How to Cook Crispy Chicken Thighs in Cast Iron
An easy step-by-step guide for cooking restaurant-quality crispy chicken thighs at home.
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
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)
Notes
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.
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.
Don't add the chicken to a cold pan; you'll end up with a hard 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.
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.
How To Tell When Chicken Thighs Are Done:
Thermometer: Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest section of the thigh. The chicken is ready when the temperature reads 165 F.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1thighCalories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 33gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 444mgPotassium: 446mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 161IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg
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