This Cast Iron Chicken Thighs recipe makes perfectly juicy chicken thighs with simple ingredients. Sear the chicken thighs on the stovetop for a crispy skin and finish in the oven so they are tender on the inside.
Quick
5 ingredients
You’ll Learn: The simplest way to make juicy, flavorful chicken thighs consistently
Worth It: Tastes great hot out of the skillet, reheated, and cold from the fridge
Bonus: Easy to customize with your favorite spice blend or sauce
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy high protein entree – this is the easiest way to make a batch of chicken thighs. Season them simply, sear and finish in the oven. In less than 30 minutes you will have a delicious high protein dish for dinner or meal prep.
- Serve with your favorite side dish – This crispy seared chicken pairs nicely with so many different sides. I like to serve them with a simple arugula salad and brown rice.
- Customize the seasoning blend – I season my chicken thighs simply with salt, pepper and garlic powder, but you can use any kinds of seasoning you like and still follow this method. You can even toss the chicken in a sauce after cooking.
Serving Suggestions
These simple cast iron skillet chicken thighs are the perfect protein for any dinner. You can serve them with a simple side dish like roasted potatoes or rice. Make a romantic meal for date night and serve them with mashed red potatoes or air fryer butternut squash and some air fryer asparagus.
Make a batch or even a double batch for meal prep along with this veggie couscous salad. I like to slice any extra chicken off the bones and save for salads. I toss chopped salads in either my mason jar salad dressing or apple cider vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs – If you pat the chicken skin super dry, season generously and then sear in a very hot pan, the skin gets crispy and delicious. When you finish the chicken thighs in the oven, they cook evenly through and stay juicy. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but they will cook much faster so be sure to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
- Kosher Salt, Garlic Powder, Finely Ground Black Pepper – I season the chicken thighs with just a simple seasoning blend of salt, pepper and garlic powder, but there are so many different ways to season these chicken thighs.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Add just a splash of oil to the cast iron skillet. A well seasoned cast iron skillet will not need much oil to be non stick.
Seasoning Options
- Sweet and spicy chicken thighs – Add 1 tsp brown sugar and just a dash of cayenne pepper powder to the salt, garlic powder and pepper to make them a little
- Smokey BBQ chicken thighs – Use a dry barbecue rub that has some smoked paprika in it to make get a smokey bbq flavor. You can also baste the chicken thighs with a bit
- Lemony Greek chicken thighs – Mix a couple teaspoons of Greek seasoning blend with 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning blend and season the thighs. After they are cooked top them with fresh herbs and fresh lemon zest.
How to make
Step 1: Preheat oven and Season chicken Thighs
To begin, preheat oven to 400F. Then, pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel (Image 1). Mix salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Season chicken thighs liberally on top and bottom with the mixture (Image 2).
Step 2: Sear Chicken Thighs
Then, heat olive oil in seasoned cast iron skillet on the stove-top over medium high heat. When the skillet is very hot, place the chicken thighs in the skillet skin side down. Sear for 3 minutes, flip and cook another 3 minutes (Image 3).
Step 3: Finish Chicken Thighs in Oven
Next, place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes with skin side facing up (Image 4). Check for an internal temperature of 165F with an instant read thermometer to ensure doneness.
If desired, cook under the broiler for a couple minutes to make sure the skin is extra crispy. Allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for 5 minutes before eating.
Storage and reheating
Once prepared, allow the cast iron chicken thighs to cool fully. Then, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I usually cut the meat off the bone before placing in the fridge because like to eat the leftover chicken thighs cold on wrap, sandwich, or salad. If you want to reheat them, do it gently in a pan on the stove.
Check out these other healthy cast iron recipes!
If you love chicken thighs, try these Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs next.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4-6 bone in chicken thighs ~2 lbs
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Mix salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Season chicken thighs liberally on top and bottom with the mixture.
- Heat olive oil in seasoned cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium high heat. When the skillet is very hot, place the chicken thighs in the skillet skin side down. Sear for 3 minutes, flip and cook another 3 minutes.
- Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes with skin side facing up. Check for an internal temperature of 165F with an instant read thermometer to ensure doneness.
- If desired, cook under the broiler for a couple minutes to make sure the skin is extra crispy. Allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for 5 minutes before eating.
Recipe Notes
- Once cooked, allow to cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Change up the dry seasoning mixture to fit your preferences. Add a little brown sugar for touch of sweetness and caramelization. Add some cayenne pepper powder for spice.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Leave a Reply