Grilled Chicken with Corn and Zucchini Succotash

Succotash gets a bad reputation from decades of frozen-vegetable versions, but a fresh one made with July corn, zucchini, and green beans is one of the best ways to use a big farmers market haul in a single skillet. Paired with grilled chicken thighs, it’s a full dinner that comes together in about 40 minutes.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 1.5 lbs boneless)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper

For the succotash:

• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium zucchini or summer squash, diced
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and toss with olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Let sit at room temperature while you prep the vegetables, or up to 2 hours in the fridge.
2. Heat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high. Grill the chicken thighs skin-side down first, about 6-7 minutes, then flip and cook another 6-8 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
3. While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes until softened.
4. Add the green beans first, since they take longest — cook 4 minutes. Then add the corn and zucchini and cook another 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender but still has some bite.
5. Off the heat, stir in the basil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the chicken over the succotash, spooning any pan juices from the chicken over the top.

Tips or Variations

• No grill available? Sear the chicken thighs in a cast-iron skillet, 6-7 minutes per side, then finish in a 400°F oven for 5-10 minutes if using bone-in pieces.
• Cherry tomatoes, halved and stirred in at the very end, are a great addition if you have them on hand.
• Leftover succotash keeps for 3 days and is excellent cold, spooned over greens with a fried egg on top for breakfast.

Where to Find the Ingredients

For pastured chicken, Whitney Farmstead raises pastured chicken along with grass-fed beef and lamb. For the corn, zucchini, and green beans, nearly every diversified vegetable grower in the area has them in rotation this time of year: Tantre Farm, Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Jacob’s Fresh Farm, Blue Spring Farm, Green Things Farm Collective, Old City Acres, Slow Farm Organic, Fusilier Family Farms, and Seva Farm are all good bets, along with Kapnick Orchards if you’re already headed toward Britton. Argus Farm Stop restocks daily from more than 200 Michigan farms, so it’s a reliable one-stop option if you’re short on time.

If you’re in a CSA with any of these farms, this is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket for the week corn, zucchini, and green beans all show up in the same box. Browse the full farms and markets directories to find your nearest source.