Cast Iron Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes

Friends, if you struggle with cooking, this cast iron chicken thighs dinner is for you. Your active cooking time is about five minutes, but the flavors of these crispy tender things will make your eyes close with each bite.

There are three cooking techniques that help make Cast Iron Chicken Thighs your favorite meal

A hot oven. 450 degrees!

Pre-salted chicken thighs. It also helps if you buy air-chilled chicken. It might cost a few pennies more, but I buy it when Whole Foods has their prime day sale. It makes a huge difference, as it’s not filled with water.

Separating the skin from the flesh and stuffing your favorite herbs inside. I used lemon thyme, but you could also use any thyme, oregano, sage leaves or fresh rosemary.

That’s it. That’s all you need to know. The right chicken and the right temperature, and a cast iron pan.

I use my largest cast iron for this to make a lot of room for the chicken. You can use a sheet pan if you like.

During the last twenty minutes I add fresh whole garlic cloves and grape tomatoes.

Serve Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice, Orzo, Quinoa or Rice

I like to serve this over cauliflower rice, but you could also use orzo,  quinoa or rice.

Once the chicken is done (about 40 minutes if the thighs are large), I remove everything out of the cast iron pan and stir in cooked cauliflower rice, mix it up with the chicken fat and add crumbled feta cheese.

You could also cook this in a separate vessel adding in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and feta and baking until you get the desired look. It takes about 20 minutes for the cauliflower rice, which is enough time to set your table and have your chicken rest under foil.

Roasted Chicken thighs are great leftover and can be frozen.

Serve this with a Tuscan Green Salad  

More Chicken Thigh Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes

Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• lemon thyme or fresh herb of choice
• cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 
  Cauliflower Rice
• 2 ounces crumbled feta
• lemon zest
• za'atar seasoning or chopped fresh herbs of choice
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Gently separate chicken thigh skin from flesh, enough to be able to stick herbs inside.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Preheat pan for 10 minutes.
• Put herbs between flesh and chicken skin.
• Place on hot cast iron pan.
• After 25 minutes, add tomatoes, garlic cloves.
• Cook for about 20 more minutes. Tomato skins should burst and garlic get softened.
• If the chicken is not as browned as you like, place under the broiler for four to six minutes.
• If making cauliflower rice, if frozen, pat out excess liquid with paper towels. Microwave to get a bit warmed. I use a large piece of parchment paper. You could use cooked rice or cooked quinoa with this dish.
• Remove everything from frying pan and set aside with foil.
• You want to have some of the chicken fat in the pan. Mix your cauliflower rice with herbs, feta and lemon zest. Bake at 400 degrees until the sides seem crispy.
• Place the chicken and tomatoes back over the cauliflower rice. Turn oven off.
• If you need to reheat slightly just place back in hot oven for a few minutes.

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