There is something mighty comforting about a skillet of chicken thighs that asks so little and gives back so much. This kind of simple church-cookbook cooking has deep roots in Midwestern kitchens, where a few pantry staples, a trusty cast-iron pan, and a good hot oven could carry a family through harvest season without any fuss. With just five main ingredients, this Hawthorne-style skillet chicken comes out with crisp skin, rich pan juices, and that old-fashioned flavor that feels like it has been passed from one supper table to the next.
Serve these chicken thighs with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or fluffy rice to catch every bit of the savory skillet juices. A side of green beans, glazed carrots, or simple corn on the cob rounds things out nicely, and if you are feeding a hungry table, a pan of biscuits or thick slices of bread fit right in beside it.
Skillet 5-Ingredient Chicken Thighs Hawthorne
Servings: 6
Ingredients
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 packet dry onion soup mix, about 1 ounce
1 can cream of mushroom soup, 10.5 ounces
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season them all over with the black pepper.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and some of the fat has rendered. Turn and cook the second side for 3 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the cream of mushroom soup, water, and dry onion soup mix until smooth. Pour the mixture around and partly over the chicken in the skillet.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 175°F at the thickest part and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
5. Spoon some of the pan sauce over the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add a little herb flavor: If you like, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or poultry seasoning with the pepper. It gives the dish a little more depth without taking away its old-fashioned church-supper character.
For extra-crisp skin: Be sure to pat the chicken very dry before it hits the skillet, and do not rush the browning step. That good color in the pan is what gives the finished dish its handsome look and rich flavor.
Make it with pork chops: This same pantry-style sauce works nicely with thick bone-in pork chops. Brown them just as you would the chicken, then bake until tender.
Stretch the pan sauce: If you want more sauce for potatoes or noodles, add an extra 1/4 cup water before the skillet goes into the oven. Give it a stir around the edges so the sauce stays smooth and spoonable.
Use a different pan if needed: If your cast-iron skillet is not oven-safe on the handle or is too crowded, brown the chicken in batches and transfer everything to a 9x13-inch baking dish before baking.