One Skillet Roasted Chicken with Peaches and Pesto Rice

Oh my gosh, this one skillet wonder is the bomb! I am not a huge fan of fruit combined with savory (ie. strawberry in salad), so I was a little wary of this one. But the flavor combos totally work! Thanks to Caroline Chambers, this recipe is worth a try. You and your family will love it!

One-skillet Roasted Chicken with Peaches and Pesto Rice

• Ingredients:

• 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs 

• Kosher salt and pepper

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cups white rice

• 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

• 1/4 cup pesto (store-bought!)

• Juice of 1 large lemon (2-3 tablespoons)

• 2 peaches, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

• 1/3 cup thinly sliced basil

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Warm an ovenproof skillet or saucepan over medium heat. I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.

Season 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the skillet. After 3 or 4 minutes, when chicken grease starts to pool up in the skillet, add 2 thinly sliced shallots and 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves around the chicken. Season with a pinch of salt. Use tongs to scooch them around to start sautéing them while the chicken cooks.

When the chicken skin is golden, flip it over and scooch it all to the outside rim of the skillet. If your skillet is totally full of chicken, remove one or two to make room to pour the rice in.

To the empty part of the skillet, pour in 1 1/2 cups white rice, 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 1/4 cup pesto, and the juice of 1 lemon. Use your tongs to evenly distribute the rice and liquid around the chicken. If you removed a chicken thigh, add it back to the skillet, smooshing it down into the rice and liquid.

Raise the stove heat to high to bring the stock to a boil, then turn off the heat. Place the peach slices over the rice, trying not to put them on top of the chicken so that the chicken skin can get nice and crispy.

Place the skillet on the center rack of the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Check your chicken and rice at the 25 minute mark. The chicken should be at least 160°F internally, and the rice should be tender (it might look hard on the surface where it was exposed to direct heat, so dig your spoon down in there to check!).

Garnish with 1/3 cup thinly sliced basil and 1/3 cup feta, and dig in!! Serve  chicken over pesto rice with lots of peaches, basil, and feta on top.

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