Greek Chicken Thighs
These Greek Chicken Thighs braise in white wine, lemon, and kalamata olives with whole garlic cloves and pearl onions, then finish under the broiler so the skin crisps back up. One skillet, 50 minutes, and a pan sauce worth mopping up with bread.
Servings: 8
Calories: 228kcal
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skin on and bone-in
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 8 ounce pearl onions peeled
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 lemons cut in thirds
- 1 cup kalamata olives pitted
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Season the 8 chicken thighs with the ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper on both sides.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Arrange the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the 8 whole garlic cloves, 8 ounces pearl onions, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, and the 2 lemons to the skillet, placing the lemons cut side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic begin to soften and take on some color.
- Add the 1 cup kalamata olives, then pour in the ½ cup dry white wine and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine. Return the chicken to the skillet, arranging the thighs skin side up so they sit directly on the bottom of the pan.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest thigh reads 175°F.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and switch the oven to broil on high. Return the skillet to a high rack and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin is crisp and deeply golden. Watch it closely, because it browns fast.
- Remove the lemon pieces before serving. Taste the sauce and season if needed, then serve the chicken with plenty of the pan sauce spooned over.
Video
Notes
- Skin side up in the oven. Any skin sitting in the liquid won't crisp under the broiler later.
- The broiler step is the whole point. Braising softens skin no matter how well you seared it. Two to 3 minutes under a high broiler brings it back. Don't walk away.
- Cook to 175°F, not 165°F. Dark meat needs the extra degrees for the connective tissue to break down. It's the difference between chewy and tender.
- Leave the garlic whole. Minced garlic burns during the sear. Whole cloves go soft and sweet over the full cook and are lovely eaten straight from the sauce.
- Lift the lemon pieces out before serving. The pith turns bitter with long cooking.
- Season lightly at the start. A cup of kalamata olives brings a lot of salt. Taste the sauce before adding more.
- Use a 12 inch skillet. Eight thighs crowded into a smaller pan will steam instead of searing.
- No wine? Chicken broth works in equal measure. Add an extra squeeze of lemon to make up the acidity.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
