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Perfect Cast-Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs

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  • Active Time

    35 minutes

Sophisticated enough for a Sunday supper yet quick enough for Wednesday's dinner, this master recipe is all in the technique. Cook the thighs skin side down in a cast-iron skillet to render out the fat and make the skin as crisp and, dare we say, delicious as bacon.

Ingredients

2 to 4 main-course

6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 475°. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Nestle chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 12 minutes.

    Step 2

    Transfer skillet to oven and cook 13 more minutes. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Per Serving

One serving contains: Calories (Kcal) 365.8 %Calories From Fat 60.1 Fat (g) 24.5 Saturated Fat (g) 6.1 Cholesterol (mg) 126.1 Carbohydrates (g) 0 Dietary Fiber (g) 0 Total Sugars (g) 0 Net Carbs (g) 0 Protein (g) 34.0 Sodium (mg) 113.9
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