American · dinner, lunch
Crispy-Skin Chicken Thighs in Tallow
Video by Laura Spath on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Carnivore
- Keto (0 g net carbs a serve)
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Salt and a spoonful of tallow are all it takes; the skin crisps in its own fat with no breading, flour or sugar. Two thighs give about 47 g of protein and most of a day's selenium.
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Ingredients 3
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Debone the thighs: cut along the bone, slide the knife underneath and lift it out, keeping the skin attached so each thigh lies flat. Save the bones for broth. 1:45
- Season with salt only; pepper and garlic tend to burn at this heat. 4:10
- Heat a cast-iron pan over medium to medium-high, add about 1 tbsp tallow, and when it shimmers lay the thighs in skin-side down, away from you. 4:48
- Leave them completely alone for 10–12 minutes until the skin is deep golden and crisp (a splatter guard helps). 6:02
- Move the pan to the oven, still skin-side down, for 10 minutes, then flip and roast 5 minutes more until the thickest part reads 74°C (165°F). 6:54
- Cool on a wire rack rather than in the hot pan so the skin stays crunchy. 8:28
Tip. Serves 2 (our estimate: 2 thighs each, as a meal), or 4 as a side. Bacon fat or another animal fat can replace the tallow; butter burns at this heat. Best eaten straight away while the skin is crisp.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 2
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 0%
- Protein 37%
- Fat 63%
Fits keto: 0 g net carbs a serve, with 63% of the energy from fat.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Selenium High80%
44 µg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Zinc High36%
4 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin B6 High35%
0.6 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin B12 High25%
0.6 µg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Omega-3 Source15%
0.2 g a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (83%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Iron Source12%
2.2 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Magnesium Source10%
42 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin A Source10%
92 µg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Show the other 7
Potassium9%
440 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin E5%
0.8 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (76%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin K4%
4.6 µg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Folate4%
14 µg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Calcium2%
24 mg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (99%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D2%
0.4 µg a serve, mostly from chicken thighs (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin C0%
0 mg a serve. An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Laura Spath; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.