25-minute skillet lemon chicken

This is the kind of dinner that starts with what is already in the fridge. Chicken thighs brown in a hot pan, lemon and garlic go into the drippings, and capers make the sauce taste finished without a long simmer.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken thighs
• 2 lemons
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 bunch parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Rice or a handful of spinach on the side is optional. The grocery list in PantryZero will only ask for what your pantry is missing.

Method

1. Pat the thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Brown the chicken, skin-side down first, until deep gold, about 6 minutes per side. Set it aside on a plate.
3. Lower the heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Squeeze in both lemons, scrape up the browned bits, and stir in the capers.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it in the sauce. Simmer until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Chop the parsley, shower it over the top, and serve with the pan sauce.

Why it works in PantryZero

The matching engine scores this against your inventory. Salt, pepper, and olive oil count as staples, so they do not block a "make tonight" match. Lemon, capers, and parsley are the usual gap, which is exactly what should land on the grocery list.