Crispy Chicken with Fennel, Orange and Olives
Crispy Chicken THIGHS with JAMMY Fennel and A ZESTY, HERBY citrus AND GREEN Olive Salsa VERDE
FIRST PUBLISHED MAY 5, 2023; LAST UPDATED FEBRUARY 6, 2024
When I tell you that this recipe altered my brain chemistry….oof! I mean, the thighs are just so crispy but still nice and light (thanks to a secret ingredient, rice flour, that coincidentally means this recipe also happens to be gluten-free). And this sauce. I mean, just WOW. Excuse me while I have to be picked up from the puddle I’ve melted into on the floor. Yes, that’s how good this sauce is.
Honestly, DROOL-FREAKIN’-WORTHY. I mean, there really are no other better words that could possibly describe this dish better. I’m honestly drooling on my keyboard just thinking about them and trying to get out any sort of proper sentence that gives them even an ounce of the credit they deserve. Because they are deliciously epic beyond measure.
When I tell you this is maybe my favorite chicken of all time, I’m not even kidding. And I don’t even like chicken with bones in it, so you know that’s a pretty bold statement for me to make about a dish that very much involves bone-in chicken.
Truth be told, this recipe was ready to go ages ago, but I kept saying I wanted to “test it just to be sure” aka I wanted an excuse to justify continuing to make this recipe on repeat. Not that you really need an excuse when crispy chicken and fennel and castelvetrano olives and citrus is involved.
And have I mentioned the salsa verde sauce?! Because wow! It’s pretty epic all on its own. It’s herbaceous, it’s zesty, it’s briney, it’s citrusy, it’s bright, it’s fresh, it’s literally all the things you could want and more. The chicken is a great vessel for it, don’t get me wrong. But so is a spoon, if we’re really being honest. Yup, it really is delicious all on its own, straight to the face! Ha! Or on top of fish, shrimp, rice, salad, crispy potatoes, scooped up with crusty bread (grilled and brushed with olive oil, please and thank you)…the options are truly endless, so pro tip- double (or triple) the batch when you make it. It will keep for a day or two in the fridge (if it even lasts that long) and then you have it ready to go for extra meals or snacking.
So, let’s get into the details of these crispy chicken thighs with their zesty, herby orange and green olive salsa verde sauce and jammy, flavorful fennel, shall we? Because I know with this intro you probably can’t get your hands on the recipe fast enough!
P.S. YOU CAN ALSO WATCH ME MAKE THIS CHICKEN OVER ON INSTAGRAM or YOUTUBE!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE crispy chicken THIGHS + SALSA VERDE
BONE-IN, SKIN-ON CHICKEN THIGHS- You never would have guessed, right?! For the ultimate, crispiest skin and juiciest chicken, you’re going to want to use bone-in thighs with the skin on. You can absolutely use boneless and skinless thighs, however, they won’t get nearly as crispy and the meat can sometimes be a bit drier. I have prepared this dish with boneless, skinless thighs so it can definitely can be done and is quite tasty in it’s own right, you just miss out on the crispy skin which is kind of the whole point to begin with.
RICE FLOUR- the key to ultimate crispiness; I use this unsweetened white rice flour from Bob’s Red Mill (you could also use a brown rice flour, just avoid any sweet rice flours) and I find that the rice flour produces the crispest chicken skin that’s still nice and light. However, you can also use another gluten-free flour of your choice, cornstarch or all-purpose flour
CASTELVETRANO OLIVES- because is their a more perfect olive?! It’s buttery, sweet, salty and it works oh so well with all the flavors of the salsa verde sauce to create the perfect accompaniment for the crispy chicken.
CAPERS- for a touch of saltiness and brininess
ORANGES- I like to use navel oranges for this recipe but cara cara oranges would also work; we use all parts of the orange (zest, fruit, juice) to bring this recipe to life with a bit of zesty, sweet brightness; for the juice, I just use the juice of one of the oranges that I zest for the sauce
SHALLOTS- for just a touch of sharpness; I prefer the smoother taste of shallots for this sauce, but you can also use red onion if you prefer a bit more tang or bite
PARSLEY- for herbaceous freshness; flat leaf Italian parsley is my go to (and what I recommend), but you could try dill, cilantro, basil or a mix of herbs
OLIVE OIL- the golden glue that binds the sauce together into one magical mixture; use a high quality olive oil for added flavor
FENNEL- thinly sliced fennel soaks up all those delicious juices as it cooks down into a sweet jammy mixture that serves as the perfect bed for serving up the chicken
SEASONINGS- the sauce really does all the seasoning this dish needs so we keep the rest pretty simple with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and just a touch of garlic powder (for a little seasoning on the chicken skin); if you want to kick things up a notch you can add pinch of red pepper flakes or a bit of calabrian chili paste for a little heat
TOOLS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
LARGE CAST IRON SKILLET (or another oven-safe skillet such as this one)
BOWLS- one for mixing the sauce, one low, wide one along the lines of this for coating the chicken)
A SPOON (I like to use a wooden one to mix and serve the sauce)
SPLATTER SCREEN (not necessary but super helpful when frying)
AND THE SECRET FOR PERFECTLY CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS IS…
…that there are several secrets, actually! haha But don’t worry, I’m spilling them all!
First, let your chicken thighs rest out to room temperature, or at least 30 minutes, prior to preparing and cooking them.
Next, it’s absolutely vital that you pat them dry with a paper towel prior to seasoning. Skip this step and you can say adios to crispy chicken thighs!
A good sprinkling of salt is key for a few reasons- it draws out moisture to from help the skin get crispy while also locking moisture in the meat all while simultaneously giving our chicken a good base of flavor.
Let’s talk about the rice flour. Sure, you can get the skin of the thighs crispy enough on their own, but for the ultimate crispiness a little extra coating is exactly what you need. You can use a beaten egg white, all-purpose flour, finely crushed up cracker crumbs, there really are so many options, but I personally love using rice flour. It gives such a nice crispy crunch to the skin while simultaneously keeping it nice and light.
Last but not least, when the chicken is cooking resist all the urges you’ll have to flip over the chicken “just to check it” before the time is up. Uninterrupted cooking time is key to crispiness (and no, this won’t cause the chicken to burn, I promise).
Bonus- if you have a cast iron skillet, use it! It always makes the chicken that much more crispy!
HOW TO MAKE Crispy Chicken THIGHS with FENNEL + Salsa VERDE
This chicken recipe is essentially divided into two easy parts- making the chicken and fennel (both done in the same pan, but at separate times) and making the sauce, both easy tasks but ones that require just a little patience and time in the form of how long it takes to cook things and the amount of chopping required for the salsa verde. Keep reading for more details and you can also WATCH ME MAKE THE CHICKEN over on INSTAGRAM or YOUTUBE.
MAKE THE ZESTY, HERBY ORANGE AND GREEN OLIVE SALSA VERDE SAUCE- tbh, the hardest (if it can really even be called that) part of this recipe is all the chopping to make this salsa verde sauce. Outside of that, this comes together in a breeze. And did I mention that the sauce can be made a day or so ahead of time?! Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
MAKE THE CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS- which is really just as simple as patting dry, seasoning and a quick dip into a bath of rice flour and garlic powder (for just a touch of flavor) before it gets fried up (preferably in a cast iron skillet, but any oven-safe skillet will do) and set aside. Then the fennel and orange juice gets cooked down in the same pan, before the chicken gets added back in and everything gets popped into the oven to seal in the crispiness and the flavors.
SERVE IT ALL WITH THE BUTTERY, JAMMY FLAVORFUL FENNEL- I like to spoon some of the fennel on the plate, then place a piece of chicken on top before generously spooning on the sauce.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE FULL PROCESS OF MAKING THIS CHICKEN RECIPE ON INSTAGRAM or YOUTUBE.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THESE Crispy Chicken THIGHS
One of the best parts of this dish is how versatile it is when it comes to serving it. It can stand all on it’s own as a lighter meal but it also pairs perfectly with a simple green salad or, for a more complete meal, I absolutely love it with crispy potatoes, Israeli couscous (my favorite), pasta and, of course, some good crusty bread to soak up all those golden delicious juices.
If you have leftover sauce (highly unlikely because it’s just that good), I love putting it on other meat dishes, seafood, roasted vegetables, salads, rice or just soaking it up with some great toasted bread or pita. This sauce is so good you honestly can’t go wrong with how you enjoy it (even if it is with a spoon straight from bowl to face).
NOTES, SUBSTITUTIONS + FAQ
CAN THE SAUCE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME? Yes, the salsa verde can be made a day or two in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
DO YOU HAVE TO USE CHICKEN THIGHS? If you want crispy skin and juicy chicken, yes, you do have to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. I know, I know, it weirds me out a bit, too, but trust me, it’s worth it for this recipe. You can use boneless and/or skinless chicken pieces, bit fair warning, they won’t get as crispy and may not be as moist, juicy and flavorful.
DO YOU HAVE TO USE RICE FLOUR? No, you don’t. I personally find rice flour produces the crispiest chicken skin that’s still nice and light, however, you can also use another gluten-free flour of your choice, cornstarch, potato starch or all-purpose flour. Just note the crunchiness texture may vary slightly.
WHAT’S THE BEST PAN TO MAKE THIS RECIPE? I strongly recommend using a cast iron skillet to cook the chicken as it gives the crispiest chicken, the jammiest fennel and, I think, the best overall flavor. However, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, any oven safe skillet (it must be oven safe as you do have to bake the chicken for a few minutes) will do.
WHAT SUBSTITUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?
OLIVES- Use green olives of your choice in place of the castelvetrano olives.
SHALLOT- Use red onion in place of the shallot.
HERBS- In place of parsley, try dill, cilantro, basil or a mix of herbs.
BRINE- Instead of the olive brine, use the caper brine.
BECAUSE FOOD TASTES BETTER WHEN IT’S SHARED WITH OTHERS…
If you make this crispy chicken recipe, please snap a photo and share it, tagging me on INSTAGRAM or PINTEREST so I can see. Truly nothing makes me happier than when I see others making and enjoying my recipes!
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