Super Crispy Chicken Thighs with Sauteed Carrots and Basil Yogurt Sauce

An Easy, Fancy Dinner

This meal is the perfect special meal at home. Perfectly crispy pan fried chicken thighs make you feel like you’re eating out at a restaurant in the comfort of your own home. The skin on the outside is crisp and brown while the inside of the chicken stays moist, thanks to the bone-in cut of the thigh. These are served with sauteed carrots in a buttery, green onion, and garlic sauce and then topped with an herby, basil yogurt sauce (yes, that’s double sauces). Served with your favorite grain, like rice or couscous, and you’re ready for a perfect dinner at home.

The best part is, this chicken thighs are even easier than you think they’re going to be!  Starting them on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet and then letting them finish cooking through in the oven, meaning you can finish up the last of your meal prep in those 10 minutes. WIth a few of the tricks in this recipe, you’ll be a home chef pro in no time!

Crispy Pan Fried Chicken Thighs Recipe Tips and Tricks

When you make these crispy pan fried chicken thigh with sauteed carrots and yogurt dipping sauce, here are a few tips to make sure they’re delicious:

• Cooking with cast iron can be very intimidating if you’ve not done it before. Between seasoning and preheating the pan, it can feel like a big commitment. My tip to reduce the stress is to use a coated enamel cast iron. They are much less maintenance than a true cast iron, as they don’t require any seasoning and are easier to keep clean. If you’re interested in investing in an enameled cast iron, I love Staub and Le Creuset. They are both reputable brands with amazing customer care!
• If you’re looking for a cheat to speed up the prep time on this recipe, you can opt for baby carrots instead of whole carrots. It will save you time peeling and depending on the size of the baby carrots you may not need to do any chopping. If they’re on the larger side, I’d recommend cutting them in half.
• The finer you mince the garlic and the thinner you slice the green onions, the faster they will cook and the more flavor that will be distributed throughout the dish. To practice your knife skills, go slowly and deliberately with each slice rather than rushing it. Also, a sharp knife is much safer than a dull one. Even if it feels more intimidating, you’ll be less likely to slip with a sharp knife, meaning less likely to accidentally nick yourself!

Frequent Questions When Making Crispy Chicken Thighs

Q: How do I make sure the skin on my chicken thighs stays crisp?

A: The trick to making crispy chicken thighs is all about how you use the heat under your pan and having a little bit of patience. In this recipe, you’re starting the patted-dry chicken in a cold pan. By using this method you can gradually heat the chicken, releasing the fat from the thigh. This fat is what encourages the crispy skin and by gradually heating it in the pan you’re ensuring the temperature stays at the right heat. Plus patting the chicken dry will get rid of any moisture, letting the chicken cook in only the fat and not steam. The more important thing is to keep patient when cooking the thighs.  If you try to flip the thighs too soon or remove them from the pan, the skin will stick to the bottom of the pan and you’ll lose all of the delicious, brown bits that have been cooking up until that point. The chicken will release itself from the pan easily once it is completely crisp and browned up - absolutely do not move it until it hits that point and you’ll be in great shape!

Q: How long should you cook chicken thighs in the pan?

A: To ensure the skin around the chicken thighs is browned, you’ll need to keep the chicken in the pan undisturbed for at least 12 minutes on the first side. Letting the chicken cook for this long without moving them will ensure a crisp skin, meaning it will easily release from the pan and be nice and brown. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for 5 minutes. Since the pan is already hot and a lot of the juices from the chicken have already released, it will take less time on the second side to brown up. At this point, I like to finish the chicken in the oven. That way it ensures the outside doesn’t get too dark while the meat inside is cooked all the way through. Bake for about 10 minutes and you’ll have perfectly cooked bone-in chicken thighs.

Q: How do I know my bone-in chicken thighs are cooked through?

A: There are two methods you can use to confirm your chicken thighs are cooked through. Once the thighs look opaque and white on all sides you can either use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F or remove one of the pieces of chicken from the pan and cut into the thickest part. If the chicken is opaque all the way through, and no pink pieces of meat left, you’re in the clear!  Note: As we’re working with bone-in chicken, there may be a few spots near the bone that are a darker red shade. That is a-ok. If the meat itself is opaque white, it’s safe to eat.

Recipe Details

To start these easy pan fried chicken thighs, you’ll first pat the chicken dry using a paper kitchen towel. Having a really dry piece of chicken will help ensure you get a really crispy skin. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then place them in a cast iron skillet. Place the skillet on the stovetop on medium heat. Cook the chicken undisturbed until it easily releases from the pan. Flip them to cook for a few minutes on the other side and then set them aside for a moment.

Add pieces of carrot to the pan and toss them in the fat that was released from the chicken thighs. Nestle chicken thighs back into the pan and bake the chicken and carrots in the oven until the chicken and carrots are completely cooked through.

While the chicken cooks, make the basil yogurt sauce. This sauce is tangy, lemony, and herby. Perfect for cutting through the rich chicken and carrots that are cooking. To make the yogurt sauce, it’s as simple as mixing greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, fresh basil, a bit of garlic, and a pinch of salt.

Once the chicken and carrots come out of the oven, you’ll add butter, green onions, garlic, and a bit of Worcestershire sauce to the pan. This will create a buttery, rich pan sauce that will coat the veggies and chicken. Serve everything over a bowl of your favorite grain, like rice or couscous, making sure to scoop any extra butter sauce and an extra big scoop of the yogurt sauce. Enjoy right away!

I hope you love this crispy pan fried chicken thighs dish as much as I do! If you make this easy pan fried chicken thighs with sauteed carrots and basil yogurt sauce I can’t wait to hear how it goes!