Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs (Whole30, Keto)

These Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs are the perfect healthy weeknight meal to feed to your family! It’s a one-pan, umami-packed, Whole30, paleo, and keto chicken dish with super crispy skin!

An overhead shot of Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs in a frying pan with fresh cilantro and scallions on top.

When I was growing up, one of my mom’s weeknight dinner standards was a Cantonese steamed chicken dish with sliced shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and scallions. The combination of these umami-packed ingredients yielded a dish that tasted exponentially better than the individual parts—umami synergy in action!

Chinese Cracklin’ Chicken

A few years ago, my picky younger son, Ollie, declared that his grandmother’s cooking is far superior to mine (“no offense, mom, but poh-poh’s a better cook than you because she cooks with Chinese flavors—you’re number two”). I told him that I agree with him 100 percent, but not to tell my mom. (I like to needle my mom, just like Ollie likes to needle me.) Ollie did throw me a bone, though: “I love your Cracklin’ Chicken, mom. I just wish you’d make it with Chinese flavors.”

Ollie never makes any special requests for recipes, so I decided that this was a challenge worth taking. Taking inspiration from both my mom’s Cantonese chicken dish and my friend Simone Miller’s Pan-Roasted Chicken with Bacon and Apples, I created this simple yet flavor-packed chicken dish with ingredients that remind me of my childhood. And did I mention that the chicken skin gets super crispy (like Cracklin’ Chicken!), the juicy meat is infused with tons of flavor, and you only dirty one pot? Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

This recipe is so good that we put it in our second cookbook, Ready or Not!

Soak Dried Shiitake Mushrooms Ahead of Time!

Dried shiitake mushrooms are one of the key components to this dish. They pack a giant wallop of flavor ’cause they have more than 15 times the amount of umami as fresh shiitake mushrooms.

Plus, you can keep them in your pantry for months and pull them out whenever you need an extra burst of flavor. I’m convinced that my mom’s cooking tastes so good because she adds reconstituted dried shiitake to EVERYTHING.

Soaking dried shiitake mushrooms for Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs

Of course, you do need to reconstitute these dried mushrooms in water before using them (unless you’re throwing them in a soup), and they need time to rehydrate. The package normally says to soak them for 30 minutes, but I’ve found that it always takes longer.

If you’re planning to make this chicken dish, take a few minutes earlier in the day to rinse the dried mushrooms to remove dirt. Then, put the mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with water—your ’shrooms will be ready to use at dinnertime!

Can’t find dried shiitake mushrooms? You can substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms, but your dish won’t be quite as good.

Can you use Chicken Breasts?

Yes, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. However, keep a close eye on the breasts so they don’t overcook! Definitely use an accurate meat thermometer and make sure that you remove the breasts when the temperature hits 145°F to 150°F in the meatiest part. (Yes, chicken breasts are A-OK at this temperature per this article from Serious Eats.)

What Do You Serve With This Dish?

Some of my favorite side dishes to serve with Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs are:

Time to make Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ghee or avocado oil
1 cup thinly-sliced shallots (about 3 large)
Kosher salt
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin coins
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes or until softened
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup bone broth
1 teaspoon fish sauce`
¼ cup sliced green onions/scallions
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment:

All my favorite tools are listed here. My favorite meat thermometer is a Thermapen Mk4.

Method:

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle position.

Heat a 12-inch oven-safe heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Melt one tablespoon of ghee in the hot pan, add the sliced shallots, and a sprinkle of salt.

Sautéing some sliced shallots in a sauce pan

Cook until the shallots are softened, stirring occasionally. This should take 5-10 minutes.

Stirring sliced shallots in a frying pan with a silicone spatula

While the shallots are cooking, sprinkle kosher salt liberally (about 2 teaspoons) on both sides of the chicken pieces.

Sprinkling salt on chicken thighs on a cutting board

Squeeze out the excess liquid from the reconstituted mushrooms, slice off the woody stems (which can be reserved for bone broth)…

Squeezing the liquid out of rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and slicing of the stems.

…and thinly slice the caps.

Closeup of thinly slicing rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.

Once the shallots have wilted, add the sliced mushrooms, ginger, and garlic.

Closeup shot of stir frying shallots, shiitake mushrooms, and ginger in a pan for cantonese crispy chicken thighs.

Stir-fry for about a minute or until aromatic. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.

Transferring the sautéed aromatics and mushrooms from the pan to a plate.

Return the pan to the stovetop, wipe out any remnants with a paper towel, and increase the heat to medium-high. Then, sear the chicken pieces skin-side down in the hot pan until nicely browned and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Pan-frying chicken thighs skin-side down in a stainless steel skillet.

While the skin is crisping, add freshly ground black pepper to the meaty side.

Adding freshly ground black pepper to the meaty side of the thighs in the pan.

When the skin is golden brown…

Flipping over Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs to cook on the meaty side.

…flip the pieces over and cook for 2 minutes more.

A closeup of a pan of Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs with crispy skin.

Stir the fish sauce into the broth and pour it in the pan, making sure to avoid pouring the liquid on the crispy skin.

Pouring bone broth into a pan of Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs

Add the reserved shallots, mushrooms, and garlic back to the pan, tucking them in between the chicken pieces. Again, make sure not to cover the skin!

Adding the reserved vegetables back to the pan of Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs

Transfer the pan to the hot oven and roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. (You have a meat thermometer, right? Use it!)

Placing the skillet of Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs into the oven.

Put on your heat-proof oven gloves, before you grab the pan.

Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed. Garnish the chicken with a shower of sliced scallions and cilantro, and dig in!

An overhead shot of Cantonese Crispy Chicken Thighs in a frying pan with fresh cilantro and scallions on top.

By the way, this dish tastes fantastic with my Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice. Just sayin’.

[Originally posted on September 6, 2016. Updated with new information and photos on January 5, 2021.]

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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