Creating a meal in one pan is a delicate dance involving cooking time, temperature, and flavor. One you master that dance, you’ll see that you can customize/improvise a bit. Plus, doing as few dishes as possible is a joyful feeling.
Chicken thighs are certainly the juiciest and most flavorful part of the chicken, but they also take the longest to cook. Trimming the thighs and searing the skin before roasting speeds up the cooking, and allows the excess skin fat to render – meaning you won’t have that fat collecting in your skillet later.
Adding cilantro stems to the dressing and reserving the leaves for garnish means extra-fresh cilantro flavor without any wilted green leaves. Stems stand up to high heat better than their leafy counterparts. This would work well with any tender-stemmed herb. If a heartier herb is preferred (oregano is an awesome swap out!), skip the stems and add all of the herbs to the dressing.
Ingredients
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Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1/4 c. Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1/2 tsp. lime zest
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, stems reserved
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved if large
- 1 shallot, peeled and quartered
- 1 1/2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 thighs, 6 ounces each)
- 1 small sweet potato, about 7 oz, cut into ½” cubes 1 small
- 1 jalapeño pepper, halved lengthwise, cut into ½” semi circles
-
Kosher salt
-
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
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- Step 1Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 425°.
- Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk until combined honey, Dijon, garlic, lime zest, 1 tablespoon of cilantro stems, and 1 teaspoon of oil. Transfer half of the dressing to a separate small bowl. (This will be used for the chicken).
- Step 3Add the Brussels sprouts, shallots, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the remaining dressing in the medium bowl and toss together so everything is coated.
- Step 4Place each chicken thigh skin-side down on a cutting board, making sure to unfold the excess flaps of skin. Trim the extra skin from around the edge of the meat so that it only hangs over about ½”. Thoroughly pat each piece dry with a paper towel, and season each piece on both sides with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Step 5In a large cast iron pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Place the thighs skin-side down, and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, rotate each piece to ensure the fat is evenly rendered from the skin, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. (The skin should be a deep golden brown.) Transfer the chicken to a plate. Drain the fat from the pan and wipe clean.
- Step 6In a small bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, jalapeños, and remaining teaspoon of oil. Season with a few pinches of salt, and pepper.
- Step 7Return the pan to medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil until it shimmers.
- Step 8Arrange the vegetables in the pan so that the Brussels sprouts are face down around the outside edge. Next, create a ring of the sweet potatoes and jalapeño. Finally, arrange shallots, cut-side down, in the center. Place the chicken thighs on top of the sweet potatoes, jalapeño, and shallots, skin side up. Avoid covering the outer layer of Brussels sprouts to help keep them from steaming and getting too mushy.
- Step 9Transfer the pan to the oven, and roast for 15 minutes,. The Brussels sprouts should have a deep brown coloring on their cut surface. Remove pan from the oven and brush the tops of the chicken thighs with remaining dressing. (For extra crispy skin, brush the marinade on the underside of each piece of chicken instead of on top.) Roast for an additional 5 minutes, remove from the oven, and top with chopped cilantro.
