The Crispiest Chicken Thighs

These chicken thighs are sooooo crispy you’d think they were fried, and maybe in a way they sort of are. This requires a bit of time and attention, but you’ll find it totally worth it! Serves 4:

4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup chicken stock or ¼ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
2 teaspoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Parsley, cilantro, basil or mint leaves, for serving (optional)

Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. If you have time, let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Heat a large skillet on medium. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Place the chicken skin side down and cook without moving it until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the heat if the chicken splatters too much or browns too quickly.

Add the garlic to the pan. Flip the chicken and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

Add the chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue simmering, now stirring constantly, until incorporated; the sauce will thicken and become shiny as the butter melts. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.

Serve the chicken with the pan sauce, lime wedges and the herbs and enjoy!

My verdict:

Amazing chicken thighs! It took me almost 40 minutes cooking time to really develop the skin, but it was worth it. It’s close to being fried-chicken crisp. That being said, it’s not that far from the Jacques Pepin method, which has the advantage of being a little quicker (but not quite as crispy-skinned).

This is from the NYT Cooking and there’s a video that goes with it that’s worth watching. My fall cooking project will be to find the perfect balance between the two methods.

I served it with rice, but maybe next time I’ll try some mashed potatoes, or even some partially cooked potatoes browned in the chicken fat?

The herbs might be a good touch, but we didn’t suffer for not having (or remembering) them.

The Crispiest Chicken Thighs