Skillet Rosemary Chicken

We had this meal with a simple side salad for dinner last night and we (kids & adults) all gobbled it up. My baby girls actually screamed for more chicken, so I definitely count that as a check in the "win" column. Best of all, this entire meal was basically done in one pan--the cast iron skillet. Okay, so I had to boil some potatoes in a different pot, but that was it! Clean up was pretty easy for this delish all-in-one dinner.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken
Adapted from: Food Network via the Minimally Invasive website

Ingredients:
3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 8 ounces each)
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet, place chicken over mushrooms and potatoes and drizzle with any marinade remaining in the bowl and the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.



The Result:
Um, hello crispy, tasty, chicken skin! I'm normally not a fan of skin, but oh my...this version was awesome. The potatoes and mushrooms were pretty phenomenal, as well. The lemon, garlic, and rosemary flavors all married together to make this dish soooooo yummy. It was just the right amount of tangy, garlicky, chicken-y goodness.