Our Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs are perfect for fried chicken lovers who are looking for a healthier option. With only 5 minutes prep, this easy main dish is the perfect protein for a quick dinner on busy nights.
Crispy Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
If you are in a chicken dinner rut and need something new to wake up your family’s tastebuds, these Cast Iron Chicken Thighs are a sure fire way to liven things up. With only 5 ingredients and mostly hands-off effort, this easy dinner recipe is a weeknight winner and one that your family is going to be requesting in the regular rotation from now on!
Looking for more chicken dinner ideas to change things up? Be sure to try our Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, Smoky Chicken Tinga Tacos, and Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs!
What you'll need for crispy Bone In Chicken Thighs
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - We always have a couple packages of these in the freezer. The skin gets all crispy and the bone-in version keeps the meat juicy with this type of preparation. I haven’t tested this recipe with boneless chicken thighs, and while technically you can cook them that way, I wouldn’t recommend.
- Coarse salt - Not table salt, but coarse Kosher salt instead. Regular table salt would be too salty.
- Garlic powder - It’s a pantry staple, adds just the right amount of flavor, and won’t burn in the pan like fresh garlic will the way we are cooking these.
- Black pepper - Use freshly ground black pepper for the best punch of flavor.
- Olive oil - Just a little to drizzle into the pan so the chicken thighs don’t stick.
How to cook Crispy Chicken Thighs
- To make them, you first want to heat up your oven because after an initial sear skin-side down in a hot cast iron pan with just a tiny bit of oil, the chicken will get finished off by roasting in the oven until cooked through.
- While the oven heats, mix together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and sprinkle it evenly over both sides of the chicken thighs. Then heat up your cast iron pan nice and hot over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to it. I actually have two cast iron pans and will double the recipe just so I have plenty for leftovers as well!
- The chicken goes in skin-side down and then you need to just leave it alone so the hot cast iron pan can do it's magic. I first saw this technique on Stupid Easy Paleo back when I was doing my first Whole 30 and immediately fell in love.
- I mean, it takes all of 1 whole minute to season the chicken, and stick it in the pan, then the rest of the cooking process is just flipping the chicken once and sticking the pan in the oven. No babysitting dinner means I have time to make a side, set the table, or read a book to my girls while the food finishes cooking.
- In addition to not liking chicken thighs, I also used to not like chicken skin. But that's because I had only ever had it with breaded, fried chicken from a certain fast food place that I'm not a particular fan of. It was greasy and heavy and breaded and I just found it blechy.
- But man oh man, the skin on these pan fried chicken thighs is something else entirely. Once they have seared for about 7 minutes or so, a wonderful crust forms and the skin is just full of flavor and crispy goodness. My girls rave about it and it's always the first thing they go for when it's time to eat.
Bone In Chicken Thighs tips
One word of caution: because you are rendering the fat from the chicken skin, it is going to create quite a bit of splatter. A splatterguard really comes in handy to keep cleanup to a minimum later. Also, you're going to want to make sure to have your vent hood fan on.
What to serve with Pan Fried Chicken Thighs
Serve these pan fried chicken thighs with some stir-fried baby bok choy or green beans and cauliflower rice and you've got an easy Whole 30 compliant dinner!
And if you aren't doing Whole 30, go ahead and serve these chicken thighs with mashed potatoes or a rice pilaf!
How to store Stove Top Chicken Thighs
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Bone In Chicken Thigh FAQs
The secret to these incredible cast iron skillet chicken thighs is the crispy skin which happens by patting the skin dry with paper towels, then searing the chicken in a hot cast iron skillet without moving it. Cooking at a high temperature helps render out the fat in the skin, making it crispier.
A well-seasoned cast iron skillet actually works great as a nonstick pan. Heat the skillet and add a little oil before placing the chicken thighs in, skin side down, then don’t touch the chicken again for 5 minutes. The heat from the pan will sear the skin and it will release on its own when it is ready without sticking to the pan.
The best way to not overcook pan friend chicken is to use a digital meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the chicken for doneness. When it reaches 165°F when tested in the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone, the chicken is done!
More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker Applesauce Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables Stir Fry
More Favorites from House of Nash Eats
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Bone in Chicken Thigh Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6-8)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel. In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, and pepper, then sprinkle over the meat on both sides.
- In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Place chicken thighs into the pan, skin side down and cover with a splatterguard. Cook without moving for 7-9 minutes so that the fat can render and the skin can get nice and crispy.
- Once the chicken releases from the pan and has a nicely browned crust on the skin, flip the chicken pieces over using tongs. Transfer the skillet with the chicken to the oven and roast for 18-20 minutes until cooked through and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F when tested with an instant read meat thermometer.
Those thighs look amazing! They look so juicy. Iron skillets are a marvel!
Wow! Such a gorgeous color on that chicken! I love your tip about keeping a splatter guard handy. I often figure that out way too late and make a bit of a mess.
That looks so tender and juicy and the perfect easy weeknight dinner!
I love a good chicken recipe and if it's crisp on the outside I'm in heaven. Love the flavors you have going here. Cast iron sure makes a good crisp chicken. Yum!
I love a good chicken dish! This one is just that!
Made these last week and oh-my-word they were so, so good!
I'm so glad you liked them! We make this alllll the time now!
Super easy and delicious. Making again tonight!
Made these last night and they were amazing!! Usually my husband grills thighs to get crispy skin, but this was just as good with none of the work! I will definitely be saving this as one of my go-to quick and delicious meals! Also, I have a big 15 inch skillet and was able to fit 8 thighs in one batch.
I'm glad you loved these! We make them all the time too!
Just made these with chicken breast n legs with my black skillets n they where amazing I love using cast iron skillet a set in house n one in the camper use nothing else
I made this twice last month & had to search for it to make it again tonight. I'll save it this time! Wonderful dish!
P.S. I too love my camera, travel, my husband & 4 kiddos (ages 10-15), & cooking (less than the others) - & am a SAHM/previous doctor (OB/GYN).
Thanks for sharing!
I love that we have so much in common! And that you were able to find this recipe again! It's a favorite in our family as well.
Once you flip these on the stovetop do you immediately put in oven or keep it on stovetop for a while? Wanted to make sure I’m not missing that.
They go straight into the oven as soon as you flip them. 🙂
Splatter guard is a must..... I made an amazing mess!! I know what i'll be doing tomorrow, cleaning the oven.... As for the chicken!!! It was worth it!! Fantastic...Crispy and Juicy.
425 seems a little high I'll try it hope they don't burn
This is my favorite go to for Crispy thighs and these taste as good or better than fried. Pop's came over for dinner last week and I made these with the stir fried Bok Choy and it was a hit. I now added this to my Keto rotation. The only changes I made was I seasoned the chicken with Spice Caves Paleo seasonings Wind and Land. And I doubled the Boy Choy and used coconut aminos. So good!
I switched it up and made it with legs my kids absolutely loved it!! I cooked it just a little longer on the stove. Best chicken ever 3 simple ingredients.
This was my first time cooking whole chicken thighs, and they came out perfect! Thank you for the easy to follow recipe
Im making these right now with drumsticks. I removed the skin because my family doesn't like it. How do i adjust the cooking time?
My go to recipe for chicken thighs. Great crispiness, good flavor and simple to prepare.
This recipe is great when you have an entire day to read the novel sized preface. Its superb images showing the the chickens maillard reaction draw you in to prove once again, that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Seriously. All most people want is a good recipe and a quote like "Great recipe, you won't be disappointed"
The printable version says medium heat for the pan, the text says medium-high. I'm guessing medium-high is the correct setting.
Yes, it's medium-high. Thanks for noticing that!
I use my cast iron skillet all the time. I finished it off on my pellet grill and it came out perfect. Thank you!!
Followed this recipe exactly and ended up with ridiculously burnt skin 😬
Maybe not enough oil on the pan to begin with? I always use med heat on my cast iron. Let it pre heat at high, bring heat down to med for the initial cook.
Sooooo easy and so delicious!!! Juicy and perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
These turned out great! I used my go to chicken spices that I call Scarborough Fair (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) along with salt and pepper. Will definitely make these again and again, so easy!
Best cast iron recipe yet. So delicious!!! My children loved it!!!
Sounds yummy! The chicken thighs I got are huge. I have 4 and they total out at 2.5 pounds. How long would you bake for?
Whoa, those definitely are huge chicken thighs! I would recommend really relying on a meat thermometer since, yes, they will likely take a bit longer to cook through.
I love my cast iron skillet and I love the flavor and juicyness of chicken thighs. When I saw only 5 ingredients were needed I had my doubts. Throwing my doubts aside I made chicken thighs with your recipe and I'm so glad I did. Your instructions are extremely easy to follow and cooking times for both stove top and oven were so accurate it took out any guess work. I'll definitely be making House of Nash Eats Crispy Chicken thighs again and exploring more of your recipes. House of Nash Eats Rocked my home tonight. It was thoroughly enjoyed and there were NO leftovers or room for dessert!
Thank you for your comment, Susan! I'm so glad you enjoyed these!
Oh boy... Well, l sure do feel like that kid made to sit in the corner with a big pointy DUNCE hat!!
Believe it or not, l'm in my 60's and just bought my first cast iron skillet last month!! Well l've spent all that time just seasoning it and this is my virgin meal!!
It was delicious!!! With that said though, when l knew the chicken would release, l went to turn them over with tongs and the skins just sort of SLID OFF the meat!
I did roast them after... just placing the skins on top... But it just didn't look as nice as yours!
Do you have any advice for that?? Thanks too for this easy and simple recipe... I'll just have to figure that part out!!
Maybe slide a metal spatula under them before turning before using tongs? That hasn't happened for me before!
Hello!
Made this just now and it turned out delicious! My husband ate three pieces! I see why now you make enough for leftovers.
I was looking for an alternative to fried chicken and this was a very straightforward recipe and technique. As you stated a splatterguard is an absolutely must!
Very good. I think I crisped the skin a bit too long on the stove top, but very good and crispy.
Just saw your recipe for the Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs and would love to try it for dinner tonight if possible. It looks great! I have one question though. When you transfer the skillet to the oven do you cover it for the rest of the cooking time? Thanks.
No, I don't cover it for the rest of the cooking time.
Thank you! So easy and delicious. Cooked green beans and pasta and everything was ready at same time & easy to clean up (:
These were amazing! Just followed the instruction exactly, and PERFECT! Wouldn’t change a thing. This is our new favorite, go-to chicken thigh recipe!
Thanks, Lacey! So glad you love this recipe! It's our go-to as well and we make them on a regular basis!
Have done this several times and chicken always comes out perfect! For two of us, four good sized thighs fit in my 10" cast iron pan and take no more than 20 min. in the oven. Try 'em, you'll like 'em!
This is so much better than fried chicken. Granted your stove top is going to be splattered, but this recipe is well worth the clean up. I can't believe how easy and tasty this recipe is. You would think you are grandma's country fried chicken. This is going to be my go to recipe when I want some simple home cooked comfort food.
This was a huge hit with my kid!
Love this recipe! It's so easy and they come out so good - nice crispy skin and super moist meat. This is the only way I cook chicken thighs now. Thank you!!
These were a big hit all around! 8 and 15 year old boys plus my husband and I all LOVED them!! We don't typically eat the thighs unless part of a casserole or something. The way these crisp up they don't have that "fatty" thigh thing going on. Thanks!! 🙂
You're welcome! So glad everybody enjoyed these!
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs? That's all I've got in the freezer!
Totally! But you probably won't need to bother with finishing them in the oven since they will easily cook through all the way just in the pan. But otherwise the seasoning will be the same. The cooking time might be slightly less on each side as well because there won't be any skin on it.
Tried this recipe and loved the result! This is a new favourite that will be in our regular meal rotation. Thank you!
Where is the honey?
No honey in this recipe. I think you are referring to the spicy honey chicken thighs that I linked to in the post, which is a different recipe.
We love this recipe! It is one of our go to dinners. Was wondering, if going camping and no oven is available, could you just put lid on pan after flipping and turn down heat to finish cooking?
This is a winner and so easy. The "Family Package" was huge, and the thighs were SO huge, I could only fit four in the skillet at a time, so I did them in batches and put them on a broiling pan to put in the oven, but I used the cast iron skillet to roast veggies from the garden: carrots, potatoes, beets, and Jerusalem artichokes. My partner works in a group home for mentally disabled adults and the guys there like his cooking so he cooks every night. Sunday is his first day off, so I try to make a special dinner for him every week after Zoom church. He doesn't like leftovers; he wants something different every day. The punchline is that there is only ONE thigh left and he asked me if I'd make them again tomorrow. Altering the coating provides endless possibilities. Tomorrow I may use Italian spices and cover with tomato sauce. I've got some za'atar spice and may serve it with dolmades. Curry with tikka masala sauce?
Absolutely delicious!! No doubt one of the best!!
Easy and no work or worries. A sure great turnout!
You can add a tablespoon of paprika to the seasoning mix for richer flavor and color.
An easy and delicious recipe! As others mentioned, you definitely need a splatter guard (which I am now going to order...finally!) I added a little paprika but followed all other instructions to the "T". Thank you for sharing!
I just wanted to say I've giving up on chicken for a long time. It either comes out tough/dry or rubbery/chewy... until I tried this method! It turned out perfect. A nice crust on the outside and juicy tender chicken on the inside. Just Salt, Pepper, Basil, Garlic and Olive oil while cooking. The best part is you can use this exact method and cook from frozen!
Just rinse off ice and pat dry. Seriously good. Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe so much! It was a game-changer for us as well!
I am not a great cook, my stuff is "doable". My husband gave me 3 cast iron skillets for me for Christmas. I came upon your receipe of chicken thighs, and made them tonight. He loved the chicken thighs!!! The receipe was simple (doable) and i liked the chicken thighs, too!!! Thank you very much!!!
You're welcome! I'm so glad this one was a hit for you!
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit with my qhole family. It has even begun to convert me into liking dark meat. Great recipe, thank you.
Thanks for the tips on how to crisp the skin. Loving my cast iron skillet.
This is my absolute favorite!!!
I’ve had chicken every way possible and yet I keep coming back to cooking it this way!!
My family loves it, even my picky 1 and 2 year olds!!!