Let's transform ordinary chicken thighs into the most crispiest bite without the need for excessive oil. I'm sharing my go-to recipe for Southern baked chicken thighs with a subtle twist; a touch of shawarma seasoning.
This recipe can be whipped up in under 45 minutes, making it the perfect dinner option for any night of the week. What's even better? You only need 6 ingredients.
Make it a true weeknight or Southern Sunday dinner with green beans simmered in smoked turkey, baked mac and cheese, and a side of creamy fried corn.
Ingredients
Let's get into the key ingredients that bring these chicken thighs to life. They're first seasoned with shawarma, kosher salt, and parsley. Then, dredged in all-purpose flour for a crispy exterior.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Crispy Southern Baked Chicken Thighs
Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Wash your chicken thighs (bone-in) and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Season them generously and evenly
- Add all-purpose flour to a shallow dish and dredge the skin side ONLY through the flour. Then, place on a lined baking dish. Set aside.
- Place your cast iron skillet on the stove-top over medium-high heat.
- Add the cooking oil to the skillet
- When the oil begins to sizzle, add your chicken thighs SKIN-SIDE down.
- Flip the chicken over and allow the other side to cook.
- Then, remove your skillet from the stove-top and place it in a preheated 375-degree oven to continue cooking the chicken until it's done
Cree's Top Tip
- Before seasoning, make sure to pat the chicken thighs thoroughly with paper towels to remove any moisture. This will ensure a crispy outer coating.
- Add a generous amount of seasoning on both sides of the thighs as this will ensure that you always have that perfect bite.
- Preheat your cast iron skillet before adding the oil. This will enable the skillet to heat evenly and will prevent most foods from sticky to the surface.
- When dredging the chicken in all-purpose flour, ensure a thin and even coating. This will guarantee a crispy outer coating. For this recipe, ONLY dredge the skin side.
- Invest in a digital meat thermometer to ensure perfectly cooked chicken. Aim for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. For chicken thighs, I prefer an internal temperature of 175 degrees.
FAQs
Preheat your cast iron skill before adding the oil. When the oil it hot it will begin to shimmer. Then, add your thighs skin-side down and allow your thighs to pan-fry undisturbed. It's important that you resist the urge to flip them over too early.
It depends on whether you're deep-frying or pan-frying. For pan-frying, I suggest any neutral oil: extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil; however, if you're deep-frying, I highly recommend a cooking oil with a high smoke point. My favorite is avocado oil, but vegetable oil or canola oil are great options too.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Southern Baked Chicken Thighs (Cast Iron Skillet)
Crispy Southern Baked Chicken Thighs (Cast Iron Skillet)Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean-up and fro seasoning thighs
- Tongs for flipping chicken over
- Paper towels to pat dry chicken
- Small bowl for combining seasoning
Ingredients
- 2-½ lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 7-8)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1.5 tablespoon shawarma seasoning (I use McCormick)
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt (plus 1-tsp kosher salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add all seasoning to a small bowl and combine. Add all-purpose flour to a shallow dish. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with foil paper. The foil is used for easy clean-up. Then, line it with paper towels. Wash your chicken thighs and gently shake off any excess water. Place them on top of the lined baking sheet. Grab a few more paper towels and blot the top of each thigh to get rid of any excess moisture. Remove the paper the paper towels and discard.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs generously with the seasoning blend. Ensure that the seasoning is evenly distributed. Dredge each thigh SKIN SIDE ONLY in the flour and gently shake off any excess flour and place on baking sheet.
- Preheat your cast iron skillet on the stove-top over medium-high heat. When hot, add the avocado oil. When the oil is hot, it will shimmer. Then, add the chicken with SKIN SIDE DOWN into the skillet. Let the chicken pan fry undisturbed for 7 minutes until the skin side browns and becomes crispy. Flip the chicken over, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the stove-top and place in the preheated oven to continue the cooking process for an additional 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at 165 degrees and the juices run clear. For chicken thighs I prefer an internal temperature of 175 degrees.
Notes
- Before seasoning, make sure to pat the chicken thighs thoroughly with paper towels to remove any moisture. This will ensure a crispy outer coating.
- Add a generous amount of seasoning on both sides of the thighs as this will ensure that you always have that perfect bite.
- Preheat your cast iron skillet before adding the oil. This will enable the skillet to heat evenly and will prevent most foods from sticky to the surface.
- When dredging the chicken in all-purpose flour, ensure a thin and even coating. This will guarantee a crispy outer coating. For this recipe, ONLY dredge the skin-side.
- Invest in a digital meat thermometer to ensure perfectly cooked chicken. Aim for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. For chicken thighs, I prefer an internal temperature of 175 degrees.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
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