A No-Fuss Crispy Chicken Dinner Packed With Comfort and Flavor

There are nights when we all crave a meal that feels like a warm hug — something hearty, colorful, and deeply satisfying, but without the hassle of a complicated prep or a pile of dishes. For those evenings, this recipe for One-Skillet Crispy Chicken With Brothy Beans from Food 52  is the answer you’ve been looking for. It’s a dish that manages to deliver layers of flavor, gorgeous textures, and vibrant colors, all with minimal effort. The crispy chicken thighs boast golden, shatteringly crisp skin, while the hearty beans, tender kale, and juicy tomatoes simmer together in a fragrant, savory broth. It’s the kind of meal that instantly lifts your spirits and leaves you feeling nourished and content.

Ingredients:

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (approximately 1½ pounds)
  • 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (either homemade or from a 19-ounce can)
  • 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained of their juice
  • 4 cups packed kale, either curly or Tuscan variety
  • 1½ cups chicken stock (homemade or store-bought), plus a little more if needed
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon chile flakes, or to your taste
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
  • Zest from 1 lemon, finely grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Start by generously seasoning the chicken thighs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, lay the chicken thighs skin-side down. Let them cook undisturbed, allowing the fat to render and the skin to become deeply golden and deliciously crispy. This can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your stove. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, simply lower the heat slightly. Once the skin is crisped to perfection, transfer the chicken to a plate, making sure to leave the rendered fat behind in the skillet.
  2. Return the skillet to medium heat and toss in the finely chopped onion. Sauté the onion for about six minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This fond is packed with savory flavor and will enrich the broth beautifully. Stir in the minced garlic, crushed fennel seed, red chile flakes, and lemon zest, letting everything cook for another minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the chicken stock, kale, cannellini beans, and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the skillet, ensuring that the crispy skin remains exposed above the broth. Let everything simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when checked at the thickest point. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
  4. To serve, spoon a generous helping of the brothy beans and greens into shallow bowls. Top each serving with one of the crispy chicken thighs, either left whole for dramatic presentation or sliced into bite-sized pieces for easier eating. If you like, pair this dish with a chunk of crusty bread to soak up every last drop of the flavorful broth.

This One-Skillet Crispy Chicken With Brothy Beans is proof that you don’t need hours in the kitchen to create a deeply satisfying and elegant meal. The magic of this recipe lies in its simplicity: rich flavors develop naturally from the careful browning of chicken, aromatic sautéing, and gentle simmering. With just one skillet, a few pantry staples, and a handful of fresh ingredients, you can bring a restaurant-worthy dinner to your table any night of the week. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or someone you love, this dish is sure to be a repeat favorite.

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Seared Steak with Tomato Pesto and Baked Potatoes Recipe

A smoky, texture-rich, and flavorful restaurant-grade seared steak is closer than you think thanks to this outstanding recipe for Seared Steak with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Baked Potatoes from Food52.

Ingredients for Seared Steak Recipe

  • 2 1-1 ¼ inch-thick steaks (bone-in ribeye, T-bone, or porterhouse)
  • 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
  • 8 (or more) sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed
  • 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, divided
  • 8 ounces mushrooms (baby bella, oyster, or shiitake with stems removed)
  • ¼ cup of walnuts, toasted
  • 3 ½ cups of basil leaves, loosely-packed
  • 4 to 6 sprigs of rosemary
  • 4 to 6 sprigs of sage
  • 4 to 6 sprigs of thyme, tied with twine
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 6tablespoons of avocado oil, divided
  • ½ to ¾ cups of olive oil
  • Chopped chives, for serving
  • Crème fraîche, for serving
  • Pink peppercorns, freshly ground
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
  • Kosher salt

Directions for Seared Steak Recipe

  1. You’ll begin this recipe by preparing the steaks ahead of time, roughly 8 to 48 hours in advance. Arrange your 2 steaks atop a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the steaks dry with a couple paper towels to remove any excess oil. Season both sides with a few pinches of salt and freshly ground pink peppercorns. Place in the refrigerator uncovered for 8-48 hours.
  2. When you’re ready to cook, remove the steaks from the fridge and set them on the counter, letting them come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Arrange your potatoes onto a baking sheet, coat them with 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil, and season them with salt. Bake the potatoes for about 55 minutes, flipping them after 30 minutes. Continue cooking them until they are fork tender.
  3. While the potatoes bake, pulse your 3 cloves of garlic, basil, walnuts, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of your salt, and ½ teaspoon of your black pepper in a food processor. While the motor is still running, drizzle in ½ cup of the olive oil and continue to pulse for another 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and continue to pulse until it’s blended and the mixture is coarse. Taste, and add more tomatoes, if desired. If you’d prefer the mixture to be smoother, drizzle in an additional ¼ cup of oil and continue to pulse. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and taste for salt.
  4. Once you flip the potatoes after 30 minutes, you’ll warm the remaining ¼ cup of avocado oil in a 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the steaks, and weigh them down with another cast-iron skillet or cast-iron skillet weight. Cook while continuing to weigh the steaks down after you flip them, for about 4 minutes on each side, until both sides are browned. If your steaks have a fat cap, turn each steak and sear the fat side down for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the fat has rendered and is golden brown.
  5. Now it’s time to add your herb bundle, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and your remaining garlic to the steak bybasting the top. Continue to cook the steaks until your desired degree of “doneness.” Transfer the steaks to a wire rack or plate and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  6. While the steaks rest, reduce the heat to medium heat, cook the mushrooms, and toss them with the herbs and garlic, for about 5 to 7 minutes, just until the mushrooms are tender and golden. Season them with salt and black pepper.
  7. Cut open the potatoes, season them with salt and black pepper, and top each with 1 tablespoon of the butter, the crème fraîche, and chives. Spoon the pesto onto the steaks and serve with the cooked mushrooms and a baked potato on the side.
  8. Enjoy!

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Delicious Skillet Turkey Chili

Besides baking bread, quarantine cookies, and tacos becoming popular, habitual dishes to make and bake this past spring, many found comfort in perfecting the art of the hearty chili. One chef over at the Smitten Kitchen shared their experience with this skillet turkey chili recipe that will have your mouth watering and your table delighted.

This recipe is described as having “a more fitting yield for a weeknight” than it did in a previous incarnation. It also “adds ingredients in what” the chef considers to be “a better order, [and] only uses turkey and beans, the spices are more balanced, and by balanced, [they] mean, we no longer use 1/3 cup chili powder, thank heavens.” This chili recipe is perfect for that late February cold front, a quick weekday meal, or a hearty sunday afternoon slow-cook.

Ingredients for Skillet Chili

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped finely
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons of ground chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 pound of ground turkey
  • 1 15-ounce can of black or small red beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 lime

To Serve:

Skillet Chili Recipe

  • Begin by taking your large skillet (ideally one that is 11 to 12 inches in diameter) and heat it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in your olive oil, and let it warm up. Then, add your onion and cook it until it’s somewhat softened, about 4 minutes total. Add your garlic, salt, your first teaspoon of chile powder (maybe more, to taste), oregano, and cumin- cooking it all for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add your turkey next, and use your spatula to break it up and work the onion mixture through it. Cook until it’s all lightly brown at the edges and no pink remains, which is about 5 minutes total. Then, add your beans and tomatoes, refilling your empty tomato can with water, and set the can aside.
  • Bring the whole chili mixture to a simmer, and cook it for 25 to 30 minutes while stirring it regularly. Add the reserved can of water 1/3rd at a time whenever the mixture looks dry. Taste it for salt and spice, adjusting as needed and in accordance to your particular preference. The chef adds up to 2 additional teaspoons of a mild chili powder. If possible, allow your chilli to rest for 5 minutes off of the heat before serving, as it sets up the texture nicely. Finish it all off with juice of half a lime and any fixings you’d like.

Note: Chili Powder is a spice blend that’s intended for Tex-Mex chili, being made from ground chiles and dried hot peppers. Chili powders range a lot in heat, so anyone cooking ought to use their preferred level of heat when choosing a powder. Alternatively, or in addition (depending on preference) you can add 1 tablespoon puree from a can of chipotles en adobo to provide a powerful, flavorful kick when preparing this chile. For the turkey, the chef prefers a blend of both dark and light meat. Lastly, for the red pickled onions, a quick way to prepare it is to cut half of a small red onion into thin wedges, toss with juice from half a lime, two good pinches of salt, one pinch of sugar, and set it all aside while cooking the chili.

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