These Buffalo Chicken Thighs are the perfect at-home cure for those pub food cravings. They're baked in a cast iron pan which makes them super crispy and much easier to make than classic deep fried chicken wings. Plus: There's a lot more meat on the bone, so along with a side of veggies, they are substantial enough for dinner.
I am a huge fan of buffalo wings. You can often find me cozied up in a neighbourhood pub on a Sunday with a cheeky pint and a plate of buffalo wings. But when I’m craving that buffalo vibe at home, I turn to something a bit more practical—Buffalo Chicken Thighs.
What you’ll need to make this recipe
The only equipment you’ll need is:
- 2 cast iron pans of similar size
- An oven
- Parchment paper
Technically, you don’t necessarily need to use a cast-iron skillet for this recipe, but it certainly does help to achieve peak crispiness. Any heavy bottomed, oven-safe pan will do the trick.
As far as ingredients go, you’ll need:
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- Potato starch
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
How to make these Buffalo Chicken Thighs
- Start by heating the larger of the two cast-iron skillets over medium-low heat, and preheat the oven to 425F.
- Season the chicken thighs all over (including under the skin) with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle a layer of potato starch onto a plate, and dip the skin side of each chicken thigh into the starch to form a thin coating.
- Place the chicken thighs into the heated cast-iron pan, skin-side down. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the thighs, and place a second cast-iron pan on top of the parchment paper to weigh the thighs down.
- Transfer the cast-iron-sandwiched thighs into the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. At this point, the chicken skin should be nice and crispy.
- Meanwhile, make the buffalo sauce by melting the butter and hot sauce together. Set aside.
- Remove the thighs from the pan and toss with the buffalo sauce to coat.
Success tips
- Although you can use any oven-safe pan to cook these chicken thighs, I think a cast-iron skillet works best, because it delivers such even heat and produces a good crust.
- If your chicken is particularly wet when it comes out of the package, use paper towels to pat the thighs down before seasoning them. The drier they are, the better the chances are of getting a crispy crust.
- Use good quality chicken thighs. The better the quality, the better they’ll taste. That’s a pretty good rule of thumb in all cooking I guess!
What goes well with these Buffalo Chicken Thighs?
These Buffalo Chicken Thighs are great on their own or with some creamy blue cheese dip. But if you have a crunchy creamy salad and a glass of beer (or other cold fizzy drink of choice), you’re in even better shape.
Storage, freezing, and reheating tips
Buffalo Chicken Thighs are best eaten right away. If you can’t finish them all, I’d recommend eating them cold, straight out of the fridge the next day.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Corn starch and potato starch will give you a similar result. Super crispy!
Yes, however the crust will likely be slightly less crispy than if you used potato starch or corn starch.
I wouldn't recommend it. Breast meat has a tendency to dry out, and it would be less likely to withstand this hard cast-iron roast. Chicken thighs are fattier and juicier so they can hold up to the heat and pressure.
As far as spice levels go, Frank's (Louisiana) hot sauce is fairly mild. However, if you are sensitive to heat, I'd recommend finding a recipe that doesn't feature hot sauce as one of the main ingredients.
Want more chicken recipes?
Try these next:
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms with Brown Rice
- Oven-braised Chicken Thighs with Lemons and Capers
Be sure to tag me on Instagram @howtomakedinner if you make these. I'd love to see!
Cast-Iron Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 2 cast iron skillets
- 1 digital thermometer optional, but very helpful!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Heat the larger of the two cast-iron skillets over medium-low heat, and preheat the oven to 425F.
- Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and season all over (including under the skin) with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle a layer of potato starch onto a plate, and dip the skin side of each chicken thigh into the starch to form a thin coating.
- Place the chicken thighs into the heated cast-iron pan, skin-side down. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the thighs, and place a second cast-iron pan on top of the parchment paper to weigh the thighs down.
- Transfer the thighs, while still sandwiched between the cast-iron pans, into the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the buffalo sauce by melting the butter and hot sauce together. Set aside.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the pan. At this point, the chicken skin should be nice and crispy. Toss with the buffalo sauce to coat.
Susan says
I've made this recipe 5 or 6 times now since I first watched this episode. I love these chicken wing thighs. Sometimes I add more spices to the buffalo sauce, but they turn out great every time.
I enjoy your videos always.
Paula Hingley says
This is so great to hear! Thank you!