There are worse places to park a campervan than a cemetery car park near Almadén. The view was a field of almond trees in full blossom – spectacular, if you can appreciate it through streaming eyes and a nose that has entirely given up. May in Extremadura, hay fever in full swing, RidgeMonkey on the gas hob. One chicken thigh, whatever vegetables were in the van, and a squeeze of lemon. This one-pan Mediterranean chicken is the kind of meal that comes together in thirty minutes with minimal washing up — which, when you are living out of a van, is the only kind worth making.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 chicken thigh, bone in, skin on
• 150g potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• ½ onion, sliced
• ½ bell pepper, sliced
• 50g green beans, trimmed
• 50g cherry tomatoes, halved
• A handful of spinach
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of ¼ lemon

How to Make One-Pan Mediterranean Chicken in a RidgeMonkey

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the RidgeMonkey over medium heat. Add the potatoes, season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika, and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside.
2. Add ½ tbsp olive oil to the RidgeMonkey. Season the chicken thigh with salt, pepper and paprika. Place skin side down and cook for 6–7 minutes per side, pressing down occasionally, until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil and sauté the onion, pepper and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes for a further 2 minutes.
4. Return the potatoes and chicken to the pan. Sprinkle over the oregano and chilli flakes. Close the RidgeMonkey and cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Open the lid, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve — with crusty bread if you have it, a dollop of Greek yoghurt if you're feeling generous.

The almond blossom was genuinely beautiful. The hay fever was genuinely terrible. The chicken was genuinely good. If you enjoy RidgeMonkey cooking, try the RidgeMonkey BBQ chicken drumsticks — a different approach, same one-burner philosophy.

This one-pan Mediterranean chicken recipe is also part of my Campervan Cooking Recipes hub — the complete collection of recipes actually cooked on the road in Florie. It's also part of the Chicken Recipes hub — a complete collection of chicken and poultry recipes from Casa Adora and the road. For more van life recipes and travel tips, explore Vanlife in Spain: A Guide to Cooking and Travelling with Dogs. Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.