The 4-Ingredient Chicken Dinner I’m Making All Autumn Long

This one-pot recipe couldn’t be easier to make, and the chicken gets incredibly crispy. You just need four ingredients: chicken thighs, zucchini, shallots, and garlic.

Oct 21, 2024 - 16:00

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The 4-Ingredient Chicken Dinner I’m Making All Autumn Long

crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots in a dutch oven — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

All you need for a delicious dinner is one pot and four ingredients, plus a little oil and a little salt and pepper. Featuring meltingly tender zucchini and shallots flavored by garlic-infused schmaltz and incredibly crispy chicken thighs, it’s a surprisingly delicious dish for such a humble ingredient list.

2 Quick Tips for Making This Recipe

Don’t skip salting the zucchini. Salting and draining the zucchini releases some of its moisture so it can brown better in the skillet. It also prevents the excess water from sogging up the rest of the dish and adds flavor to the veggies. Bonus: the 10-minute process happens in the background while you crisp the chicken thighs on the stovetop.
For the crispiest chicken, use medium heat. For incredibly crispy and delicious chicken thighs, don’t crank up the heat—medium is where it’s at. The long cook time helps to render out the fat more evenly, yielding crispy goodness.

Easy Recipe Variations

If you’re swimming in summer squash, you can use a mix of zucchini and yellow squash.
You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They won’t take as long to brown and you won’t get the deliciously crispy skin.
Give the dish a final flourish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or a drizzle of hot honey.

serving of crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots on a plate at a table serving with a dutch oven (with more chicken), a glass of water, and utensils on a kitchen napkin — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

More Easy Chicken Dinners

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Salt the zucchini:

Toss the zucchini rounds with 1 teaspoon of the salt in a colander placed over a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then pat dry with paper towels.

salted zucchini slices in a colander for crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

sliced and salted zucchini patted dry on paper towels for crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Meanwhile, brown the chicken:

While the zucchini drains, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with the pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.

Heat a 12-inch ovenproof or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the skillet and carefully swirl to coat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook undisturbed until the skin is browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.

Flip the chicken thighs and cook until the bottom side is browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken from the skillet to a plate (the chicken will not be fully cooked).

seasoned chicken thighs on a plate for crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

chicken thighs pan-seared in a dutch oven for crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Cook the vegetables:

Add the shallots, cut side down, to the hot skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Add the dried zucchini, garlic, and thyme sprigs, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

shallots pan-roasted in the dutch oven (after chicken is removed) for crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

pan-fried zucchini in the dutch oven (after shallots are removed) for crispy chicken thighs with zucchini and shallots recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Will Dickey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Bake and serve:

Remove from the heat and place the chicken thighs on top of the zucchini mixture, skin-side-up.

Bake in the preheated oven until the zucchini is tender and a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thighs registers 170°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Garnish with thyme leaves.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To re-crisp the chicken, heat it in an air fryer at 300°F for 5 minutes.

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