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Skillet Chicken Thighs With Schmaltzy Tomatoes

By Melissa Clark

Updated July 3, 2024

Skillet Chicken Thighs With Schmaltzy Tomatoes
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(1,411)
Comments
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Golden pan drippings star in this simple dish of roasted chicken thighs, seasoning a juicy tomato and red onion salad with their caramelized, salty flavors. There’s minimal prep involved, just the slicing of an onion and halving of some cherry tomatoes, which can be done as the chicken roasts. Red-pepper flakes and lemon zest add bright, fiery notes, and fresh basil or mint sprinkled on at the end give this verdant freshness. Be sure to serve the chicken with crusty bread to catch all the sweet, earthy juices.

Featured in: The Key to the Best Weeknight Chicken Dinner Is Already in Your Pan

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1teaspoon fennel seeds (or cumin or coriander seeds)
  • 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
  • 2 to 2¼pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
  • ½ cup torn fresh basil or mint leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

400 calories; 30 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 522 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 oven to 375 degrees. Place the fennel seeds in a mortar and pound lightly with a pestle until the seeds are broken up (you don’t have to grind them to a powder). Alternatively, lay the seeds on a cutting board and use the flat side of a knife to crush them, pressing on the knife with your hand.

  2. Step 2

    Combine the crushed seeds with lemon zest and salt, mixing well. Rub the chicken all over and underneath the skin with the salt mixture.

  3. Step 3

    Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Once hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and let it cook until the fat renders and the skin turns dark golden brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and put the skillet in the oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    While the chicken cooks, in a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, pinch of salt and red-pepper flakes, tossing to combine.

  5. Step 5

    Remove the chicken from the oven and place the thighs on a platter. Carefully pour all (or just some) of the chicken fat from the skillet into the tomato mixture. Stir to combine and season with more salt, if needed. Pour tomatoes over the chicken on the platter, drizzle with olive oil, and top with fresh basil or mint, and more red-pepper flakes to serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,411 user ratings
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Comments

Sean

Made this tonight but decided to listen to the comments and added the tomatoes/onions to the baking chicken. Don't do this. The tomatoes release too much water and it ruins the schmaltz. Just make it like Melissa tells you to.

MGz

If your thighs, like mine, produced a lot of schmaltz, I tossed some of the schmaltz straight into the tomatoes/onions (along with a little sherry vinegar) and tossed some cubed bread into pan to toast in the remaining drippings until golden. Then I plated as a base for the chicken and veggies. Turned it into a great one-dish panzanella!

yorgos

I’ve made variations of this before and I like to add the tomatoes with about 20 minutes to go. The heat dehydrated and brings their flavor to the fore. Also, thanks for using thighs in this recipe. Chicken breast meat is so bland and flavorless it contributes nothing to the flavor of practically any chicken dish.

Kate

I found this something of a disappointment. Not enough flavor...

Kitchen Lass

Those who feel they “hate” chicken thighs. You may be thinking of long ago and chickens past. Thigh meat is no longer dark, but it just has more texture than breast meat and of course, as the rest of us know, more flavor. The meat, from a harder working part of the bird, stands up to longer, more flavorful cooking, braising, etc. What I would consider more interesting treatments than those given for chicken breasts. I have purchased chicken thighs from an organic farm, and also from the supermarket, neither was dark meat. I think it’s like people who think they hate anchovies - not realizing that some form of anchovy is in a lot of the restaurant food they enjoy - just not the spiny, fishy shapes. PS Turkey thighs ARE still dark….

Cindy

I was hoping for so much more from this recipe. I mean, it was good, but not as great as I wanted. I will make it again, but next time I'll double the fennel/lemon/salt rub, since the seasoning bordered on bland. I think I may also use 1/2 ground fennel and 1/2 of the crushed seeds, just to get a little more pronounced flavor on the chicken. I salted the chicken an hour or two ahead. But the thighs were beautifully crispy, and red onions and tomatoes with schmaltz? Can't be beat.

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