Crispy Chicken Thighs with Jammy Basil Tomatoes & Orzo
Golden, rustic, melty: the one-pan dinner that carries me straight into fall
One of my favorite summer recipes is a cooked-down, jammy garlic cherry tomato pasta with sometimes sausage and burrata, but always with tons of good parm and basil. Cherry tomatoes are my favorite tomato, not only for their sweetness but for their ease: no straining, no draining, no chopping. Just perfect as they are.
A few weeks ago, I set out to make the timeless garlic-tomato-basil-pasta medley something meatier: a crispy chicken one-pan dinner, perfect for any night of the week.
I used to be intimidated by chicken thighs, but the joke was on me—they’re nearly impossible to mess up. A quick fry in hot oil gives you that crispy, golden skin, and from there, the oven does the rest. The dish also stars orzo, a truly underrated carb, with basil cutting through the richness with a fresh, cleansing note.
If you’re like me, you’re already thinking about fall (my friend Claire recently called me “seasonally sensitive”). But here in NYC, tomatoes are the most widely available (and therefore, affordable) in September. And in my kitchen, cooking down cherry tomatoes low and slow gives you a deep, rich, rustic flavor—just in time for fall.
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Jammy Basil Tomatoes & Orzo
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I love Snowdance Farm)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
6–8 garlic cloves, smashed (skins off)
1 cup orzo
2 ½ cups chicken stock (or water + bouillon)
2–3 tbsp good olive oil (I use Graza)
Salt & pepper
½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
Handful basil leaves
Dusting of good parm
Instructions
Turn your oven to 400°F.
Sear chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels to get the crispiest skin possible. Season with salt + pepper on both sides.
Heat a large, oven-safe skillet, Dutch oven, or braiser (my Le Creuset 5 qt is a workhorse here) over medium-high with a drizzle of olive oil. Place chicken skin-side down, 7–8 minutes until golden and crisp. Flip, sear 2–3 minutes more. Remove chicken to a plate.
Build the base: In the same pan, add cherry tomatoes and garlic. Let blister for 2–3 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Move tomatoes to one side of the pan. On the other side, stir in orzo and drizzle with olive oil. Toast 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan. Nestle chicken thighs (skin side up) on top.
Transfer pan to a 400°F oven, uncovered. Bake 20–25 minutes, until chicken reaches 165°F and orzo is tender and creamy (stir once halfway if you like it extra saucy).
Remove from oven, stir some torn basil into the orzo, scatter more basil over top before serving, then finish with some freshly grated parm.
That’s all for today—and I’ll see you Wednesday for the first note on style/wardrobe.
