Description
Boneless chicken thighs with shatteringly crisp skin and a homemade Mexican spice rub. One pan, 25 minutes, delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 chicken thighs, skin-on, bones removed
- Sea salt for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
Instructions
- Mix the cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Lay the boneless chicken thighs on a flat surface. If they’re uneven in thickness, pound them with a meat mallet until uniformly flat. Pat completely dry with paper towels.
- Turn the chicken skin-side up and season with sea salt.
- Heat the coconut oil or ghee in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan.
- Leave undisturbed for 7-10 minutes. Check after 7 minutes to see if the skin is golden brown.
- While the skin side cooks, season the meat side generously with the spice rub.
- Once the skin is golden and crispy, flip the chicken and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Removing the bone yourself is easy with kitchen shears. Cut along both sides and pull it out. Some butchers will do this if you ask.
- Drying the chicken thoroughly is crucial. Moisture on the skin will steam instead of crisp.
- Don’t season the meat side until after the skin side starts cooking. Salt draws out moisture which prevents crisping.
- The chicken needs to sit undisturbed while the skin crisps. Moving it breaks contact with the pan.
- Medium-high heat works best. Too low and the skin won’t crisp. Too high and it burns before the fat renders.
- The spice rub makes more than needed for 4 thighs. Store extra in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- If you don’t like heat, reduce or omit the cayenne.
- Coconut oil and ghee have high smoke points and add flavor. Regular olive oil works but has a lower smoke point.
- Let the chicken rest after cooking. Cutting immediately releases all the juices.
- For extra crispy skin, finish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes after flipping, but watch closely.
- Leftovers reheat best in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes. The microwave makes the skin soggy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large chicken thigh
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 100