Perfect Crispy Skillet Chicken Thighs

These Perfect Crispy Skillet Chicken Thighs have revolutionized weeknight dinners for me!

Chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet end up with wonderfully crispy skin and get on the table quickly.

Pair it with a sauce and some veggies, and your meal is ready to go! Paleo, gluten free, keto, and low carb.

How to prep chicken thighs for skillet cooking

The most difficult portion of this recipe is the prepwork before cooking. But trust me when I say it's WORTH IT and it really doesn't take that long!

First, you'll want to make sure you buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Do NOT use skinless chicken thighs for this recipe — the thighs will only be "crispy" because of the skin!

When you're prepping to cook, use a kitchen shears to cut the bone out of the thighs. One end of the bone usually has a bit of cartelige as well — cut that off too.

This'll probably seem frustrating at first, but as you do it, the process gets easier.

BONUS: save your bones in the freezer for chicken stock or broth down the road. Boom! That's resourceful.

Once the bones are cut out, turn the chicken thighs skin side up on a cutting board. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken thighs to an even thickness. This makes a different in even cooking — and literally takes a minute! So don't skip this step.

(If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use a potato masher like me!)

Now you're ready to season the thighs and get cooking!

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How to serve crispy cast iron chicken thighs

One thing I enjoy about posting recipes like this: you can customize it as you see fit for serving! Use whatever sauces or sides you'd like.

Adjust the flavor with sauces and spices

Personally, my family and I love eating these thighs plain. The crispy skin and salt used when cooking are all we need!

However, every once in a while a craving for something new will strike. Here are a couple sauces that go really well with crispy chicken thighs:

• Ginger Scallion Sauce
• Baked Garlic Buffalo Chicken Wings (Paleo, Whole30)
• Easy Peach Barbecue Sauce
• Primal Kitchen Foods' Ranch or Honey Mustard pair perfectly with chicken!

If you opt to add spices to the thighs, I suggest sprinkling them on just after they come out of the skillet. Since we're cooking at such high heat, spices tend to burn if you add them before cooking.

Sides to round out the meal

Since the chicken thighs are so quick and easy to make, that demands that the veggies and sides you serve with this meal are just as easy!

We often serve roasted potato rounds and roasted veggies with this meal. For the veggies, we'll roast whatever we have on hand — broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts, you name it!

In the summer, crispy chicken thighs pair well with salads; you can even slice the finished chicken thin and add it to a salad in place of chicken breast! The skin on the thighs will add a nice crunch.

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Can I keep leftovers in the fridge?

Yes, with one caveat.

The skin will lose its crispiness. Really, this recipe is best enjoyed right away.

Since this recipe is so quick, I think it works best as a weeknight dinner where the leftovers/prepped meals are gone and you need something fast. But it doesn't work super well for meal prep.

But that's just my opinion; you are certainly welcome to try any leftovers and see if less crisp skin is a dealbreaker for you!

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Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.

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