I love chicken, and I reeeeeally love it with ripe farmers’ market tomatoes, but I always used to cook the latter down to create a braise-y situation until I came upon this method. This take is faster, fresher, and even more delicious—there’s just something about the chicken juice dripping down and mingling with those chunks of tangy, just-sweet-enough tomatoes. I can’t believe that I’ve lived without this recipe for so long; now I’ll be cooking it on repeat to make up for lost time.—Andy Baraghani
This recipe is part of Short Is Sweet, our collection of summer dishes that deliver a whole lot of deliciousness in 30 minutes or less.
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What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 Servings
1
6
2
⅓
2½
2
1
½
2
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 450°. Cut lemon in half. Thinly slice one half into rounds and remove seeds; set other half aside for sauce.
Step 2
Whisk garlic, 2 tsp. chopped oregano, and ⅓ cup oil in a large bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and transfer to bowl; add onions and lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Step 3
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook chicken (leave onion and lemon behind in bowl), skin side down, until deep golden brown and crisp, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a plate (chicken won’t be cooked through yet).
Step 4
Cook onions and lemon slices in the same pan, turning occasionally, until onions have taken on some color and lemon slices have shriveled slightly, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Arrange chicken in pan, skin side up; transfer pan to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through and onions are softened but still hold their shape, 16–20 minutes.
Step 6
Meanwhile, stir yogurt, feta, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl to combine. Squeeze in juice from reserved lemon half and add 2 Tbsp. water; mix well. Season feta sauce with salt.
Step 7
Arrange tomatoes on a platter; season with salt. Using tongs, arrange chicken, onions, and lemon slices on top. Pour any pan juices over and top with oregano leaves. Serve with feta sauce alongside.
Leave a Review
Reviews (56)
Back to TopGreat recipe! Next time I would probably cook the tomatoes with the chicken in the oven and serve over rice. I did like the hot and cold contrast but think I would prefer a sauce. I wasn't a fan of the feta sauce, I don't think it worked. Maybe just sprinkle with feta...
Anonymous
Fort Myers, FL
5/3/2022
Damn, this was good! Super flavorful, aesthetically pleasing, not too hard to make. I’m not sure the feta sauce is necessary— next time I might just sprinkle a little feta on top.
RB
Los Angeles, CA
2/16/2022
I usually don't write reviews, but I have to say this is one of my favorite meals to cook and eat. So So solid. Easy weeknight dinner. Clean and delicious
HW
Brooklyn, NY
8/24/2021
Had some very ripe field tomatoes from the farmers market that got bruised on the way home and was looking for a recipe to accommodate them, happy I stumbled across this one. This recipe has amazing flavour for something so simple, using fresh in-season tomatoes to soak up chicken juices is genius! Ate with pita which worked well to deliver perfect bites with feta sauce/tomato/onion/chicken.
NA
Toronto, ON
8/18/2021
This was great! Easy to prepare, and everyone loved it. I froze the leftovers and had them a few weeks later and they were excellent as well. Thanks,
Connie
Edgefield, SC
8/15/2021
Tried this as a recipe to use some of the tomatoes from my garden and just loved it! Serving the chicken and onions on the sliced tomatoes tasted amazing. The feta-yogurt sauce was good too, but I think it would be fine without if you don’t have the ingredients on hand.
Judy
Pennsylvania
8/2/2021
I always search for Andy’s recipes on BA because he is the best. None of his recipes ever disappoint me, and this one is no exception. He is a culinary genius, and this recipe is delicious. I am always looking for ways to use amazing in season tomatoes and this one is perfect. It is simple and really doesn’t even require a side. It is perfect by itself. Thank you, Andy!!
Savannah
Chattanooga, TN
7/22/2021
I think this is really good. Be sure the skin gets nice and crispy! I added about 5+ minutes in the oven cuz I dont like rare chicken thighs. Will be making this again
Lizo
Seattle
7/17/2021
Absolutely amazing!! As was mentioned already the flavor profile is amazing!!! Im not a fan of raw tomatoes - so I sliced them and put them in with the lemon and Onions. I think next time I make it (*mumbles* it'll 100% be a next time) I'll add some mushrooms; and find a perfect side dish to go with it and maybe some naan bread/pita. THANKS sooo much for this!! Its quite a high-end meal with basic food staples!!!
Erin
New York
7/16/2021
Tried this tonight while camping I the rain. Fantastic! I first read it as a cacciatore style cook, lol but anyhow was good as we have a convection oven microwave in the trailer. Awesome flavour. Served over rice. Not sure I felt comfortable cooking the marinating ingredients to eat them, but did it. Lol. Time will tell. Highly recommended and had a nice Greek flair. Although the feta sauce was missing something. Can’t put our finger on it. Will use the marinade for roast potatoes moving forward!
Lobster Poutime
Notl, canada
7/13/2021
Another Baraghani amazement! We had this last night, and this is an immediate heirloom recipe, a.k.a., absolutely on my rotation. The comical part of the dish however, was to see "California" guys feeling no pain at night, when ready to get this dish going. I used Carbon steel for the pan searing, and it was a hoot to see me completely focused on the dish, while my husband was freaking out and cleaning spattering oil as I calmly/methodically developed the most gorgeous sear. Once all went into the oven, our home again knew from peace....I had an epiphany last night that will take this dish to the next level of ease and ZERO mess, as there will be no pan searing. Below is the technique that I use for a fantastic "Cold Oven Chicken Thighs" dinner. It will be brilliant for the next time I make Andy's recipe. Below is for half of Andy's recipe. When ready to prepare, place the marinated ingredients into a 3 1/2 quart Le Creuset, and make sure that the thighs are arranged skin side up, on top of the ingredients. Cover the pot and place in a cold oven. Set the temp to 450° and immediately time for 30 minutes. Remove cover, and time for 15 additional minutes. Switch to broil setting, and carefully watch for the desired brown ness and crispy texture. This dish can sit for a while if desired, serving warm or even at room temperature. But serve piping hot if you want.
Jeff Winett
Sherman Oaks, California
7/13/2021
Loved this recipe. Served it on a bed of arugula and couscous. So simple and delicious, I will be making it again.
Anonymous
chicago
7/2/2021
Absolutely love this recipe. It has that hearty, garlicky roast chicken with the freshness of the tomatoes and yogurt dressing. I had to make some adjustments because I didn't have everything in my fridge or pantry. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, instead of bone-in — this flatter chicken fillet requires less time in the oven. I'd go with 12-15 mins, instead of 16-20mins. I ran out of yogurt so added some cream and more lemon juice for that sour finish. As I didn't have any feta, I used a tsp of anchovies (in oil) for a hint of umami without a fishy flavour. Will spring for better tomatoes next time I make this.
Anonymous
Singapore
6/21/2021
Wow! I just made this chicken with tomatoes for my wife and I for date night. I used chicken leg and thigh quarters, and kept them whole. I loved how everything came together. My wife commented, we've had all these ingredients at one time or another, but this combination of flavors is explosion. I used compari tomatoes and sliced them in half. I roasted them with the chicken, rather than serve them raw. I didn't have any Greek yogurt nor feta cheese, so I substituted 1 cup of cottage cheese and a tbs of parmesan cheese. I served it on a bed of sauteed broccoli seasoned with Goya Adobe . We loved it! Ate every bite. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks Andy. Great recipe.
John
Rhode Island
6/5/2021
This was a great recipe simple enough to highlight the quality of the tomatoes themselves. My tomatoes were slightly subpar despite looking great, so I added a bit of MSG to them. No regrets. I also used marjoram because I couldn’t find oregano and like it more anyways. I added about 3 tsp, and the intensity of the herbal smell when sautéing made me worried I’d added too much, but it was fine in the end. Also, I think the chicken greatly benefits from resting 10-15 minutes (perhaps in the pan to keep it warm). The onions end up very sweet, and the flavor of the lemon (pith included) is very mild after being cooked. Thanks again Andy.
Anonymous
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2021