One-Skillet Chicken Thighs with Pesto and Vegetables

Step 1
Combine red onion, oil, soy sauce, basil, vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns for marinade in a zip-top bag and mix well. Add chicken and massage well. Let sit for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator, flipping once halfway through.

Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove chicken from the refrigerator and discard marinade.

Step 3
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. (This will melt out most of the fat underneath and will leave a nice crispy skin.) Flip chicken and cook for 1 minute more. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

Step 4
Drain the extra fat and oil from the skillet, then melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter has melted, add red onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in green beans, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring throughout. Return chicken to the skillet.

Step 5
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes.

Step 6
Remove the skillet from the oven. Top chicken thighs with basil leaves, then halloumi cheese slices, making sure cheese does not touch the sides of the pan. Return to the oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the centers, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 7
Turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes more, checking frequently to prevent burning.

Step 8
Meanwhile, prepare pesto sauce: Combine olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a blender and blitz for 30 seconds. Add basil and blitz until it's the consistency of pesto, about 30 seconds.

Step 9
Drizzle the pesto sauce primary onto the chicken, but also on the veggies.