Italian Chicken Skillet Dinner

This Italian Chicken Skillet Dinner is a one pan meal that everyone in your family will love! It’s flavorful, unique, and delicious.

If I had my way, everything that came out of my kitchen would be some sort of pastry, cake, or cookie.  If I had my way, every meal would be dessert and involve some kind of chocolate or berry.  But occasionally (read:every few hours) the other people who live at my house demand “real” food of me.  And if I’m being honest, I’m probably the neediest right after the three year old.  He definitely inherited hangry from me.

And while I do enjoy cooking, I don’t have hours to devote to dinner every day once the small humans are kept alive, laundry is done, and the house doesn’t look like a Kansas tornado has torn through it.  But if we’re being real, the last two have been optional before. 

Enter one pan meals like this Italian Chicken Skillet Dinner– simple yet tasty, warm and filling but not heavy, and, if we’re lucky that day, toddler approved.  I love chicken thighs because it’s virtually impossible to make them dry and flavorless even with just a little salt, pepper, and garlic.  Not to mention, it’s pretty much a two dish meal which makes for simple cleanup, the other hallmark of family-friendly weeknight cooking.

How to Make Italian Chicken Skillet Dinner

• Begin by preheating your oven to 400°.
• Remove any excess fat from your chicken thighs, then pat them dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper on both sides. Chop the tomatoes, prepare your fresh herbs and garlic, and measure out the lemon juice, wine, and broth.
• Heat the olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat until it’s very hot. The oil will run quickly across the pan when you tilt it, and will look thinner. Add the chicken thighs to the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it looks golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side until it’s also ready, then remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• With the pan still hot, slowly pour the white wine into it while stirring/scraping your pan with a wooden spoon. This is called deglazing the pan and should remove the small brown bits of chicken that cooked onto the pan. It adds a lot of flavor to your dish and prevents scorching.
• AFter the bottom of the skillet has been scraped, add in the garlic and herbs and cook until aromatic. Add in the cous cous, chicken broth, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Give it a quick stir, then nestle the chicken thighs into the liquid and couscous and place a lid over the top.
• Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until you can fluff the couscous with a fork and the chicken measures at least 155° on an internal thermometer.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes:

• If you don’t have an internal thermometer, pierce the chicken with a fork to check if it’s done. If the juices that come out where you poked it are clear and not pink or cloudy, the chicken is ready.
• Any kind of tomato will work, but something with lots of flavor like a compari tomato, or heirloom tomatoes will give you a tastier finished dish.
• A cast iron skillet will work the best for a dish like this, and I absolutely love my Le Creuset 11 3/4″ skillet. But any large frying pan will work well!

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