Cast-Iron Skillet Chicken Thigh Recipe

I’ve really been loving cooking with my cast-iron skillet lately.  It’s naturally non-stick (when seasoned properly), extremely durable, and super easy to clean (I’ll be sharing a video on that soon!).

Oh! And you can make some seriously delicious chicken in a cast iron skillet (remember this recipe?).

This chicken is less of a recipe and more of a technique.  Having techniques like this in your back pocket will make you feel like a professional healthy home cook, in no time (#promise).

I went with chicken thighs because they came in my last delivery from *Butcher Box so I had them on hand but you can certainly use this techniques for chicken breasts as well (just be sure to adjust the cooking time).

You will see that this technique makes for some seriously crispy and delicious skin, but if you don’t want to eat the skin, I still encourage you to leave it on the chicken when you cook because it  will help to keep the meat nice and juicy.

I find a big fat, crisp salad is the prefect partner to go with this chicken.  I mean, just look a that!  #SoGood

Interested in Having High Quality Meats delivered right to your door?

Butcher Box delivers 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, free range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork on your schedule for less than $6.00 per meal. The meat is flash frozen at the peak of freshness, and shipped directly to your door. Every box comes with 8 – 11 pounds of meat.

I love using Butcher Box and highly recommend them, especially if you live in an area that makes it difficult to get your hands on good quality meats.

 You can learn more about them here.

Print Recipe

Iron-Skillet Chicken Thigh Recipe

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:30 minutes

Total Time:35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each)
• 2 teaspoon coconut oil
• kosher salt and pepper
• garlic powder (optional)
• smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Pat chicken dry with some paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Season skin side generously with salt and pepper. Flip and season the meat with salt and pepper and any additional spices you like (if you decide to stick to salt and pepper, your chicken will still be delicious).
3. Heat cast iron skillet over a medium heat. Add coconut oil to coat the bottom of the pan (if you have excess oil in the pan, carefully wipe it out with a paper towel).
4. Once the oil is hot, place chicken skin side down in the pan and set your timer for 6 minutes. You want to brown the skin to a golden brown color. The chicken will easily release from the pan when it is done.
5. Flip the chicken and pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Serve an enjoy!

Nutrients for one chicken thigh with skin: Calories: 380; Total Fat: 27.8g; Saturated Fat: 9.5g; Cholesterol: 141mg; Carbohydrate: 0g; Fiber: 0g; Sugars: 0g; Protein: 28.5g