Thighs are actually the best and juiciest section of the chicken. While everyone else is cheering for chicken breast, thighs get the job done far better and with far more flavor. Here are five dishes that prove one chicken and one pot is better than most other things on a weekend.
With a one-pot dish, the essence of cooking in one dish is that everything goes in. Every ingredient, chicken, veggies, and sauce get to mix and mingle while you do homework, or sit down for a rest.
1. Crispy One-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Potatoes
Ingredients
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For the chicken:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the vegetables:
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes, halved
- 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Get the chicken and oven ready. Make sure to set the oven to 425.
Step 1
Get thighs ready by drying the entire section of chicken you want to use with paper towels.
This is an absolute must for better, crisper skin. Add a good, even coating of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
Sear the chicken. Take a large oven-safe skillet and heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot and shimmering, place the chicken thighs with the skin side down. Don’t touch them and let them sear for 6-8 minutes.
If the skin is releasing from the pan, flip the chicken over and sear for 3 more minutes. Set the chicken on a plate.
Add the potatoes. Using the same skillet, add in the halved potatoes, some smashed garlic cloves, and lemon slices.
Pour in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add some salt. Toss everything together so that they all get coated in the oil.
Arrange and roast. Nest the seared chicken thighs on top, skin side up, over the potatoes, making sure the chicken is on top so the skin can get golden as the potatoes soak up all the juices.
Move the skillet to the oven.
Roast until golden. Set a timer for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is golden, the skin is crackling,
The potatoes are tender, and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Chicken preparation should be done.
After cooking, for multiple chicken preparation methodologies, it is suggested to rest for 5 minutes before serving, slice, garnish, and serve.
This should be done to sliced roasted chicken and served right away.
3. One-Pan Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (Don’t trim the skin)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra for chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- For the balsamic mixture:
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- For the vegetables:
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Fresh basil leaves for serving, to taste
Instructions
Chicken preheating and seasoning. Set your oven to 425°F. Pat chicken thighs dry thoroughly.
It’s very important to ensure chicken skin is 100% dry to achieve the crispiest texture, and the best skew will be a golden, crispy skin.
Season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Crispy Chicken Searing. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook without moving for 7-8 minutes.
Chicken skin will very likely get stuck to the bottom of the pan, and you may try to pry it up without success, and that’s great; it means the skin is getting crispy.
Sear the other side, the bottom side will be getting golden, before putting the chicken on a plate.
Make the balsamic glaze first.
Pour more olive oil into the same hot skillet, and toss in the onion wedges and cherry tomatoes.
Add salt. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and pour this mixture into the hot skillet.
Then combine all of the elements. Put the chicken thighs, skin side up, into the mixture. Be careful to make sure their skin is above the liquid, as that is how it will stay crispy. Use the remaining balsamic mixture to pour over the chicken.
Then bake it. Put the skillet in the oven and bake the chicken balsamic mixture for 28-32 minutes.
Once finished, the tomatoes should be bursting and will create a jammy sauce, the balsamic mixture will be reduced and thickened, and the chicken will be 165°F.
Add basil. Baste the chicken with the balsamic sauce, and pour over fresh basil once the skillet has cooled.
Garnish with more basil and serve with some crusty bread to soak up that sauce!
4. One-Pan Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces.
- 1 tbsp coconut oil.
- 1 tsp salt.
- 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- For the curry sauce:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (14 oz).
- 2 tbsp red curry paste.
- 1 tbsp fish sauce.
- 1 tbsp brown sugar.
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced).
- 3 garlic cloves (minced).
- For the vegetables:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (1 inch).
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips.
- 1 cup snap peas.
- Ingredients for garnishing: Fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Instructions
Brown the chicken pieces. In a large, deep oven-safe skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Step 1
Brown the chicken on all sides for about 2-3 minutes per side.
The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through. Once the chicken is browned, transfer it to a plate.
Build the curry sauce. In the same skillet, add the ginger and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add red curry paste and stir for 1 min. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar and stir until smooth.
Add sweet potatoes first. The first thing to do is to preheat the oven to 375°F.
The cubed sweet potatoes need to be added to the curry sauce before they are then need to be stirred to coat.
After doing this step, the pot should be brought to a simmer and cooked for 5 minutes.
This is a necessary step because sweet potatoes take longer to cook, so they need to get a head start.
After the sweet potatoes have cooked for a bit, the rest of the ingredients can be added.
This step is to nestle the browned chicken pieces that have already undergone the cooking step into the sauce.
This should be done with the bell pepper strips. The chicken should be mostly submerged in the sauce.
Step 2
Baking is the next step, and this is done to make sure that the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
The pot should be covered with a lid or aluminum foil before it is transferred to the oven.
This should be baked for 25 minutes. After the first bake is done, the next step is to remove the cover.
The snap peas should be added before uncovering the pot.
The oven then needs to be baked for a further 10 minutes. At this point, the sweet potatoes should be soft and the chicken cooked through.
Finally, it is time to serve with fresh toppings. The curry sauce should be rich and creamy.
Serving this dish is easy, for it is to be served over jasmine rice or cauliflower rice that is topped with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
You should note that the lime on the rice is important because it brightens the dish and cuts through the rich coconut.
5. One-Pan Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with Olives and Artichokes
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- For the Mediterranean mixture:
- 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Fresh oregano for garnish
Instructions
Season both sides with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and thyme.
Make sure to season all the way to the edges. This will help get the flavor in.
Preheat your oven to 425. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels before this step.
Step 1
Heat some olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken thighs skin-side down.
Be mindful not to overcrowd the pan. Let these go undisturbed for 7 to 9 minutes; you should be able to lift the chicken thighs with a spatula easily.
Once skin-side is done, carefully flip the chicken thighs over and let them go for 2-3 minutes.
Once the middle is cooked through, and the skin-side is crispy and golden, remove from the pan and let it rest on a plate.
From here, build your base. Keep the oil in the pan and add the chopped onion and smashed garlic.
Let those go for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently as the onion starts to soften.
Then, add the wine to the pan and deglaze it by scraping up the brown goodness resting on the bottom of the pan.
From here, the supporting cast members come in.
Add the quartered artichoke hearts, chopped olives, washed cherry tomatoes, capers, and squeezed lemon juice.
Once everything is in, let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes while you continue to stir everything to ensure it is evenly distributed.
Step 2
Return chicken and roast. While the vegetables are softening, nestle the chicken skins side up.
They will be floating above the broth and will get extra crispy.
Make sure the liquid doesn’t touch the chicken skin.
Roast until perfect. The chicken should be done roasting around the same time the veg and broth are completely softened and bubbling away.
The tomatoes will burst, and the broth will be extra tangy.
Finish bright. Season the entire dish with chopped oregano or parsley and eat with some crusty bread, delicious orzo, or couscous.
The olives and capers against the chicken are perfect.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
Chicken Thighs
For faster baking, use boneless skinless thighs and remove 10-15 minutes from the baking time
Chicken breast is drier, so the cook time should be lowered, and the internal temperature should be checked often
For different-sized cuts, adjust how much seasoning you use
Vegetables
Baby potatoes can be swapped with sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes
Green beans can also be substituted for asparagus, broccolini, or snap peas
If you want, you can substitute cherry tomatoes with grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes
For any color bell pepper, you can use them interchangeably for the curry recipe
Coconut Milk
Although using full-fat is recommended for richness, you can use light coconut milk for a sauce that is slightly thinner
If you want a non-coconut option, you can also use heavy cream or half-and-half
Mustards
You can interchangeably use Dijon and whole-grain mustard
If you want, you can use yellow mustard; however, it has less depth and a less strong flavor
Olives
If you want to substitute Kalamata olives, you can use green olives, Castelvetrano olives, or mixed Mediterranean olives
If you want less brininess, use half of the recommended amount
Wine
For a dry white wine substitute, use chicken broth with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
If you want, vermouth is a great substitute for wine when cooking
Curry Paste
For a milder heat, you can substitute red curry paste for yellow curry paste
If you want a more herbal, spicy flavor, opt for green curry paste
Start with one tablespoon if you’re spice-sensitive.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator Storage
Chilled chicken and vegetables should go in airtight containers for up to four days.
If possible, keep skin-on chicken separate to maintain some skin crispiness.
Keep sauces in different containers so the vegetables don’t get soggy.
Freezing
Three months is the max, but most recipes do well with freezing.
Before freezing portions, make sure they cool completely.
Honey mustard and coconut curry recipes do especially well.
When it comes to the Mediterranean and lemon-potato recipes, the vegetables make it best enjoyed fresh.
Reheating Instructions
- Oven method: For the crispy skin, cover and reheat at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Uncover for the last 5 minutes.
- Stovetop: Use a skillet over medium-low heat with a little bit of water or broth.
- Microwave: Interval microwave for one minute, but the skin won’t get crispy.
If best results are with skin-on chicken, reheat in the oven or finish on a hot skillet skin-side down.
Meal Prep Tips
One day in advance, chop the vegetables and season the chicken.
Keep the prepared components in separate containers in the fridge.
You can brown the chicken in advance and finish cooking it when it’s time to serve.
Sauces can also be made 2-3 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Success Tips for Perfect One-Pan Chicken
For Optimal Crispiness
Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so dry the chicken completely before seasoning.
For the chicken to form a good crust, do not move it during the searing stage.
Resist the urge to flip too early, and start skin-side down in a hot pan.
For oven roasting, make sure the skin is floating above the liquids.
For Tender and Juicy Chicken
Ensure not to overcook chicken, as this will dry it out. Cook to exactly 165°F using a meat thermometer.
To allow the juices to redistribute, the chicken needs to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Make sure to adjust the timing, as boneless thighs will cook faster than the bone-in.
White meat will dry out faster than dark meat, so use dark meat when cooking.
To Make Cooking Even
To make sure they cook evenly, choose chicken thighs that are the same size.
For roasting, cut the vegetables into pieces that are the same size so they cook evenly too.
Make sure the chicken is in a single layer and not overcrowded.
When roasting, place harder vegetables like potatoes on the bottom.
To Have a Flavorful Meal
Since pan drippings are flavorful, do not discard them and use them to build your sauce.
Instead of seasoning all at once at the end, season at each stage generously.
Before putting in liquids, let the hot oil bloom the garlic and ginger aromatics.
To keep their refreshing flavor, throw in fresh herbs at the end.
For Easy Clean Up
It is fine to use parchment paper or aluminum foil, but you won’t be able to properly obtain the fond.
To get the flavor from the uniformly browned bits, deglaze the pan using wine or broth.
Let the pan cool for a bit before cleaning it to prevent it from warping.
Rather than scrubbing it to death, soak the bits that are particularly stuck on.