Extra Crispy Chicken with Lemon & Thyme

Credit for this recipe goes to Nom Nom Paleo and their world's famous Cracklin' Chicken!

When I discovered this recipe a while ago, I thought it was one of the best ways to cook poultry. It's a convenient method because it's quick and you won't need to use an oven - instead, you'll just need a large pan. Chicken cooked this way is crispy on the outside, soft and juicy inside.

Plus it's naturally high in protein and low in carbs so it's perfect for a keto diet. To give it a flavour boost, I marinated my chicken in garlic, lemon and thyme.

Step-by-step

1. Start by preparing the chicken thighs. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears and cut out the bone without leaving too much meat on it. You can also trim the excess fat off but I prefer not to trim mine :-)
   Reserve the bones for making chicken stock or keto bone broth. I keep mine in a bag in the freezer until I just have enough to make a batch.

   

2. Place the thighs on a chopping board skin side up and use a meat pounder to flatten it so that the thickest parts can cook through. Layer the thighs in a bowl and add the seasoning: lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to cover evenly from all sides. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.

   

3. Remove from the fridge and place the thighs on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Use another piece of paper towel to pat dry the tops. It's better if you remove all the spices used for marinating from the skin to prevent the it from burning. You can leave them on the meaty side of the thigh.

   

4. Heat a large skillet greased with ghee over a medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 7-10 minutes (I cook mine for 8 minutes). Rotate the pan half way through to ensure even cooking. Then turn the chicken thighs the other side using kitchen tongs or a fork. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.
   Pan-frying the chicken will be messy. The best way to prevent the oil from getting everywhere over your stove is to use a spatter guard.

   

5. Transfer to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet so the juices can drip down. Let the thighs rest for a few minutes before serving.

   

6. Repeat for the remaining thighs and enjoy!

   

Recipe

Extra Crispy Chicken with Lemon & Thyme

★★★★☆4.5 (67 ratings)

The best way to cook boneless chicken thighs to perfection. Crispy skin with tender, juicy meat, and best of ...

Hands on

15m

Overall

20m

Servings

4

1 g

Net carbs

28.2 g

Protein

61.3 g

Fat

676

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings16 servings

US + metricMetricUS

PrintPinRate

Ingredients makes 4 servings

• 8 chicken thighs, deboned (800 g / 1.76 lb)
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp ghee, lard or coconut oil, you can make your own ghee
• 1 tsp salt (I like pink Himalayan salt)
• ¹/₄ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: serve with Keto Ranch Dressing, Homemade Ketchup or Spicy Chocolate BBQ Sauce
• Nutrition facts are estimated: Olive oil is only used for marinating. Most of the fats remain in the pan, so I only counted 50% of the ghee.

Instructions

1. Start by preparing the chicken thighs. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears and cut out the bone without leaving too much meat on it. You can also trim the excess fat off but I prefer not to trim mine :-)
   Reserve the bones for making chicken stock or keto bone broth. I keep mine in a bag in the freezer until I just have enough to make a batch.

2. Place the thighs on a chopping board skin side up and use a meat pounder to flatten it so that the thickest parts can cook through. Layer the thighs in a bowl and add the seasoning: lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to cover evenly from all sides. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.

3. Remove from the fridge and place the thighs on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Use another piece of paper towel to pat dry the tops. It's better if you remove all the spices used for marinating from the skin to prevent the it from burning. You can leave them on the meaty side of the thigh.

4. Heat a large skillet greased with ghee over a medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 7-10 minutes (I cook mine for 8 minutes). Rotate the pan half way through to ensure even cooking. Then turn the chicken thighs the other side using kitchen tongs or a fork. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.
   Pan-frying the chicken will be messy. The best way to prevent the oil from getting everywhere over your stove is to use a spatter guard.

5. Transfer to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet so the juices can drip down. Let the thighs rest for a few minutes before serving.

6. Repeat for the remaining thighs and enjoy!

Nutrition per serving, 2 thighs

Carbs 1%Protein 17%Fat 82% of calories

Net carbs

1 g

Total carbs

1.1 g

Fiber

0.2 g

Sugars

0.2 g

Protein

28.2 g

Fat

61.3 g

Saturated fat

18.9 g

Calories

676 kcal

Sodium

703 mg · 30.6% RDA

Magnesium

34 mg · 8.46% RDA

Potassium

358 mg · 17.9% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per 2 thighs	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Chicken thighs (with skin, boneless, raw, no fat trimmed off)	0 g	28.1 g	57.5 g	638
Thyme, fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Lemon juice, fresh	0.4 g	0 g	0 g	1
Lemon zest (peel), fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Garlic, fresh	0.5 g	0.1 g	0 g	2
Ghee	0 g	0 g	3.8 g	34
Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Pepper, black, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0
Total	1 g	28.2 g	61.3 g	676

Serving size 2 thighs

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Nut free
• Nightshade free
• Pork free
• Avocado free
• Coconut free
• Fish free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free