I hate doing dishes which is why I love a one pan meal like Crispy Chicken Thighs. Super easy to make, the actual cutting prep for this recipe only takes about 10 minutes. However, the chicken thighs do need to dry out in the fridge for anywhere from 8 hours to overnight so plan accordingly. And this is not a step that you want to skip as it’s what makes the Crispy Chicken Thighs crispy.
Benefits of Dark Meat
In case you are one of those people who doesn’t eat dark meat because you think it’s bad for you, I want to take a minute to disavow you of this crazy notion. While dark meat chicken does have more fat than white meat, it’s not enough to adversely affect your health. Furthermore, chicken thighs (and drumsticks) are richer in nutrients such as:
- Iron
- Zinc
- Vitamins A, K, B6, B12
- Niacin
- Folic Acid
- Pantothenic Acid
- Selenium
- Phosphorus
They are also cheaper. So, if you haven’t given them a try in awhile, this Crispy Chicken Thighs recipe is a good place to start.
Deciphering Chicken Labels
Labeling on chicken has gotten kind of ridiculous. There is:
- Air Chilled
- Free Range
- Organic
- Pasture Raised
WTF, right? Ok, here is the skinny. Air chilled means nothing health wise. Free range means that the poor chicken maybe has a pen the size of a small coat closet to hobble around it, and organic only refers to the chicken feed. It does not mean that the beast is ever let out of its cage.
Pasture Raised is Best
Pasture raised is the one that you want. This means that the chicken not only gets to actually run around, but also forage for his or her own food. This purely natural diet translates to a much better tasting chicken that is free of antibiotics, and richer in both vitamins and Omega-3 fats.
If you remember back to when you were a kid, chicken thighs were smaller. They could easily fit into the palm of your hand versus today’s thighs which are sometimes as big as my foot (and I have big feet). Pasture raised chicken thighs are like the thighs of our youth. Unfortunately, they are not always easy to find at your local grocery store. I recently ordered some from Crowd Cow which is a fantastic website with a full repertoire of free range and pasture raised meat options from local farms. It’s a great way to support small farmers and get high quality meat. So, check it out (link to the site here).
Crispy Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 12 chicken thighs with bone & skin pasture raised, if possible
- 1 medium onion quartered & sliced vertically into 1/4" slices
- 1 cup peeled garlic cloves about 40 cloves
- 1 lemon seeded & sliced into 1/4" slices
- 15 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 3" rosemary sprigs
- 2 T kosher salt
- 2 t ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry and place on a baking sheet, skin side up. Put in the fridge, uncovered, for anywhere from 8 hours to overnight. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 500°. Spread onions in the bottom of a shallow baking dish that can snugly fit the chicken thighs. Top with the garlic, lemon slices, thyme & rosemary.
- Remove the chicken from the baking sheet and place on paper towels. Pat dry again. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper, and place on top of the onion/garlic mixture. Use your hands to push all of the onions etc. underneath the chicken.
- Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. If the chicken skin isn't crispy enough, you can finish under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Discard the lemon & herbs sprigs. Serve the chicken with the onion/garlic mixture.
guuuurl ..my fav..yum xoxo