Two Recipes on the Menu Every Week at My House
There are the two meals I prepare nearly every week—Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs and Honey Garlic Salmon. They’re my go-tos because both are quick and easy—and so delicious they never grow old.
Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs
(Printable recipe card below)
This dish is perfect for a hectic mid-week dinner but sophisticated enough for company, too. Even my grandsons, ages 6 and 12, agree. You should see them dive into this chicken. They’d eat it every meal if they had their way. The ingredients are shockingly few. The secret for success and rave reviews from old and young alike is technique. It’s all about the technique! Get this right and you’ll have a new technique to use in other applications.
The secret is cooking chicken thighs skin-side down in a cast-iron skillet (or heavy, non-stick skillet) hot enough and long enough to render out the fat, but without burning. This makes the skin crispy and, according to Eli and Sam, even better than bacon! I do agree (it’s so good), but what I love even more is that skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are cheap. I buy them in bulk at Costco, where they are fresh, plump, and conveniently packaged in groups of 4.
Ingredients
- 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F. Season chicken, both sides, with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron (preferably) or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking.
Nestle chicken thighs in skillet, skin side down, and cook uncovered without disturbing for exactly 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, 12 minutes. I set a timer for 12 minutes and stand there patiently for the timer to count down. If it begins to smoke, turn down the heat. You want this to sizzle but not burn.
When the timer dings, transfer uncovered skillet to oven and cook 13 more minutes. Again, set a timer. 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.
Optional: Drizzle with Teriyaki Sauce. Serve with steamed white or brown rice. Serves 4 to 6.
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup water
Combine ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat. The larger the pan, the faster it will reduce. I find this takes it takes about 10 minutes, but it depends on the size of the pan you use.
Bring to boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until it reduces by half. The consistency should be like a light syrup. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 chicken thigh bone-in, skin-on (about 2.25 lbs)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Chicken
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Season chicken, both sides, with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron (preferably) or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Nestle chicken thighs in skillet, skin side down, and cook uncovered without disturbing for exactly 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, 12 minutes.
- When the timer dings, transfer uncovered skillet to oven and cook 13 more minutes. Keep an eye on this! You want this to be hot, but not smoking. Again, set a timer.
- Flip chicken so that it is skin side up; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.
- Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serves: 4 to 6.
- Optional: Drizzle with Teriyaki Sauce. Serve with steamed white or brown rice.
Optional Teriyaki Sauce
- Combine ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat. The larger the pan, the faster it will reduce. I find this takes about 10 minutes, but it depends on the size of the pan you use.
- Bring to boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until it reduces by half. The consistency should be like a light syrup. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Nutrition
.
Honey Garlic Salmon
Salmon, prepared this way, is just out of this world! And so quick and easy!
Ingredients
- 2 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (traditional or light)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (any, but not balsamic)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Garnish, optional
- 2 scallions, sliced thinly
- sesame seeds
Instructions
In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients to make the sauce. Set aside. Pat salmon dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drizzle oil in a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Place salmon in the pan, and cook the first side for 3 minutes. Turn, then cook the other side for 2 minutes, or to taste according to how thick the filets.
Pour sauce over salmon. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly.
Transfer to serving plates. Drizzle sauce over the top and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions as desired. Serves 2. This recipe doubles well, to serve 4.
Serving suggestion: Serve alongside steamed rice and vegetables like broccoli or asparagus
Honey Garlic Salmon
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 tbsps honey
- 2 tbsps soy sauce, traditional or light
- 1 tbsp vinegar any type, except NOT balsamic
- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
Salmon
- 2 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt, pepper
Garnishes
- 2 scallions green ends, sliced thinly
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients to make the sauce. Set aside.
- Pat salmon dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour the oil in a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Place salmon in the pan, and cook the first side for about 3 minutes. Carefully turn with a spatula. Cook the other side another 3 minutes, or to your liking and according to how thick the fillets. Hint: As salmom cooks it turns from a dark "salmon" color, to a lighter pinkish-salmon. Let your eyes help you determine how long to cook depending on if you prefer your salmon more rare rather than well-done.
- Pour sauce over salmon. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Transfer to serving plates. Gently drizzle sauce over the top and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions as desired. Serves 2. This recipe doubles well, to serve 4.
- Serving suggestion:This salmon is amazing served alongside steamed rice and vegetables like broccoli or asparagus
Delicious salmon sauce, Mary! Thank you; we enjoyed. Very tasty and easy 🙂
Being raised on a farm, my mother raised many many fryers. She would freeze them in waxed cartons, much like ‘milk cartons’ then when the pieces were packed in the container. She filled it with water and froze. 🙁 My mother in law froze fresh fish that they caught this way also) But I never hear of anyone doing that anymore. I was wondering about this?
LOL. I was going to post something similar!
Mine is simpler also and yummy.
I rub thighs with light coating of vegetable oil and place on heavy jelly roll pan.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika.
Bake skin-side up at 425 for 45 min.
Turn, and salt, pepper, paprika this side.
Bake skin-side down for 35 more min.
Turn one last time for 10 min to get skin side crunchy.
It’s amazing and SO easy and NO splatters on the stove top.
Turn, salt, pepper, paprika
We love the crispy skin chicken thighs and make them often. However, the grease from frying them gets all over the outside and inside of the stove. I put one of those mesh things on top of the skillet but it still makes a mess. Any ideas how to stop the greasy mess?
You need a Frywall! It’s a super invention and will catch all of those splatters. I put it on the skillet (stovetop) for the first round and then leave it in place as is I transfer the skillet to the oven.
I tried this way today. Tasted great. But my way is equally crispy and tasty with even less work. Dry thighs thoroughly with paper towels and place on baking sheet with parchment paper. Yes, just naked. Bake 35-45 minutes at 400 degrees (depending on size.) Fat renders while baking and skin is crispy and delicious. The residue in the pan can be used as a flavoring in other things, like rice.
LOL. I was going to post something similar!
Mine is simpler also and yummy.
I rub thighs with light coating of vegetable oil and place on heavy jelly roll pan.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika.
Bake skin-side up at 425 for 45 min.
Turn, and salt, pepper, paprika this side.
Bake skin-side down for 35 more min.
Turn one last time for 10 min to get skin side crunchy.
It’s amazing and SO easy and NO splatters on the stove top.
Turn, salt, pepper, paprika
And I should have said that I tried Mary’s and I really like it!
I have a large family and only one cast iron skillet. What’s the best way to make this is bigger quantities? Tonight I cooked one whole batch, then another but the first was cold by the time the second was done. Just wondering if there’s a better way you’ve found.
For a larger quantity/two batches of chicken thighs I would do the browning in the cast iron pan then transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil to keep warm. When the second (and/or third) batch of thighs are browned put all of them on the rimmed baking sheet and bake them, uncovered until done. I would use a meat thermometer to ensure they are cooked through.
Hopefully that works!
I think this is my favorite salmon recipe. It’s quick and easy, and the sauce is perfect! It reminds me of the sauce they put on chicken at the now-closed Woo Chee Chong, which I have been trying to duplicate ever since! Thank you, Mary Hunt!
Another great recipe – easy and yummy! Is it just me or does this recipe have to create a big mess? And I even had a splatter screen. Maybe I need a better screen. Even with the mess I plan on making this often.
What is mirin? I printed out the recipes, but haven’t tried them yet. Thank you.
Hi Anita … Mirin is Japanese cooking wine, available in larger supermarkets in the Asian aisle, or online HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for those awesome sounding (& easy to prepare) recipes. Mary, you are THE BEST!! Much love & Many blessings ~ Vivian (from NJ)
You are so welcome, Vivian!