Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs

4.50 from 2 votes

This dish is perfect for a hectic mid-week dinner but sophisticated enough for company, too. 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 signature dish you can go to on a minute's notice!

Prep Time5

Cook Time32

Total Time37

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 323kcal

Cost: $4

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