Skillet Chicken With White Beans and Caramelized Lemon Recipe (2024)

So. Had high expectations, which were not really met. Kind of bitter, and not particularly interesting. For the snarks out there, I of course used dried yak instead of chicken thighs, bananas instead of shallots and lawn clippings instead of kale. Nonetheless, it was not a favorite.

Should the beans be drained and rinsed before adding them to the skillet?

Use Jacques Pepin's trick and make a shallow cut on either side of each thigh's bone to help them cook just a bit quicker.

"Using it to caramelize thick slices of lemon" First ingredient:1 lemon, thinly sliced. Which is it?

Everyone's comments really helped this dish! Round-up of the advice I'm glad I took: added fresh thyme to the lemon and shallot mix, doubled the amount of shallots (and beans), after browning (10 minutes) finished the chicken at 350 in the oven (25 minutes till cooked), threw a healthy pinch of red chile flakes in with the lemon and shallots, added a splash of white wine before the kale, used baby kale so it would cook fast, added beans last. Not a drop left.

If your chicken thighs are on the larger side (ie, 4 making up 2.5 lbs) your cooking time will be much longer. I made this tonight and the skin-down side was about right (I probably left for about 10 minutes) but had the chicken flipped on the other side for closer to 25.

This should work beautifully with preserved lemon, as well, especially if you do decide to go spicy and put in that tablespoon of harissa (or teaspoon of chipotle pepper for those of us on the Left Coast) and yes JK, I would drain the beans. I might even mash some of them for better fat absorption.

This adds more time , but preheat oven to 425 degrees before starting the recipe. After sautéing chicken skin side down first, flip each piece over, sauté 2-3 more minutes and then stick the chicken, still in the skillet, in oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and juices run clear. Remove skillet with chicken from oven, set chicken on plate, drain all oil but 1 T of oil from skillet, add a couple of smashed garlic cloves, sauté over medium heat for 1 minute, then follow rest of recipe

Yes, yes, yes!

This recipe doesn't allow for enough time to cook the kale. I used some very fresh kale from the farmer's market and it still took a LONG time to cook. By that time, the beans were mushy. It would make much more sense to saute the kale first and then add the beans since they're canned.

Are the cooking times really sufficient to fully cook bone-in chicken thighs? The times given seem enough to go a bit beyond browning the chicken, but whenever I've cooked chicken on stove-top, it's taken a lot longer than the 12-18 minutes of total cooking time specified here in Step 2.

I blanched the lemon and shallots with a dry white while they were cooking in the chicken fat and it turned out pretty delish. It was a gut reaction while trying to carefully follow the instructions with a drink in hand, but no regrets!

This recipe is a keeper. I read the reviews and made a few changes -- I lined a 9x9 pan with fresh spinach and topped with the very well browned chicken thighs. Then I prepared the lemon/shallot/beans as directed and poured that with nice oil/juices over the chicken. I baked it at 350 for about 20 minutes -- I knew from the size of the thighs that the dish would need more cooking. It came out moist and flavorful.

Yes. And dry the beans in a towel after draining and rinsing so they don’t spatter when you put them in the chicken fat.

In response to all the comments on cooking time, simply invest in and use an instant read thermometer. I've been cooking for over 50 years and I still depend on it. I do wish the food writers would make this point with their recipes.I have cooked this recipe (and variations) many times. I do favor preserved lemon but it isn't absolutely necessary. Do rinse preserved lemon (to lessen the salt & sugar) and pat dry before using.

Used chard instead of kale (because we had it). Terrific recipe.

Resist, resist, resist the urge to check/flip the chicken too soon.

Double shallots. Double beans. Finish thighs in oven at 350 after browning. Splash of white before greens (I used collards, because I had them, they worked but were a little tough given cook time, but I expected that). Beans LAST unless you want mush.

This was inedible and bitter. One of the only times in my life that I’ve had to throw an entire meal into the trash. I caramelized the lemon slices and shallots until they were beautifully golden, even added extra sugar. Tasted as I went and it was still totally unsalvageable at the end. I should have listened to the other commenters and passed on this one!

Excellent flavors but I would try it again with thighs instead of breasts. The breasts didn’t cook sufficiently on the stovetop and then all the fat rendered in the oven.

I made this with chickpeas — added a splash of white wine, 2 sliced garlic cloves & 1 date. I found the date and really caramelizing the lemon and shallot helped cut down on any bitterness. A delicious & light dinner!

Some notes: It shouldn’t come out bitter if you caramelize the lemon - cook them longer. Use chard which cooks faster or cut the kale small and put it in sooner. Most canned beans will cook apart if you try to brown them with other things - try drying them more and browning separately in oil or skip it. Pay more attention to the descriptions than the cooking times and of course add any spices, wine, etc. you like then enjoy! We like more shallot and use capers or olives & herbs to finish.

I didn't love it...Lemon tasted bitter.

I cooked the chicken in a Dutch oven until the skin was brown, flipped and cooked for 2 minutes. Remove the chicken , add the shallot and lemon mix until soft then deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine and chicken stock. Add kale and stir until it softens a bit, stir in beans and add the chicken back in skin side up. Bake on 425 uncovered for ~15 minutes - came out delish. Next time I will add some chipotle or red pepper flakes and a pinch of sugar to the lemon shallot mix.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but had high hopes given the 5 stars. Alas, not a favorite of ours… my comments are similar to nearly all others here. Strange flavor, weirdly bitter and salty, and the chicken simply was not cooked in the timeframe given. We had to put it back on even after we plated and cut into it. Beans mushy, chicken underdone and under seasoned, an overall disappointing dinner.

Great flavour, chicken needs to be put in the oven for some 10-20 minutes after browning in the pan. More vegetables: extra chalot and more greens.

I have made this recipe a few times, at least once to a t and others with variations. It’s a favorite. I usually cook the chicken a little longer. White wine was a great addition.

Delicious recipe, I would add another whole can of beans to make a good ratio between everything. We used half a red onion instead of shallot and that was a great choice, possibly better than just a shallot.

I made this in an Airbnb working with what was there and what I could pick up at the corner store, which only had skinless, boneless thighs, and no kale, only baby spinach. The black pepper in the cupboard was pre ground and probably ancient and tasteless, so I substituted smoked paprika that someone had left, which worked very well—I’ll do it again if I make the dish, which I probably will. Even with the substitutions it was a very nice, quick one-pot meal.

I made it with what I had in the freezer and fridge and that was chicken breasts, I also had leftover cans of black beans and canelli's so put that in the mix. I didn't put the kale in because I don't like kale. I used yellow onions and lemons and it was very delicious! I will definitely make it again, thank you!!