I love chicken, and I reeeeeally love it with ripe farmers’ market tomatoes, but I always used to cook the latter down to create a braise-y situation until I came upon this method. This take is faster, fresher, and even more delicious—there’s just something about the chicken juice dripping down and mingling with those chunks of tangy, just-sweet-enough tomatoes. I can’t believe that I’ve lived without this recipe for so long; now I’ll be cooking it on repeat to make up for lost time.—Andy Baraghani
Step 1
Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 450°. Cut lemon in half. Thinly slice one half into rounds and remove seeds; set other half aside for sauce.
Step 2
Whisk garlic, 2 tsp. chopped oregano, and ⅓ cup oil in a large bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and transfer to bowl; add onions and lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Step 3
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook chicken (leave onion and lemon behind in bowl), skin side down, until deep golden brown and crisp, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a plate (chicken won’t be cooked through yet).
Step 4
Cook onions and lemon slices in the same pan, turning occasionally, until onions have taken on some color and lemon slices have shriveled slightly, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Arrange chicken in pan, skin side up; transfer pan to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through and onions are softened but still hold their shape, 16–20 minutes.
Step 6
Meanwhile, stir yogurt, feta, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl to combine. Squeeze in juice from reserved lemon half and add 2 Tbsp. water; mix well. Season feta sauce with salt.
Step 7
Arrange tomatoes on a platter; season with salt. Using tongs, arrange chicken, onions, and lemon slices on top. Pour any pan juices over and top with oregano leaves. Serve with feta sauce alongside
