Ahh, One skillet dishes are my absolute favorite for 2 reasons: Less cleaning time and I really like having everything made in once dish. Currently, it’s cold, rainy, and windy in Seattle and it’s really making me miss the summer and all the summer flavors. During the summer, I was eating lots of quick and easy dishes, mainly salads or anything that involved basil or tomatoes. So, how do I turn a simple salad into a meal? well I added chicken thighs. At first I thought of using chicken breast, but ill be honest with you guys, I DO NOT like breasts, I grew up eating dark meat and i’ve always preferred it over breast. they’re more forgiving then breast are. you’re more than likely to overcook white meat than dark so again, this is why I cook with dark meat mostly.

So let’s talk about this dish, Seasoned chicken thighs seared until golden, with vine and cherry tomatoes, garlic and herbs. The chicken is finished with basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and more tomatoes. It’s simple, so pretty, made in just under thirty minutes……oh and its made in one dish. Perfect meal that makes you feel like its summertime again.

Here are the step by step details:

This is another cast iron recipe so it’s pretty simple. Ive been cranking out simple recipes.

First, youre going to prep the tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Quarter the bigger tomatoes and slice the smaller ones in half. this is what I did but of course you cut your tomatoes however you’d like. place the tomatoes in a bowl along with the garlic and the thyme. mix them altogether and let it sit until you’re ready to use it.

Next, is to prep the chicken—this is always going to be a debate but I personally clean my chicken, If you don’t thats all you but I clean it with lemon, apple cider vinegar and water. After you’ve cleaned ( or not) the chicken, Instead of just leaving it plain, you’re going to season it with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and rub some olive oil on it. you may think that this won’t make a difference in taste, but salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and olive oil go a long way. It makes the chicken more flavorful.

After seasoning the chicken, add it to an oiled cast iron skillet or an oven safe skillet and cook until golden on both sides—at this point, you’ll start preheating the oven. Remove the chicken from the pan, drizzle in a little more olive oil, add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes (on high) for a few minutes, you want to make sure that the garlic has become aromatic and slightly golden. Season with salt and pepper and then add in the chopped basil. after another minute of cooking, place the chicken thighs around the tomatoes (not on top) make sure that the chicken is touching the bottom of the skillet/cast iron.

When the chicken is ready for the oven, break apart the fresh mozzarella and add it all over. Place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes and when its ready, remove it from the oven and add more basil and flaky sea salt.

…..AND THAT’S ALL FOLKS! see, easy and quick.

Tips and how to serve:

The chicken is insanely delicious, think a little crispy, seasoned wonderfully and a little cheesy. To add extra flavor and a bit of a wow factor to this dish, I suggest adding some fresh or crispy prosciutto right on top of the chicken.

I served this chicken with a side of rice but you can serve it on top of pasta, quinoa, cauliflower rice opotatoes. Nothing that will take away from the chicken being the star of the meal.

This would be a great dinner option to entertain with as it practically cooks itself and comes out of the oven smelling wonderful and looking absolutely beautiful. You guys know I am all about presentation and I love cooking dishes that are naturally beautiful on their own. A simple garnish of fresh basil is all you need with this Dish so this is a major plus in my book and one that will be served often at the house!

If you make this recipe , be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys and of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!