OK, here is a guilty pleasure of mine…I LOVE crispy chicken, especially the skin. The kind that is super crispy, perfectly salted with juicy succulent meat inside. And all it takes is a three-step little trick to achieve this wonderful treat.
First, be sure the chicken is pat dry top and bottom, we do not want any liquids to “steam” the chicken while cooking. Second, do not use butter or oil (except a super light spray of oil on a cooking sheet to prevent sticking). And third, use high heat. That’s it! That’s all there is to it. I also use minimal seasoning: rock salt, pepper and thyme. So basically this is a 4 ingredient simple recipe that is sure to please. This can be served as appetizers or a main coarse. I like to serve the chicken with roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes, which can be cooked at the same time as the chicken.
Cracklin’ Crispy Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs with skin
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt (coarse crystals)
- fresh ground black pepper
- fresh thyme leaves and/or rosemary
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Wash and thoroughly pat dry the chicken
- Add fresh ground black pepper, season to taste (I like a lot of pepper)
- Sprinkle sea salt over chicken and gently pat the rocks into the skin
- Sprinkle thyme leaves over chicken
- Cook for 35 – 45 minutes, checking toward the end so nothing burns. You want the skin to be very crisp when pierced with a knife. Serve immediately
