Crispy Chicken Thighs

These are the easiest, crispiest, juiciest chicken thighs you’ll ever have – and likely better than the chicken you’ll get at any restaurant. This is a very low effort, 30-minute recipe, but it requires patience for it to work.

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• Salt

Method

Dry the chicken with paper towel, then salt: Use a clean piece of paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry, making sure to fold them open so all the skin is facing out.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt.

Place in a room temperature pan: Place the chicken, skin side down, into a room temperature frying pan, any type of pan works (even stainless). Make sure all the chicken skin is in contact with the pan.

Cook, untouched, for 30 minutes: Set the pan, with the chicken already in it, on medium heat for 30 minutes. You may want to use a spatter screen to make clean-up easier.

Flip after 30 minutes: Use a fish spatula to flip the chicken over. If it’s sticking to the pan, give it another minute. If you try to force it, the chicken skin may separate or tear.

Cook until done: Once flipped, cook for 2 more minutes until the chicken until it reaches 165F, or the meat is opaque and the juices run clear. Serve warm.

Note: You can save the chicken fat for a later use, such as frying eggs, or turn it into a quick pan sauce. You can also throw in garlic and herbs after flipping the chicken.

This same technique works for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and legs, as well as skin-on salmon filets. The cooking time for those, after flipping, will vary.