All High Fives with These Crispy Thighs
My friend Mari told me many years ago, her best kept secret to cooking success. She said “learn just a few good recipes, and do them very well”. I think, if you’re not into doing too much cooking and like to keep it simple, here’s the dish to add to your cooking repertoire. All you have to master is the pan.
We are completely obsessed with chicken thighs around here! What were we missing all these years???! Don’t let that happen to you! There’s nothing more delicious, than perfectly cooked, Crispy Chicken Thighs Seared in Cast Iron. It’s super simple and you can’t imagine how positively over the top delish it is. The ingredients? There are only 3, maybe 4 if you want to get super fancy!
This recipe is a win, win, win. Chicken thighs are super affordable. They are super resilient, it’s hard to over cook them and they taste so good with so little effort. Trust me, if you’re not into elaborate cooking, but want to make something so good your friends and family will be amazed, this is the recipe for you. Pair it with simple sides like roasted potatoes or rice or a great big salad and you’re done and done. By the way, have you heard? Thighs are totally in right now! For another delicious take on chicken, try my recipe for Buttermilk Unfried Chicken with Not Mashed Potatoes. Here’s a link: https://wp.me/p9KEfL-1t8
Crispy Chicken Thighs In Cast Iron
Take 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs out of the package, rinse then pat completely dry. Set them onto a plate, skin side up and salt and pepper generously.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 12″ cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Place the chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. If you like, add a sprig of fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme at this point. The herbs will subtly flavor the chicken.
Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the herbs from the pan.
Transfer skillet to oven and cook 15 more minutes.
Remove from the oven, then transfer to a platter and let rest about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Chicken Thighs in Cast Iron for Perfectly Crispy Skin, Moist Meat
Ingredients
- 4-6 Chicken Thighs (1-2 per person) skin on, bone in
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable
- salt/pepper
- Optional: Fresh sprig of herbs, such as thyme or rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°
- Rinse, then pat dry the thighs. Season chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes.
- Add a sprig of fresh herbs, if using.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the sprig of herbs and discard.
- Transfer skillet to oven and cook 15 more minutes for large thighs, 12 for smaller thighs.
- Place chicken thighs on a platter and let rest about 5-10 minutes before serving.
