Crispy Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Thighs

Crispy-skinned, juicy chicken with an easy restaurant-style pan sauce

As I mentioned previously, I'm trying to switch up my cooking by using different cuts of meat - so instead of the usual chicken breast, I made dinner using chicken thighs. Besides being cheaper, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs have more flavor than white meat. Inspired by an article in the latest issue of Bon Appetit, I pan roasted them to get a crispy crunchy skin and then finished cooking the chicken in the oven. Then I created a quick lemon and rosemary pan sauce to finish the dish. Shredded leftover chicken can be added to fried rice, tacos, or stuffed potatoes for dinner later in the week. Word of Caution: The pan will be extremely hot after coming out of the oven. Use care when creating the pan sauce - I grabbed the hot skillet handle and spent the night at the emergency room with second degree burns!


More Recipes for Chicken Thighs:
- Roasted Lemon Chicken and Sunchokes
- Roasted Chicken with Grapes
- Smothered Chicken


Crispy Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Thighs:

• Season 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. canola oil* in a large non-stick skillet until very hot.
• Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 12-15 minutes.
• Place the skillet in a 475°F** oven and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Flip the chicken to skin-side up and add 1 lemon, thinly sliced, and 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary***. 
• Cook chicken another 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with foil, and let rest for 7-10 minutes.
• Skim any excess fat from the pan and return to the stove, keeping lemon and herbs. 
• Heat the pan over high heat and add 1/2 c. white wine.
• Let sauce reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes. Remove lemon slices and herbs.
• Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Serves three-four
*Canola or vegetable oil has a higher smoking point than olive oil.
**Make sure your oven is very clean before heating it to 475°F.
***Use any fresh herbs you have on hand.