Quick Look at these Crispy Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
- Ready In: 30 minutes!
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, salt, pepper, and oil
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, & Gluten-Free
- Best For: easy weeknight dinner or meal prep for the week
- Why You’ll Love It: After many tests, I’m excited to bring you my tried-and-true cast iron chicken thighs recipe that will give you perfectly juicy & tender chicken with a crispy skin every time! Follow along to learn all the pro tips and tricks to navigate any issue. Plus, a variety of variations to change up the flavor (looking at you – simple chicken seasoning)!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Bone-In Chicken Thighs – for best results, use fresh or fully thawed chicken thighs. If they are still frozen at all, they will take longer to fully cook.
- Salt & Pepper – always needed when cooking any cut of chicken!
- Olive Oil – enough to coat the bottom of the pan to get a good sear and prevent sticking.
How To Cook Chicken Thighs In A Cast Iron Skillet
Step 1: Pat the chicken thighs dry to lower the moisture for a crisp skin.
Step 2: Season with salt & pepper or use the best chicken seasoning!
Flavor Variations
- General: use a simple chicken seasoning or the best chicken marinade.
- Greek: marinate the chicken in a Greek vinaigrette before cooking.
- Mexican: keep it light & refreshing with a cilantro lime marinade or make your own fajita seasoning.
- Cuban: turn up the citrus with the best mojo marinade.
- Italian: love a simple balsamic chicken marinade or sprinkle with some homemade Italian seasoning.
Step 3: Place chicken thighs, skin side down, in a hot cast iron skillet to sear. Flip and move the skillet to the oven until fully cooked.
Step 4: Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Pro Tip
This cooking combination of stove top and oven results in perfectly juicy chicken thighs every time! The high heat sear evaporates any moisture and results in a crispy skin. Moving it to the oven for a slower cook allows the fat to render for the most tender meat on the inside.
What To Pair With The Perfect Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
Turn these crispy thighs in to an easy weeknight meal by serving with easy herbed potatoes and garlic green beans. Or garlic butter rice and simple steamed broccoli. They are also perfect for meal prep and can be used on a salad, in a sandwich or wrap!
Cast Iron Chicken Thighs FAQs
Yes, technically you can but I would highly recommend letting them thaw before cooking. Otherwise, any seasoning will not stick, they will take much longer to cook, and will be cooked unevenly.
There are 3 key elements to lower the risk of sticking. First, add a small amount of olive oil (or avocado oil) to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Then make sure it is nice and hot before adding the chicken thighs and use a thin metal spatula (like a fish spatula) for flipping.
The pan just needs to be oven safe. This is necessary because the chicken thighs are searing at a high heat and then finished in the oven.
It will depend on their size. These bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs were seared for about 3-5 minutes in the cast iron skillet and then baked in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Total cook time is around 25 minutes and then let them rest.
Use a meat thermometer! The internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken thigh should reach 162-163 degrees F. It will increase to 165 degrees F while they rest, which is the recommended finish temperature for chicken.
Other Simple Chicken Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil, sub avocado oil
Instructions
- Prep Chicken + Oven: Place 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs on a plate. Pat dry with clean paper towel. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pinch of pepper on both sides of each chicken thigh. Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Sear Chicken: Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet on the stove-top and bring to medium-high heat. Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to the pan, just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Once the pan is hot (it should sizzle if you flick some water on it) place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan and let sear 3-5 minutes or until the skin is nice and brown.
- Oven Finish: Flip the chicken thighs over and then move the skillet to the middle rack of the oven, uncovered. Let cook 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked (165℉ internal temperature).
- Rest + Serve: Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Seasoning or Marinade: feel free to season your chicken with something other than salt and pepper (we love this simple chicken seasoning) OR you can use an easy chicken marinade!
- What to serve with: we love serving these with oven roasted broccolini and herbed potatoes.
- Storage: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Kristen K says
Hi! I haven’t made this recipe yet. I’m wondering whether you like to cook these chicken thighs straight out of the fridge, or if you let them come to room temperature for a bit first. Thank you.
Erin says
Hi Kristen- For this recipe I don’t really worry too much about letting the chicken come to temp!
Nancy says
Very good. I seasoned mine with a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, pink Himalayan salt, fresh ground pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme rubbed under the skin and over skin. I put it in a ziplock bag and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before continuing with the recipe. Was excellent, moist and juicy. Definitely will make again.
Erin says
Glad you enjoyed this one, Nancy!