CHICKEN THIGH/LEG COOKING TIMES
PAN/OVEN
Allow the chicken thighs to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cold meat in a hot oven or hot pan will cook unevenly and be tough. Make sure to pat the skin dry with paper towels, moisture will prevent the skin from getting crispy.
- Season the chicken all over with salt and a good amount of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper only on the skin side. Rub the spices into the skin with your hands.
- Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes with 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add the chicken thighs skin side down and allow them to cook for 8 minutes undisturbed. No need to move the chicken around, just let them do their thing and get nice and crusty. Move the pan to the oven and let them continue to cook skin side down for 9 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 minutes.
- Once the chicken is out of the oven, move to a clean plate and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. If you cut into the chicken thighs now, the juices will spill out and the meat will get dry.
PAN/SEARED
Boneless and skinless chicken thighs cook very quickly and have much more flavor than chicken breasts. The first thing is to apply the spice rub to both sides of the thigh along with a generous pinch of salt. The spice rub is a great way to add big flavor without adding any fat or calories. Spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and thyme will make the most flavorful spice rub for your chicken.
Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs and let them cook for 4 minutes. Once again, don’t touch the chicken thighs once they go in the pan, let them get nice and crusty. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Allow the chicken thighs to rest 3-5 minutes and enjoy.
OVEN
To bake juicy chicken thighs in the oven that have crispy skin you first need to let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cold chicken in a hot oven will cook unevenly and the meat will be tough. To help the skin get crispy, pat the moisture off the skin with paper towels. Season the chicken thighs with the same spice rub above, or use some sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper.
The key is to cook the chicken thighs AT 200oc for 50 minutes. This will allow for the skin to get crispy and the meat to be juicy. If you are not sure the chicken is ready, just poke it wit a knife. If the juices run clear it’s done.
