Pan Fried Chicken Thighs Recipe

You will find recipe after recipe for cooking chicken breasts, but we are letting you in on a secret. The tastiest parts of a chicken are the thighs! Undeservedly forgotten in a lot of chicken recipes, this part of a chicken is succulent, juicy, and incredibly flavorful. Thighs also tend to be much cheaper than the breasts, which makes a recipe like this a great inexpensive dinner.

For this recipe, a cast iron skillet can help you get a beautiful crispy skin, which will take your thighs to the next level. Serve this recipe up with a homemade salad, and you'll have a lovely low-carb, paleo-friendly meal.

This chicken thigh recipe requires very little prep time and cook time. From start to finish, it shouldn't take you longer than 20 minutes.

Most chicken thigh cast iron skillet recipes use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but we've decided to do the opposite. Why?

The skin on the thighs will become crispy and acts as a cover for the meat. This cover will allow the meat to steam in its own juices. Also, bone is a great heat conductor. Since the bone goes directly through the middle of the thigh, the meat cooks evenly. If you don't mind adding a few more minutes to your prep time, you can let your thighs sit out at room temperature for about 20 min before seasoning. This optional recipe step will make your chicken even juicer. Think of all the goodness you would miss out on if you used the more expensive boneless skinless chicken thighs!

Pan Fried Chicken Thighs Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-size chicken thighs
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
• Fresh herbs and other spices such as garlic or paprika (optional - but recommended)

Instructions:

1. Season the chicken thighs with a mix of salt and pepper. Add herbs and spices, if preferred.
2. Pour the oil to the skillet. Preheat the cast iron skillet over medium heat for around 2 min. You want the oil to be hot, but not smoking!
3. Add chicken thighs, skin down. Cook the thighs for around 5 min without moving them too much, until the skin becomes crispy. Depending on how hot your pan is and the size of your thighs, it may take a bit longer.
4. Once the skin is crispy, flip the thighs and cook the other side. Cook for a few more minutes, until everything is thoroughly cooked and crispy. If the thighs begin sticking to the pan, or the skin reaches your desire crispness before the chicken cooks, reduce the heat.
5. Allow the chicken thighs to rest for 5 min.
6. Serve them with your favorite side dishes, for example, sauteed green beans!