Name: Simple Broiled Chicken Thighs
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup kosher salt or 6 tablespoons table salt; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds); Ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Seeking a broiled chicken recipe that would produce moist, well-seasoned meat with a caramelized flavor and crisp skin in a short amount of time, we brined cut-up chicken thighs or breasts in a sugar and salt solution for better flavor, texture, and caramelization (thanks to the sugar) of the skin. Slashing the skin a few times before broiling allowed the fat in the skin to render, and cooking the chicken on the bottom shelf of the oven kept it moist and tender. To add flavor to our broiled chicken recipe, we used a simple rub or served it with a flavorful dipping sauce.

Before You Begin

Though we recommend brining, you may bypass this step if pressed for time; simply skip step 1 and season the chicken generously with salt and pepper before broiling. This recipe will work only in broilers with adjustable racks, not fixed-height broilers. If you’re making either the garlic rub or the dipping sauce to flavor the chicken, prepare it while the chicken is brining.

Instructions

In gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, dissolve kosher salt and sugar in 1 quart of water. Add chicken and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Remove from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Meanwhile, adjust one oven rack to lowest position and other rack to upper-middle position (top rack should be about 5 inches from heating element; bottom rack should be 13 inches away); heat broiler. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and fit with slotted broiler-pan top. Make three diagonal slashes in skin of each chicken thigh with sharp knife (do not cut into meat). Season both sides of chicken thighs with pepper and place skin-side down on broiler pan.

Broil chicken on bottom rack until just beginning to brown, 12 to 16 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken skin-side up and continue to broil on bottom rack until skin is slightly crisp and thickest part of meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Move pan to upper rack; broil until chicken is dark spotty brown and skin is thin and crisp, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.