Here’s an easy, delicious, weeknight dinner. Make sure to use skin-on thighs—skinless thighs will not be fatty enough and will dry out during baking (skinless breasts are also not recommended, for the same reason).
Zesty Vinegar Chicken with Crushed Green Olives
Yield: 4 servings / 694 calories, 51g fat, 48g protein, 3g net carbs
3 pounds skin-on chicken thighs (2 per person)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1/2—2 teaspoons Aleppo Turkish crushed chili peppers (I use 2 tsp—very spicy)
Salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup good quality champagne vinegar (I use prosecco vinegar)
Olive Dressing
1-1/2 cups pitted green Castelvetrano olives, crushed
1/4 cup capers
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water or organic chicken broth
Garnish
1 lemon, juiced and zested
Chopped parsley
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with turmeric, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, crushed pepper flakes (if using), salt and pepper, flipping a few times to get the goodies on both sides.
Make sure chicken is skin-side up, then pour vinegar around chicken and place in the oven.
Bake chicken, without flipping, until cooked through and deeply browned all over, and until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, 1-2 hours. Check every half hour, and if the chicken seems a bit dry on top, spoon some juices over.
Meanwhile, make the olive dressing—Combine olives, capers, smoked paprika, 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons water (or chicken stock) in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Once chicken is cooked, add a few minutes under the broiler, if needed, to crisp it up (alternatively, you can change the last ten minutes of baking to convection). Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer chicken to a large serving platter, leaving behind any of the juices and bits stuck to the pan.
Make sure the baking sheet is on a sturdy surface (the stovetop, a counter), then pour the olive mixture onto the sheet pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently scrape up all the bits the chicken left behind, letting the olive mixture mingle with the rendered fat to become increasingly saucy.
Alternatively, you can also add 8 ounces of plain tomato sauce to the last step, which is nice if serving over pasta or rice.
Pour olive mixture over the chicken, sprinkle with lemon juice, zest, and parsley.
Serve with quick mashed cauliflower.