Skillet Hot Honey Chicken With Hearty Greens

By Ali Slagle

Skillet Hot Honey Chicken With Hearty Greens
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(2,348)
Comments
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Requiring just one pan, this recipe yields supremely crisp, juicy chicken thighs and hot honey schmaltz, which serves as a warm vinaigrette for sturdy greens and a sauce for your — let’s say it again — supremely crisp, juicy chicken thighs. Squint and the flavors are reminiscent of fried chicken with a side of braised collards: Crackly chicken cozied up next to spicy, tangy and a little-sweet greens fortified by animal fat. Make your honey-schmaltz as spicy as you wish: Green chiles will pack more heat than red.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1small hot chile, thinly sliced (such as jalapeño, Fresno or serrano), or to taste
  • 1large bunch or head of hearty greens, such as escarole, mustard greens or kale (about 6 ounces)
  • 2tablespoons honey
  • 1tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

609 calories; 44 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 723 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil into a large skillet, then add the chicken thighs skin side down.

  2. Step 2

    Set over medium heat and cook, without moving them, until the skin is crisp and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. If you can’t stand leaving the chicken untouched for this long, use your tongs to press the chicken down into the pan, which promotes even browning.

  3. Step 3

    Flip the thighs over and swirl the chile into the rendered chicken fat. Cook until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, stem and tear the hearty greens into big bite-size pieces. In a big bowl, toss them with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer the chicken to serving plates, leaving the fat in the pan. Off the heat, stir the honey and vinegar into the fat until the honey’s melted and everything’s combined. Dress the greens with enough of the sauce to lightly coat, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. (Feel free to eat the chile peppers or leave them behind.) Serve the chicken with the salad, spooning more sauce over the chicken and salad as desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,348 user ratings
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Comments

Nacho

I scaled this up and used a sheet pan @ 400 degrees for 35 minutes. It’s actually better this way and far less less smokey. It’s easy to then use juices from the pan to make a sauce.

Marcia Cunningham

I find sheet pans the way to go with chicken thighs. 400 degrees for 30-40 mins then add the honey, chile and vinegar a few minutes before you remove from oven. One pan, no fussing, perfect chicken, great sauce! Great recipe!

Morgan

Twenty-five minutes in a cast iron skillet was perfect for my medium-large thighs. Chicken (and any other meat not from the sea) should be brought to room temp before cooking, which significantly reduces the cook time. In the case of skin-on chicken, giving it an hour or two out of the fridge while the meat absorbs some salt kills two birds with one stone (sorry for that).

Nina B

This dish is similar to Eric Kim's Crispy "Chicken W Lime Butter", which I've prepared 2X now, and it's my top chicken dish. Kim's used butter for a saucier end, and garlic rather than a chili. I now plan to use both. One big difference, Kim's advises salting (& peppering) both sides of thighs, allowing them to stand 10-30 min. to render the moisture. This enhances the skin's crispiness. It does make a mess of the cook top...so the oven is a good idea to try.

Monica - has anyone used Mike's Hot Honey for this recipe? thanks!

1.This was simple and delicious. In addition to greens, it also works well with rice (or any grain), and cooked veggies. I added it on top of some braised kale with garlic and it was delicious! 2.Oven 400 degrees for 35 minutes was perfect. Then I used the chicken fat juices to make the sauce - came together quickly and effortlessly. The kale drenched in sauce was the biggest hit, my 2 year old ate several helpings! Served alongside brown rice, but could also use a baguette.

craig mclaughlan

Air fryer at 200 c for 12 minutes then flipped and another 12. Once done rested the chicken and mixed the schmalz in the bottom of the container. Delicious. A little fat heavy, maybe go easier and use less on the salad next time. Added some lime juice to lift it a bit. Could experiment and add bits to the bottom of the air fryer before cooking. Garlic. Thyme. Etc.

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