Skillet Chicken and Zucchini With Charred Scallion Salsa

By Colu Henry

Skillet Chicken and Zucchini With Charred Scallion Salsa
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(697)
Comments
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Baked chicken breasts have a reputation for being dry, but pan-searing bone-in, skin-on breasts before roasting them helps them render their fat. It also forms a protective coating, develops a crisp, deep-golden skin and adds an extra layer of flavor. In this one-pot recipe, zucchini is tossed with the rendered chicken fat, and everything cooks together in the oven. Swap in any seasonal, quick-roasting vegetable for the zucchini, like cherry tomatoes or asparagus, but don’t skip the charred scallion and jalapeño salsa. The zingy lime, grassy herbs and barely there brown sugar really make this dish sing. If cilantro isn’t your thing, basil makes a fine replacement, or try a combination of the two. Alongside? Steamed rice would be nice.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Chicken

    • 4medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 to 3½ pounds), at room temperature
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • 2tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
    • 1½pounds zucchini (3 to 4 medium zucchini), quartered lengthwise, then halved crosswise

    For the Salsa

    • ¼cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
    • 1medium jalapeño, thinly sliced, seeded if you prefer
    • 1bunch scallions (about 7 or 8 scallions), trimmed and halved crosswise
    • 1cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
    • ¼cup olive oil
    • ½teaspoon light brown sugar
    • Flaky sea salt (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

736 calories; 48 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 64 grams protein; 1423 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

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken very dry and season generously all over with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the canola or grapeseed oil in a 12-inch cast-iron pan or other large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook undisturbed until skin turns golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

  3. Step 3

    Remove the pan from the heat. Add the zucchini and stir to coat in the chicken fat. Season with salt and pepper. Do your best to arrange the zucchini in an even layer (some overlap is O.K.). Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the zucchini, transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, make the salsa: In a medium bowl, stir together the lime juice and jalapeño; set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the scallions and cook, tossing frequently, until they begin to brown and char in spots, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and set aside. When cool enough to touch, finely chop the scallions and toss them with the lime mixture. Stir in the cilantro, olive oil and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Season to taste with salt.

  5. Step 5

    Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a plate or a cutting board for about 5 minutes. If you want your zucchini more golden, pop it back in the oven while the chicken rests. Slice the chicken, if desired, and return it to the pan or serve it on the bone. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the salsa over the chicken and season with flaky sea salt, if you’d like. Serve with the remaining salsa at the table.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
697 user ratings
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Comments

Elizabeth K

Use chicken thighs--no need to brown first, the skin gets nice and crispy in the oven. I have done this using, instead of zucchini, peppers and onions, or leeks, or cauliflower, or butternut squash... I start with a layer of cracked wheat, 1 cup plus 2 cups chicken broth. This soaks up the juices from the vegetables and the chicken and is really delicious (leftovers are great for soup). Without browning ahead, you will need to extend the cooking time--45 minutes seems to work.

Courtney

Would it be worthwhile to make with chicken thighs? I assume the zucchini would have to cook in something else because there wouldn’t be fat renderings from the skin (I have chicken thighs defrosting in my fridge that need to be made; that’s why I’m asking!)

Allison

Made with thighs over zucchini and new potatoes. Delicious all around, did not find the zucchini to be mushy. The potatoes probably soaked up some of the liquid.

Shirley P.

I loved this. I grow a garden with a couple of zucchini plants which as anyone who grows zucchini knows, means looking for recipes that use zucchini in innovative ways. I changed the recipe a bit based on what I had which resulted in using chicken thighs instead of breasts. I didn’t have a jalapeño so I added sriracha sauce and maple syrup instead of brown sugar (I’m Canadian so of course). I also added a potato which I sliced thickly and sautéed with the chicken. I used extra zucchini and sautéed it a bit and then baked with the chicken and potato. The zucchini was not mushy at all and served with the salsa the whole thing was delicious.

SPS

We found this dish to be delicious. The salsa makes it. Next time I hope to add something as others suggested to soak up extra pan juices. Zucchini got a little mushy, but some in my group prefer it that way. I used leeks since I had no green onions. The leeks worked very well. I know we add salt to taste, but all the steps to add salt might end up being a little excessive and really unneeded. Highly recommend the dish

kesw

Good. Did take me more than 40 minutes, though, start to finish. Used a combo of basil, curly parsley and flat leaf parsley, because I didn’t have cilantro. Served with rice and put some of the salsa on it.

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