My 1-Ingredient Upgrade for the Crispiest Chicken Thighs Ever
Say no to flabby chicken skin.
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I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with chicken thighs.
When done well, they are moist, juicy, and have crisp skin. Compared to chicken breasts, they are more affordable and forgiving to cook thanks to the higher fat content. They're also infinitely versatile—once you nail the cooking part, you can use the same method to take them in almost any direction flavor-wise.
So what's to hate? Three words: flabby chicken skin. Just typing that made me physically shudder. There is truly nothing worse than a skin-on chicken thigh that has not been properly rendered and seared—the skin is chewy, wet, and rubbery. And believe me, I’ve been guilty of this chicken sin more times than I can count.
What's my secret to never experiencing flabby chicken skin again and always getting the crispiest chicken thighs ever? Rice flour.
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
How I Use Rice Flour To Get the Crispiest Chicken Thighs
I used to coat my chicken thighs with all-purpose flour before cooking them. I would get my pan screaming hot, then put the chicken thighs in, turning them just a little too soon. I would pop them in the oven and while they looked golden brown, the skin always had a less-than-ideal rubbery texture. And rubbery is never a word you want to associate with dinner!
Like most of my favorite cooking hacks, I stumbled on the upgrade I now rely on by accident. I had a small dish of rice flour left over from baking bread on my kitchen counter. When I went to make dinner, I sprinkled it all over my chicken thighs, mistakenly thinking it was all-purpose flour.
I realized my mistake almost immediately since the texture of rice flour is grittier than all-purpose flour, but there was no turning back at this point. I decided to proceed as usual once the chicken was coated.
I seared the chicken thighs in a neutral high-heat oil—I like using avocado oil or grapeseed oil. To my surprise, the skin could not have been crispier. The texture was reminiscent of really good fried chicken with a light, almost flaky texture. The chicken thighs were less greasy too, since rice flour absorbs much less oil than all-purpose flour. I knew this was my new go-to way for cooking chicken thighs when even the leftovers stayed crisp!
The rice flour upgrade works best when searing the chicken on the stovetop. Cook both sides until golden brown and then pop the chicken in the oven to finish cooking all the way through.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes.
