Cast Iron Grilled Chicken

Cast iron grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook. This grilled chicken is sophisticated enough for a Sunday dinner yet quick enough for a weeknight dinner (after it’s been marinated). This recipe is all about the marinade and the technique. Cook the thighs skin side down in a cast iron skillet to render out the fat and make the skin crisp and delicious.

Cast Iron Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil

• chicken thighs, with bone and skin- don’t get skinless

• lime juice, from 2 limes

• garlic cloves-chopped

• S&P

• smoked paprika

• cumin

• dried oregano

• brown sugar

• onion powder

• rosemary-chopped

• thyme- chopped

• soy sauce

Butter herb sauce

• butter

• olive oil

• lemon

• chopped rosemary

• chopped thyme

• S&P

Instructions

1. Clean and pat the chicken thighs dry. Sprinkle with some salt and set aside.

2. For the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients, add the chicken, turning to coat them all over with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. The longer, the better.

3. Preheat the oven to 400.

4. Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Nestle chicken in the skillet, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking skin side down. Please be careful when handling a cast iron skillet, it gets HOT. Use tongs to move the chicken around.

5. Cook without moving for about 7 minutes so that the fat can render and the skin can get nice and crispy. Once the chicken releases from the pan and has a nice golden brown crust on the skin, flip the chicken over and transfer the skillet with the chicken to the oven and roast for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F when tested with an instant read meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and set aside.

6. While chicken is roasting, make the sauce; In a small saucepan, heat butter and olive oil together, add the chopped rosemary, thyme, S&P. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt or lemon juice or both.