One-Pot Wonders

One-Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs With Roasted Potatoes, Zucchini & Tomatoes

July 29, 2019
5
14 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 2 to 4
Author Notes

This recipe takes the classic idea of roasted chicken atop potatoes, and adds a summery vibe with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and fresh minced oregano. It all happens in a single skillet, so it's perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. —Josh Cohen

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe was developed in partnership with Lodge Cast Iron. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Canola oil
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 3-4 small Yukon gold potatoes (about 3/4 pound total)
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons, about 1-inch thick
  • 1 large handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced, plus an extra pinch for garnish
  • Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Set a large skillet over high heat, and add just enough canola oil to cover the skillet. As the oil is getting hot, season the chicken front and back with salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken skin-side down. Your skillet should be large enough to hold all the chicken in a single even layer.
  2. Sear the chicken over high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown. To check how the chicken is cooking, I like to use a metal fish spatula. It allows you to scrape under the chicken and unstick it from the skillet without tearing the delicious chicken skin.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, cut your potatoes into bite-size pieces. When the chicken skin is a deep golden brown, flip the chicken and cook it for 5 minutes on the flesh side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate. Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’re aiming to get the potatoes lightly golden brown on all sides.
  4. When the potatoes are lightly golden brown on all sides, add the zucchini. Stirring occasionally, cook the zucchini for about 5 minutes, until the zucchini is beginning to caramelize. The metal fish spatula is good for gently flipping the potatoes and zucchini, stirring them gently so that they don't get smashed.
  5. When the zucchini is beginning to caramelize, add the tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. Reserve a little oregano to garnish the final dish. Stir the veggies gently, and season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken back to the skillet so that it's resting atop the veggies, skin-side up. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
  6. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with the remaining oregano. If you're feeling relaxed, serve the chicken straight out of the skillet and enjoy. If you're feeling like you wanna flex your chef muscles, transfer the chicken and veggies to a large platter. Add the juice of one lemon to the empty skillet, scraping the bottom to release any caramelized bits. Drizzle the contents of the skillet over the chicken and veggies. Enjoy!

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • FrugalCat
    FrugalCat
  • tnevins
    tnevins
  • Starmade
    Starmade
  • Josh Cohen
    Josh Cohen
  • Jayeno
    Jayeno

16 Reviews

FrugalCat March 1, 2023
I made this outside of zucchini season so I used baby carrots instead. Loved the oregano flavor. Thighs are a fave cut of chicken for me.
 
Dani June 11, 2022
This was a really nice dinner. My husband and I really enjoyed it. Simple but really delicious. This will go into rotation. Thank you 😁
 
Linda D. August 7, 2021
Thank you so much for this savory and simple meal, Josh. Because my cast iron skillet would not not accommodate all the ingredients at the end, I transferred everything to a pan and popped into the 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Absolutely delicious and simple!
 
Liz D. September 28, 2020
I loved the one pan simplicity. The flavor was fantastic. Salt pepper and oregano was all the spice. Of course the garlic didn’t hurt ! I will make it again!
 
TAYLOR W. July 14, 2020
This was delicious! Easy, simple, but so full of flavor and felt really fresh from the zucchini and the tomatoes. Will absolutely make again.
 
Josh C. July 14, 2020
Thanks Taylor for this great feedback!
 
FredB February 2, 2020
Fantastic! I used clarified butter in place of the canola oil. This is a keeper!
 
hello I. November 14, 2019
i followed the recipe to the letter except i omitted the canola oil. it was delish and a big hit in my house. i will be making it again.
 
HelenG September 3, 2019
This was delicious and pretty. I will definitely make it again.
 
dj September 1, 2019
This is just as promised- wonderful. Made it two nights in a row and talked about it with co-workers, something I rarely do YUMMMMMMMM
 
tnevins August 25, 2019
This is delicious and greater than the sum of its parts.
 
Lynne August 25, 2019
Sounds great - but my picky husband prefers chicken breast over thighs. If I use some of both, do I need to adjust the cooking time for the breast?
 
Judynyc61 August 22, 2019
It sounds delicious! I can't lift a cast iron skillet unfortunately (thank you carpal tunnel). What are your thoughts on a Dansk enamel dutch oven instead?
 
Judynyc61 August 22, 2019
I wish I could use a cast iron skillet but it's just too damn heavy for me to lift. How do you think it would work in a Dansk Enameled Dutch Oven?
 
Jayeno August 23, 2019
You won’t get the same degree of crispy crust on either the chicken skin or potatoes. My suggestion, use a smaller pan and reduce the size of the recipe to accommodate the lesser amount. A smaller cast iron should allow you to pick it up with the smaller amount of food in the pan.
 
Starmade August 4, 2019
This was really good, and simple, though requires some babysitting as things crisp up.