This is my technique guide for making fool proof, super juicy, crispy skinned chicken with whatever you happen you have on hand. Bone in, skin on, dark meat chicken is the only real requirement here. The rest up to you!
Ingredients
- Bone in, skin on, dark meat chicken. Thighs, whole legs, or drumsticks.
- 1/2-1 cup liquid of choice – I prefer white wine, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
- 1/2- 3/4 cup assorted rough chopped veggies. Red onions, fennel, garlic, carrots, shallots all work well.
- Additional seasonings for spice or flavor– calabrian chilis, saffron, capers, a bunch of thyme or rosemary, or whole lemon slices all work great
Instructions
- Season your chicken all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat up a cast iron or stainless steel pan (you’ll need to transfer to oven). Once very hot, brown the chicken in a little oil, skin side down first, until all sides are brown.
- Remove chicken and add veggies. Don’t crowd the pan here, you will need to nestle the chicken back in.
- Return chicken to pan, skin side up, and turn heat to low. Add liquid of choice (white wine, vinegar, or a mixture of both) until it hits 1/2 way up the chicken. The top skin should remain completely dry.
- Add any extras for flavoring around the chicken. Calabrian chilis, saffron, capers, a bunch of thyme or rosemary, or whole lemon slices all work great. Again, don’t add too much that you are crowding the chicken. You want it to roast, not steam.
- Optional: top the chicken skin with seasonings of your choice. You don’t want to do this before as they might burn as you brown.
- Put in 400 oven for 30ish minutes.
- If your skin isn’t as crispy as you would like at the 28 min mark, set your oven to broil for a few minutes.