1In a large, oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until it becomes beautifully crispy.
2Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces and set them aside, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pan.
3Season both sides of the chicken thighs generously with salt and black pepper.
4Place them skin-side down in the hot bacon fat.
5Sear for 5–6 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crispy, then flip and sear the other side for another 3 minutes.
6Remove the chicken and set aside.
7Add the thick sweet onion wedges and smashed garlic cloves into the same skillet.
8Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions start to soften and brown around the edges.
9Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up all the savory browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
10Nestled the chicken thighs back into the skillet on top of the onions, skin-side up.
11Top the chicken with the crispy bacon pieces and scatter the fresh thyme sprigs all around.
12Transfer the skillet to a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) and bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
13Spoon the rich pan juices and caramelized onions over the chicken thighs and serve hot straight from the skillet.
Ingredients
4 Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 slices Thick-cut bacon, chopped into small pieces