Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 2

Place a 12-inch ovenproof skillet on the stovetop. Transfer chicken thighs to the cold skillet, skin side down, and heat the skillet over medium. It's important not to crowd the skillet here, or else the chicken will not brown properly. If your skillet is smaller or you're cooking more chicken thighs, work in batches. Cook the chicken until it's opaque around the edges and the skin is deeply golden brown, 12–14 minutes. Check the undersides of the chicken every so often to make sure they’re not getting too browned. Transfer skin side up to a plate.

Step 3

In the now-empty skillet, add the sliced lemon, onion, and garlic. Season with 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion just begins to soften and brown, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Season with another 1/2 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper and give the mixture another stir. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then remove skillet from heat.

Step 4

Arrange the chicken, skin side up, over tomato/onion mixture, tucking it in slightly but keeping the skin uncovered.

Step 5

Transfer skillet to the oven and roast until chicken thighs are cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part near the bone should register 165°F), juices run clear, and vegetables begin to caramelize around the edges of the pan, 12–15 minutes. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Step 6

Sprinkle everything with the fresh herbs. Serve with toasted bread to sop up all of those crazy-good juices.