Transform ordinary chicken thighs into the most crispiest bite without the need of excessive oil. I'm sharing my go-to recipe for the ultimate crispy cast iron skillet chicken thighs seasoned to perfection with shawarma.
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
2-½lbsbone-in, skin-on chicken thighs(about 7-8)
¾cupall-purpose flour
4tablespoonavocado oil
1.5tablespoonshawarma seasoning(I use McCormick)
½tablespoondried parsley
½tablespoonkosher 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.