I don’t know if my Southern roots are to blame but I sure do love fried a good fried chicken. I’m not talking about KFC, Popeye’s or other fast food fried chicken. I’m talking homemade, crispy yet juicy chicken fresh off the stove and served with a flaky biscuit and some crisp veggies. Since cooking in Crisco and grease has become such a no-no idea, I’ve said no to deep frying my chicken or anything else for that matter.
So what is a girl to do when the craving for crispy chicken hits? Turn to cast iron roasting of course. I am cook half my meals in my vintage Lodge Cast Iron skillet stolen from my mom years ago (hey mom!). What I love about cast iron cooking is that the skillet itself retains heat evenly and is fairly non-stick. Plus having a seasoned skillet means added flavor from years of use.
I asked a college of mine for her Granny’s fried chicken recipe, which calls for a tub of Crisco or more than 2 cups of vegetable oil. No bueno! Instead, I decided to pan-roast the chicken in my Lodge Cast Iron skillet with just 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to crisp the skin before finishing it off in the oven. The result is a mouthwatering dish that only took 40 minutes to make.
INGREDIENTS
This delicious pan-roasted chicken thigh recipe is the perfect mid-week recipe when you want something exciting without doing too much work.
- 6 whole Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 Rosemary sprigs
TIP: Make sure you wear an apron to prevent too much splashing on your clothes.
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 475°
- Rinse and dry chicken. Season with salt and pepper then place one rosemary sprig underneath skin
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Make sure oil doesn’t smoke
- Place chicken, skin side down, in the skillet and cook them about 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure not to move chicken too much or skin will come off
- Reduce heat to medium-high, and continue cooking skin side down, shaking and moving them around the pan, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes
- Transfer cast iron skillet to the oven and let roast for 10 minutes. Flip Chicken and continue cooking for 5 more minutes until meat is completely cooked
- Transfer to plate; let rest for 5 minutes before serving
SHOP THE ESSENTIALS
