Almost anything can star in this type of meal, from beef and pork to beans and shrimp. Chicken is especially well-suited to skillet cooking, thanks to its versatility and quick-cooking nature. Here are some recipes from our archives, most of which require only the one pan.
Honey-Citrus Chicken Thighs, above. This Ann Maloney original features juicy thighs draped in a sauce enriched by the rendered chicken fat and perked up with orange juice, lemon slices and red onion. Orange Pecan Chicken also uses fresh juice, but paired with lightly breaded boneless, skinless breasts. If lemon is more your thing, have a look at Lemon Rosemary Chicken Skilletwhich features a creamy nondairy sauce.
Chicken Saute With Tomatoes, Pancetta and a Kiss of Vinegar. Now’s the time to pull out that nice vinegar you haven’t known what to do with. It combines with canned diced tomatoes for a stovetop braise bulked up with carrots, celery and fennel.
Antipasto Chicken Skillet. Ellie Krieger encourages you to capitalize on the verve of vinegar when pulling together all those partially used containers of jarred vegetables in this bright dish made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Ellie’s Basil Cream-Spinach Chicken Skillet is another one-pan wonder, featuring the handy, nutritious shortcut of frozen spinach.
Chipotle Mayo Brick Chicken. Chicken under a brick gets a new look in this vibrant, extra-crispy dinner. It’s worth taking out that second pot to make the rice and broccoli, so you can pop them back into the skillet for a built-in side cooked in the chicken fat.
masala chicken. You need only a half-hour to put together this popular recipe from cookbook author and “Great British Baking Show” fan favorite Chetna Makan. One reader’s testimonial: “This was a big hit for dinner tonight. … It looked just like the photo. Yum.” For the best texture, it’s definitely worth getting chickpea flour, which is at international and Indian markets, as well as at well-stocked grocery stores from brands including Bob’s Red Mill.
Mosca’s Chicken a la Grande. Let’s hand this over to Ann to describe so enticingly: “Chicken pieces are doused in white wine, generously seasoned with salt and pepper and pan-fried in olive oil until golden brown. Then, in go 10 cloves of smashed garlic and 1 tablespoon each of dried rosemary and oregano. The whole thing is covered and simmered until the chicken is tender. That is it.”
Chicken With Apricots and Pistachios. You’ll want to make sure you have rice or bread on hand to get every last drop of the rich onion-and-apricot flavored sauce. The recipe from cookbook author Claudia Roden was inspired by a 13th-century Arab culinary manual.
