the flavour and removes any raw taste.

Step 5: Add beans and stock

Tip the drained cannellini beans into the pan and stir gently. Pour in the chicken stock and bring everything to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 6: Return the chicken

Nestle the chicken back into the pan, making sure it’s mostly submerged but with the skin sitting above the liquid if using skin-on thighs. This helps the skin stay intact while the meat cooks gently.

Step 7: Simmer slowly

Cover the pan partially with a lid and simmer on low heat for 30–35 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through. The beans will soften further and thicken the sauce naturally.

Step 8: Rest and finish

Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Finish with chopped fresh parsley or rosemary before serving.

Find it online: https://jamieolivereats.uk/chicken-and-cannellini-beans/