Have you been wondering how to make perfectly crispy chicken thighs like you might find in a nice restaurant? This step-by-step recipe includes all the details you need to know to make the best bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with PERFECT CRISPY SKIN and minimal effort!
The best chicken thighs have a golden brown, light, crispy skin that crisps up like a good breading. These chicken thighs have a light and crispy skin covering tender, juicy meat! I walk you through how to make these step-by-step, so you can make your own mouthwatering, crispy chicken thighs at home!
If you think crispy chicken thighs are hard to cook, trust me, you can do this—it's easier than you think and only requires a few simple steps.
So let's get cooking!
⭐ Why You'll Love These Crispy Chicken Thighs
- Easy-to-follow, no-fuss recipe.
- No marinating required.
- Just one pan needed!
- Ready in under 30 minutes.
- Only 4 ingredients! (plus 2 optional, if you want to elevate this dish.)
🍳 Equipment You'll Need
🍗 Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken thighs, about 1.75 pounds, bone-in, skin-on.
- Olive oil or avocado oil to season and sear chicken.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
- Fresh herbs to finish the dish (optional). I add hardy herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage to the pot right after the chicken comes out of the oven to add an herbal aroma to the chicken, and it looks pretty too!
INGREDIENT TIP: For this recipe, use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Using bone-in thighs will add more flavor to the meat and help keep it tender without overcooking.
🧂 Prepare to Cook
Step 1: Dry the chicken thighs well
Add the chicken to a plate, using a clean paper towel, and pat all the sides of the chicken thighs dry. This is the SECRET to making CRISPY CHICKEN SKIN—no baking powder or cornstarch is needed! Any moisture left on the skin will prevent the skin from crisping up.
SAFETY TIP: Be sure to throw the paper towel away, wash the plate and your hands well after touching raw chicken, and do so BEFORE the next step to prevent any cross-contamination.
Step 2: Season
Season BOTH SIDES of the chicken thighs. Drizzle with a little olive or avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Use tongs to turn the chicken thighs to prevent touching the raw chicken with your hands.
Can I use marinated chicken thighs?
Yes, you can use marinated chicken thighs, just be sure to dry them well.. Remember, dry skin is the key to crispy skin!
👩🏻🍳 Cook
Step 3: Preheat the Oven
Preheat to 425°F and position a rack in the center of your oven. You want the oven to be hot and ready when you're ready to bake the chicken, so the meat stays nice and tender.
Step 4: Preheat the Skillet (Make Sure It's Hot)
Heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil in the cast iron pan and set it over medium heat, maybe just a touch higher than medium heat.
Don't add the chicken to a cold pan; you'll end up with tough chicken skin. To get the chicken skin crispy without burning it, you need to add the chicken thighs when the pan is hot, but not smoking.
How do you know when the cast iron pan is preheated?
You can wave your hand over the pan and feel if it's radiating heat. The oil should be shimmering, and you should feel a decent amount of heat without any smoking. If the pan is smoking, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding the chicken.
#5: Sear + let them be
Add the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down, and leave them alone for at least 5 minutes. Don't move the chicken once you have added it to the pan, as it will stick and you will ruin the crispy skin crust.
Place the splatter guard on top of the pan to prevent grease from burning you and getting all over your stove.
Sear the chicken thighs for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. After 5 minutes, using the tongs, gently lift the chicken thighs up to see if all the skin is golden brown. Keep searing the skin until all the chicken skin is golden brown in color. This should take about 8 minutes on medium heat, but stoves do vary, so keep your eye on it!
How do I prevent chicken from sticking to cast iron?
Make sure you add enough oil and don't move the chicken for 5 minutes once the skin hits the pan.
Step 6: Flip the Chicken Thighs
Once the skins have a nice, even golden brown color, gently flip them over with the skin side up. Using a pot holder (the handle gets hot), transfer the cast iron skillet to the center rack of the oven.
Step 7: Bake
Bake the chicken thighs for 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Cooking the chicken thighs on the center rack of the oven will ensure the chicken skin gets crispy without burning while the meat stays tender and juicy.
Two ways to tell when chicken thighs are done:
#1 - Thermometer: Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest section of the thigh. The chicken is ready when the temperature reads 165 F.
#2 - Juices run clear: Using a sharp knife, make a small slit in the thickest section of the thigh, if the juices run clear, it is done.
Step 8: Rest
Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and rest them for 5–10 minutes.
This will ensure the juices in the chicken are evenly distributed in the meat.
You can rest the chicken thighs on a plate or in the cast iron pan!
Step 9: Elevate The Flavor and Aroma
While the chicken is resting and the oil/juices are still bubbling, add hardy herbs like fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, or fresh garlic cloves to the hot pan to infuse flavor and aroma into the chicken.
You don't have to do anything fancy; just leave them whole and sprinkle them around the pan while it's hot! It looks, tastes, and smells beautiful!
Serve these chicken thighs with some fresh lemon wedges, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and enjoy!
🥗 What to Serve With Crispy Chicken Thighs
Make this a full meal and serve it with pasta with a creamy tomato sauce or spinach and mushroom pasta, focaccia bread, and a simple salad.
Serve these crispy chicken thighs with chimichurri sauce for even more flavor.
If you're a fan of crispy chicken skin, you may also want to check out this baked chicken wings recipe or this air fryer chicken wings recipe.
🥡 How to Store
Store covered, in an airtight container for up to 3 days,
📖 Recipe
How to Cook Crispy Chicken Thighs in Cast Iron
Ingredients
- 1.75 pounds Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil or avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Lemon for serving
- Fresh Herbs for serving
Instructions
Prep the Chicken Thighs
- Add the chicken to a plate, using a clean paper towel, and pat all the sides of the chicken thighs dry.
- Season BOTH SIDES of the chicken thighs. Drizzle with a little olive or avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Use tongs to turn the chicken thighs to prevent touching the raw chicken with your hands
To Cook the Chicken Thighs
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and position a rack in the center.
- Preheat the skillet (make sure it's hot) Heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil in the cast iron pan and set it over medium heat.
- Add the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side down, and leave them alone for at least 5 minutes. Don't move the chicken once you have added it to the pan, as it will stick and you will ruin the crispy skin crust.Place the splatter guard on top of the pan, if desired.Sear the chicken thighs for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. After 5 minutes, using the tongs, gently lift the chicken thighs up to see if all the skin is golden brown. Keep searing the skin until all the chicken skin is golden brown in color. This should take about 8 minutes on medium heat, but stoves do vary, so keep your eye on it!
- Once the skins have a nice, even golden brown color, gently flip them over with the skin facing up. Using a pot holder (the handle gets hot), transfer the cast iron skillet to the center rack of the oven.
- Bake the chicken thighs for 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and rest them for 5–10 minutes, this will ensure the juices in the chicken are evenly distributed in the meat.
- While the chicken is resting and the oil/juices are still bubbling, add a bunch of hardy herbs like fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, or fresh garlic cloves to the hot pan to infuse flavor and aroma into the chicken. (optional)
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