Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Bacon

This is probably as close to a one-pot dish as I’m going to get [minus the slow cooker… but even then I struggle. Exhibit a) red wine braised short ribs]. As much as the sous chef would have loved for me to actually create a one-pot dish, I am obsessed with browning food first because, well, brown food = tasty food.

Let’s get real: no one wants to eat boiled chicken, amiright? If you grill chicken, sear chicken, I mean… even fry chicken, the coloration is hands down flavor. So as much as you can adapt this to become a one pot dish [bacon being the exception – because that 100% needs to be cooked separately], it’s still pretty easy exactly how it’s written.

I know, I know, you’re asking yourself what bacon has to do with Greek chicken [insert image of me frantically picking my brain for an excuse], but it doesn’t. It does, though, have everything to do with my passion for bacon. Or addiction. Semantics, if you ask me.

But let’s get down to the point here: this chicken is excellent. Now, if you can keep a secret [I require a pinky-promise], we used the marinade for the chicken as a sauce (#noshameinmygame). Ugh, I’m so predictable. But let me caveat that the marinade is also cooked with the chicken… in case any one immediately dismissed that idea considering it was only a marinade.

And my friends, the sous chef loved this. You get so much flavor from the marinade, from the vegetables, from everything. I didn’t even miss any cheese – and put some serious thought into topping it all with feta cheese. Because, um, it’s cheese. But, logic prevailed – the one and only reason being that the sous chef and I overindulged [… understatement] while in Mexico.

Let’s just say, I knew if I used both bacon and cheese in this after promising the sous chef ‘diet food’ – he wouldn’t have been a happy camper. And happy husband, happy life. So only bacon. 😉

Print Recipe

Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Bacon

This healthy, delicious [almost] one-pot dish is bursting with flavor, and full of vegetables!

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Passive Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes optional (for heat)
• 4 strips bacon chopped
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs trimmed (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 14 oz. cans artichoke hearts drained and halved
• 10 oz. grape tomatoes
• 8 oz. roasted red bell peppers sliced into strips
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Passive Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 shallot thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic minced 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes optional (for heat) 4 strips bacon chopped 8 bone-in chicken thighs trimmed (optional) salt and pepper to taste 2 14 oz. cans artichoke hearts drained and halved 10 oz. grape tomatoes 8 oz. roasted red bell peppers sliced into strips 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional) 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large ziploc bag, combine the chicken stock, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, oregano, parsley, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes, mixing well. Add the chicken thighs to the ziploc bag, and marinate for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours.
2. Once ready to prepare the chicken, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add your chopped bacon and saute until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the saute pan, discarding any excess fat. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and season the skin of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
5. Still over medium heat, sear the chicken thighs in the saute pan, skin-side down, for 4-6 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
6. In a large pyrex pan, add the artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and cooked bacon. Nestle the seared chicken thighs in between the vegetables. Pour the marinade atop the chicken and vegetables.
7. Roast the chicken and vegetable for 50 minutes.
8. Optional: If desired, remove the chicken and vegetables from the pyrex pan. Pour the chicken stock marinade into a sauce pan over medium heat. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan, and place in oven at 200 degrees to keep warm.
9. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. Slowly whisk the mixture into the sauce. Once thick, remove from heat. Serve the warm chicken and vegetables, topped with the thickened sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Our wine choice: the 2015 Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc. It's light and airy with floral and citrus notes, and just enough body to pair with these Greek chicken thighs. Cheers!

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