Crisp-skinned, pan-roasted chicken thighs finish tender and juicy with a golden brown crust.
The ragout is bright and savory — sweet cherry tomatoes, briny olives, and a touch of lemon.
Textures balance between silky tomato sauce, soft olives and the chicken’s crisp exterior.
Serve warm for weeknight dinners or casual weekend gatherings with rice or crusty bread.
Ingredients
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6, about 2–2.5 lb / 900–1100 g)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Olive oil (2 tbsp)
- Unsalted butter (1 tbsp)
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
- Shallot (1 medium, finely chopped)
- Cherry tomatoes (12 oz / 340 g, halved)
- Canned diced tomatoes (14 oz / 400 g)
- Kalamata olives (3/4 cup / 100 g, pitted, halved)
- Capers (1 tbsp, drained)
- Chicken stock or dry white wine (1/2 cup / 120 ml)
- Fresh thyme leaves (1 tbsp) or 1 tsp dried thyme
- Red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp, optional)
- Lemon juice (1 tbsp)
- Fresh parsley (2 tbsp, chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sear chicken thighs skin-side down until deeply golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more; transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add butter to the pan, then sauté shallot until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in cherry tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes, scraping brown bits from the pan. Pour in chicken stock or wine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add olives, capers, thyme and red pepper flakes. Simmer 5–7 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and tomatoes soften.
- Return chicken thighs to the skillet, skin-side up, nestling them into the ragout. Spoon some sauce over the meat, but keep the skin exposed.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and juices run clear.
- Remove from oven, squeeze lemon juice over the dish, and let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with rice, polenta or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Tips or Variations
- Swap bone-in thighs for boneless if preferred—reduce oven time by 5–8 minutes. Add a handful of baby spinach to the ragout at the end for extra greens.
