Crispy Chicken Thighs With Peppers, Capers and Olives
Published Sept. 1, 2021
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 6large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 2garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 2large sprigs rosemary, very roughly chopped
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes
- Grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon (about 1 teaspoon zest and about 3 tablespoons juice)
- 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2medium red onions, sliced in ¼-inch half-moons (about 3 cups)
- 6bell peppers, in assorted colors, if possible, sliced ⅜-inch lengthwise (about 8 cups)
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 3garlic cloves, grated or minced
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes
- ½cup green olives (like Castelvetrano)
- ½cup black olives (like Niçoise)
- 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
- Pinch of dried oregano
For the Chicken
For the Peppers
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
443 calories; 34 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 849 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.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Start the chicken: Pat chicken dry and place in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss the thighs to coat, using hands to smear the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or, if time permits, overnight in the refrigerator.
- Step 2
Make the peppers: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When oil begins to look wavy, add onions and stir to coat. When the onions begin to soften (don’t let them brown), add peppers and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and add garlic and red-pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat to medium. Cover, leaving the lid ajar.
- Step 3
Cook mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely soft. Add olives, vinegar and capers, and cook for a few minutes more, just to meld the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with oregano. Set aside. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Step 4
Cook the chicken: Place a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is wavy, add chicken thighs, skin-side down. Shake the pan to make sure the chicken isn’t sticking.
- Step 5
Lower the heat to medium. Place a piece of parchment or aluminum foil on top of chicken and set another skillet on top. Add some weight — a brick or canned goods, for example — to the top skillet. Set heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure chicken isn’t sticking, until the skin side is beautifully browned.
- Step 6
Turn thighs over and cook for 10 minutes more, until thighs are cooked through. (To test, pierce the chicken with a paring knife. The juices should run clear.) If you wish, turn the thighs skin-side down again and let crisp for a few more minutes.
- Step 7
Serve 1 thigh and a large spoonful of stewed peppers to each guest. Leftover peppers, if any remain, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Private Notes
Comments
Note that he lowers the heat to medium immediately after putting the thighs in the pan and then to low once the weight is added. Thirty minutes on low for 5 oz thighs will not result in "dry and stringy".
I used all these ingredients but threw them on a sheet pan for an easier weeknight dinner. Let's blame Melissa Clark? I basted the chicken a few times with its own juices. It was delicious! I will try the weighted pan method another time and see what the difference is.
Most chicken sold at retail has about 5% retained water from the chilling process after slaughter. This is probably what is causing the excess liquid. Bell & Evans sells air-chilled chicken that is not submerged in water after slaughter. These chickens are available at Whole Foods and elsewhere.
Delicious! I used boneless skin-on thighs, so they got nice and flat under the skillet. Didn’t use as much liquid in the marinade as called for, rather created more of a garlic-herb paste. Didn’t rub the marinade into the skin, only the flesh side, and set the thighs on a plate skin side up in the fridge for a few hours to help dry. Before adding to pan, patted the skin dry one more time. Got perfectly crispy. I thought the peppers would come out “saucier” for some reason. I did end up adding extra oil towards the end. Overall, a great meal.
Boring recipe. Fussing with the pans and weighting down the chicken just produced a lot of grease and not much flavor. The vegetable mixture was also pretty ordinary. Generally not worth the trouble. I could have thrown it all on a sheet pan and would have gotten a more satisfactory result, although it would still have lacked interest.
This would have been better on a sheet pan and less trouble. Adding the lemon juice was a mistake I will not repeat. Lemon zest is enough. Adding the juice resulted in too much water coming out of the chicken, so the thighs weren't crispy.