Well, we love to get a little crispy chicken skin going on, and these crispy chicken thighs with zesty cauliflower are the perfect way to spice up your week!
Make It Spicy Or Mild
We’ve been known to like a little extra spice at times, and the blend of spice and citrus in this dish is the perfect way to take your taste buds on a little adventure. If you’re daring, really go for it with the jalapeño, and if you’re a little more cautious, pull back a bit or remove it all together. Either way, this dish is full of flavor and texture that will have you craving more!
Bone In – Skin On Thighs
For this crispy chicken thighs recipe, use bone in, skin on thighs. You can also use drumsticks as well. We typically just get bone in, skin on chicken quarters and then cut the thighs from the drumsticks and cook it all up! Go with whatever works best for you based on availability and preference.
Getting A Little Extra Crisp On The Chicken Skin
A quick and easy tip for getting the chicken skin to crisp up just a little extra is to turn the oven to broil right at the end, and broil for a couple of minutes. You’ll get an extra little crunch on the skin, that combined with the seasonings is a real treat!
Your Turn To Try Our Crispy Chicken Thighs With Zesty Cauliflower
Go ahead and get your crispy chicken thighs on and enjoy the exciting flavors of the zesty cauliflower. Let us know how it goes by leaving a comment below. Also, take a photo and tag us on Instagram @realsimplegood, so we can check it out!
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Crispy Chicken Thighs with Zesty Cauliflower (Paleo, Whole30 + Keto)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, (can also use drumsticks)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, (about 6-8 cups)
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken all over with salt, chili powder and paprika. Cut up cauliflower to have it ready.
- In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add avocado oil. Once hot, cook the chicken (in batches if needed) skin-side down without disturbing until the skin side is crisp and golden, about 5-6 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 1 minute to give it a quick sear. Turn the heat off and transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add the cauliflower to the skillet and season with cumin plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir and toss to coat with seasoning and some of the chicken juices in the pan.
- Next, nestle the chicken skin-side up in the cauliflower. If there is too much chicken to fit in the pan with the cauliflower, place remaining chicken on a sheet pan. Carefully transfer everything to the oven and roast until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- While the everything is cooking, cut up jalapeno and cilantro.
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove from oven and add in cilantro and jalapenos. Squeeze the lime juice over everything and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy.
This is a favorite at our house!
Thanks Chris, that’s so great to hear!
Love this recipe! So easy and a weekly go to in our house!
This looks really good. Found it while looking for something to make w thighs and cauliflower. Have you ever roasted the jalapeños w the rest? It seems odd to add raw at the end and I am having trouble Imagining this part. Also I have boneless skinless thighs thawed for tonight. Should I try it with these or is the loss of the fat going to ruin it? I realized I will need to reduce the cooking time. May just skip the pan searing and throw it all in oven to roast. Just wondering if I want to throw the jalapeño in with it all.
We like the crunch of raw jalapeno so that’s why we added it at the end. Roasting them sounds good too! Boneless, skinless thighs would work, let us know how it turns out 🙂
This was awesome! I generally don’t eat chicken thigh skins, but since I’m giving up so much other things, I did it. Amazing! Such great flavors, and so easy! I didn’t have jalepenos, but I did have everything else, and just added some Tapatio!
So happy you liked the recipe Emily! We love the crispy chicken skin, it’s the best! Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment :).
Had this in the week 4 Whole30 meal plan and it was amazing. AND Pretty easy.
Yay! We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed this one! Glad the Whole30 meal plan is working out, too! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and share! 🙂