Crispy Chicken Thighs
For bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with crackly skin and juicy meat, start them in a cold pan, skin-side down, then leave them mostly undisturbed. For more even browning, you could press them down and rotate the skillet, but either way, if you’re off doing something else, the gradual, moderate heat will slowly render the skin golden-crisp. Finish cooking the chicken on the second side, let the chicken rest, then consider how you’ll use all that flavorful fat that’s accumulated in the skillet: Sauté any vegetables, crisp beans, make toast or stir the liquid left in the skillet into a pan sauce.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)
- 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or coarse kosher salt
Instructions
Step 1
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season all over with salt.Step 2
Place the chicken skin side down in a single layer in a large skillet. (It’s good if the thighs are touching.) Turn the heat to medium and cook until the thighs release easily from the pan and the skin is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. For even browning, rotate the skillet every few minutes and use your tongs to press the chicken into the skillet. If the chicken is burning before evenly brown, reduce the heat. If the splattering oil is too much, cover the skillet.Step 3
Flip the chicken and cook until cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. (The meat closest to the bone should reach 165 degrees.)