Name: Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Spinach and Beans
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, thighs, and wings), trimmed; 1½ teaspoons table salt , divided; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 1 shallot , finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves , sliced thin; ⅛ teaspoon pepper flakes; 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans , rinsed; ½ cup dry white wine; 1 pound (16 cups) baby spinach; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is the perfect way to use a whole chicken, butchered into 10 individual pieces. The chicken pieces cooked at similar rates, so the dark meat was perfectly cooked at the same time as the white meat. While the chicken rested, we cooked the spinach and beans with aromatics and wine to make a hearty braised mix that picked up the flavorful juices left from the chicken.

Before You Begin

You can start with a 4-pound chicken or use 3 pounds of mixed bone-in chicken pieces. The skillet may appear crowded at first; the chicken will shrink as it cooks. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Swirl oil evenly over surface of cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Place chicken, skin side down, in even layer in skillet and cook over medium heat until skin is crisp and well browned, 15 to 17 minutes.

Flip chicken and continue to cook until second side is well browned, breasts and wings register 160 degrees, and leg pieces register at least 175 degrees, 12 to 16 minutes longer, turning pieces as needed during last few minutes of cooking to ensure even cooking. Transfer each piece of chicken to plate once it reaches its target temperature and tent with aluminum foil.

Add shallot, garlic, pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat remaining in skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in beans and wine; bring to simmer; and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are just beginning to break down, about 5 minutes.

Mound half of spinach over beans and cook, covered, until spinach is mostly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, stir in remaining spinach and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, until spinach is fully wilted, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in lemon zest. Transfer bean mixture to bowls and drizzle with extra oil. Top with chicken and serve.