Crispy & sticky chicken thighs | Jamie Oliver chicken recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to fry or bake chicken thighs? ›

If you're looking for a quick, relatively easy path to crispy-skinned thighs with juicy meat, call in the skillet-only method. If you're a stickler for even cooking, the sear and high-heat roast method is the way to go. For beautifully flavored meat and a light, crisp skin, try the dry brine and slow roast.

If you find the chicken thigh skin isn't as crispy as you would like, it could mean the skin may not have been dry before you added it to the oil.

When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating. If you already have a favorite fried chicken recipe, try replacing a quarter of the flour with cornstarch.

“Put a little schmear of vegetable oil and because there is no water in it, the heat from the oven immediately begins to crisp up the skin and you don't end up with steam coming off the skin,” he says. Slow and steady when roasting.

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

Again, the chicken is technically cooked through and safe to eat at 165 degrees, but we're tacking on extra baking time to render the thighs extremely tender and juicy. There is no need to rotate the pan or flip the chicken thighs at any point during the baking process.

Chicken thighs can be baked anywhere between 350 and 425 degrees, but at 400 or 425 degrees, they have enough time to get super tender while still having the heat they need to crisp up the skin. Should you cover chicken thighs in the oven? For baking, it is not necessary to cover chicken thighs.

Spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and thyme will make the most flavorful spice rub for your chicken, so make sure to always have your pantry stocked with some spices. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil.

If you're a healthy eater, look away now. KFC deep fries its chicken for 15 minutes and then drains the oil off for another five minutes – 20 minutes in total. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat up plenty of oil in a large saucepan and do it that way.

Use cornstarch to achieve crispier chicken

Corn starch — specifically a 50-50 ratio of cornstarch to flour — also helps in deep frying, producing a satisfying crunchy exterior. Further, "The corn adds a bit of golden color that all-purpose flour can't quite get to."

How do you make chicken thighs crispy again? ›

To store: Leftover chicken thighs will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat: To enjoy crispy skin again, you can bake them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.

To keep fried chicken crispy once you've prepared it, place it in the oven at an extremely low temperature until you're ready to serve. If you'd like to reheat fried leftover chicken, you just need to heat it in an oven to an extremely high temperature. This will allow the coating to dry while the chicken is warming.

Acidic buttermilk tenderizes the chicken without making it too tough. Also, it helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken. All-purpose flour gives the buttermilk and seasonings something to stick to, while ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

That trick is a sprinkling of baking powder, and it'll get you the crispiest, crackliest bites of fatty, salty skin imaginable, whether you're cooking just one thigh, a plate of wings, or an entire bird.

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.