Optional seasoning(s) and flavoring of your choice*:
fresh or dried herbs, like sage, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, poultry blend, Italian blends, chili powder, taco seasoning, garlic powder. Additional ingredients like olives, artichokes, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, honey dijon mustard, greens, bacon, etc
Instructions
Pat the chicken thighs dry on both sides, with a paper towel. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium.
Place chicken thighs, skin side down, in the cast iron skillet and cook, until skin is browned and crisp, 10–12 minutes. The chicken is ready to flip when it releases easily from the pan, you are looking for the skin to be rendered, golden brown and crispy. Turn the chicken over, skin side is now up and cook over medium heat until cooked through, 8–10 minutes longer. Transfer thighs to a cutting board or large plate, let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Oven Option: Prepare and cook the same way for the first 10-12 minutes, then rather than flipping and leaving on the stove top, leave the skin side down, place the skillet in a preheated 475ºF oven and roast for another 12-15 minutes, then flip the chicken from the skin side down to skin side up and cook another 5 minutes or until skin crisps and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer thighs to a cutting board or large plate, let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Outside of a adding ingredients to the pan, like veggies, artichokes, etc after the skin side is crispy, I recommend seasoning only the underside of the chicken thighs, before cooking, as most herbs and spices will burn and not taste so hot.