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Cast iron skillets are our favorite for cooking chicken thighs. First we sear them on the stove top to make the skins super crispy. Then we finish them off in the oven to make sure they are fully cooked.
If you like no fuss, easy keto chicken recipes check out this copycat alice springs chicken recipe and this keto crack chicken recipe.
Or if you want more keto cast iron recipes, try our cast iron pork chops or our reverse seared ribeye.

These chicken thighs not only have nice and crispy chicken skins, but they are super tender and flavorful. The fresh lemon, garlic and rosemary enhance the flavor of the tender chicken thighs.
They have just enough acid from the lemon juice which pairs nicely with the flavor of the ghee. We use ghee in this recipe instead of butter, coconut oil or avocado for it’s delicious nutty aroma.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can sear the chicken thighs in a regular skillet and then transfer them to an oven safe dish.
Lemon Garlic Rosemary Cast Iron Chicken Thigh Ingredients
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- salt
- black pepper
- ghee
- garlic
- lemon
- fresh rosemary
How to Make Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
First, preheat the oven. Next pat the chicken dry and season it on both sides with salt and pepper. Then, add the ghee to a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs skin-side-down and cook until seared on both sides.
After that, add the garlic cloves, lemon slices, and rosemary sprigs to the skillet. Finally, transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the chicken is fully cooked.
Chicken Thigh Nutrition
Since this is a keto chicken thigh recipe, we like to keep the carbs as low as possible while boosting the fat content. This is not a low calorie recipe by any means so bring your appetite!
To increase the fat content of this cast iron chicken thigh recipe, we keep the skin on. The skin not only adds fat, but it also adds fat soluble vitamins and a delicious taste! We’re all about that crispy chicken skin life!
This chicken thigh recipe serves 2 and per serving it has the following:
- 545 calories
- 5g of total carbohydrates, 1g of fiber and 4g net carbs
- 37g of protein
- 41g of fat

Other Cast Iron Chicken Thigh Recipes
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Lemon Garlic Rosemary Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon ghee
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
- 1/2 lemon thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Pat the chicken dry and season it on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the ghee to a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 4 chicken thighs skin-side-down and cook until seared on both sides, about 5 minutes on the first side and about 3 minutes on the second side.
- Add the garlic cloves, lemon slices, and rosemary sprigs to the skillet. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes. It should reach an internal temperature of 165F and the juices should run clear.
- Serve.
Notes
- Don't skip the searing of the chicken thighs. This is how the skin get nice and crispy!
- If you don't have ghee you can substitute butter, lard or avocado oil.
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