Every September, without exception, is a humbling experience that knocks me off my feet. One week, you're carefree and unoccupied, lounging on a beach with a book and tearing into lobster with your hands (yes, we were in Maine), and the next week, you discover that a certain foul-smelling backpack never got emptied at the end of school in June, rushing to arrange after-school care. Even though I work every week throughout the year, somehow, there’s still so much more to tackle. If dinner isn’t something that can be prepared in a single pan with everything cooking together, I haven't been making it. Yet, I’ve prepared this chicken dish four times in the past month; it’s truly time to share it online.
I attribute this to a newsletter from Clare de Boer last April (and you should definitely subscribe if you haven’t; it’s fantastic), in which she sought out a sheet pan chicken recipe that produced crispy skin and found it with chicken thighs, lemon, and onion. I also have my doubts about crispy chicken skin; it's not that I doubt it can become crispy, but I find it seldom remains so once it has rested or when other ingredients join in. However, my curiosity got the better of me — curiosity, but not, well, any strict adherence to the written recipe because, as mentioned, I need everything to be a one-pan meal right now. I added potatoes (because potatoes with chicken and lemon are wonderful) and chickpeas (I’m a bit unclear on the reasoning behind that, but it felt right) to a baking dish (not a sheet pan), and despite all my alterations, I was completely thrilled with the result.
The chicken thighs ended up wonderfully crispy on top while the lemon, onion, garlic, oregano, and olive oil beneath collected the chicken drippings and formed a delicious sauce that infuses the potato wedges and chickpeas as they roast. Lemon slices with rind, which I often find to be an unwelcome addition to dishes, were excellent here, softened by the oil and overall brothiness and sweetened by the onion. In one attempt, I tried to simplify the dish by removing the chickpeas, and (you can’t make this up) received an annoyed text from a teenager: “Dad said you’re making the chicken without the chickpeas — why? I like them.” Not wanting to ignore a 15-year-old requesting legumes, they stayed in the dish.
Podcast! A new episode of my podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, is out, and while I may be biased, I believe it’s one of the most enjoyable yet, focused on the classic BLT sandwich. You can listen to it wherever you get your podcasts and catch up on any past episodes right here. New episodes release every other Monday. I hope you find it as enjoyable to listen to as we do to discuss.
Video
Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Chickpeas
Note: I've finished this with capers, chopped green olives, and even once with some lightly dressed arugula (lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper), but even without any of those or just a sprinkle of parsley, as shown here, this dish remains perfect for overly busy days.
2 lemons, halved
1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-large bone-in chicken thighs (about 2.25 pounds total)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus an extra drizzle
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium), unpeeled, each cut into 8 wedges
A generous handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Prepare the chicken thighs: In a large bowl, juice half of one lemon and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, using 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond brand; less if using other brands) per pound of chicken. Add the chicken thighs and coat them in the lemon juice mixture. You can proceed with the dish immediately, or if you're preparing it ahead of time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Heat oven: Set to 450°F (yes, really!).
Assemble dish: Halve and very thinly slice the second half of the first lemon, removing any seeds. In a 9×13-inch baking dish (or lasagna pan), combine lemon slices, 3 tablespoons olive oil, onion, garlic, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add potato wedges and chickpeas, stirring until everything is evenly combined and coated. Place chicken thighs from the bowl atop the potato-chickpea mixture, skin side up. Pour any remaining juices from the bowl over
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A perfect one-pan lemon chicken dish with potatoes and chickpeas for hectic days.