Cast Iron Chicken Thighs ... sounds like poultry that has been working out.... but seriously this Turmeric Chicken Thighs Recipe made in a cast iron skillet is easy to make and healthy too! The dish is low carb and loaded with fortifying protein, along with the benefits of the turmeric.
I served it with a simple side of sauteed broccoli rabe, for a great keto meal. The plate has nearly zero net carbs.
Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
Boneless chicken thighs are one of my go to cuts of meat these days. The lower cost helps me buy them organic and they are great for set it and forget it type recipes, whereas with skinless boneless breasts there is always a concern of drying them out.
This cast iron chicken thighs recipe is, as the name indicates, prepared in a cast iron pan. The cookware choice helps avoid toxins even further. A nice change from the standard chicken thighs in crock pot.
Baked Turmeric Chicken Thighs Recipe
The choice of turmeric in this recipe was not simply just for taste. As many of you are already aware, turmeric has a host of fantastic health benefits, and reducing inflammation is one of those benefits. This is completely in line with the Keto diet, so it is a very natural addition to Keto recipes. The oil used in the marinade helps boost the fat content of the overall recipe and not only ensures there will not be sticking issues, but helps with maintaining moisture.
In the mood to grill? Try my Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs in Turmeric Greek Yogurt Marinade. You can also get chicken thighs with similar flavor by making my Instant Pot Chicken Curry. That one is more like a shredded chicken stew though.
I also love the nice golden color the turmeric lends to the finished dish.
Need a pan?
Lodge LCS3 Cast Iron Chef's Skillet, Pre-Seasoned, 10-inch
Lodge EC11S43 Enameled Cast Iron Skillet, 11-inch, Red
Low Carb Side Dishes for Turmeric Chicken
I chose a big portion of broccoli rabe (rapini) as the the side for the cast iron chicken thighs, not only because of it's extremely low carbohydrate count but also all the nutrients this vegetable provides. A serving of broccoli rabe has just half a gram of net carbs, well over a day's requirement of Vitamin K, loads of Vitamins C & A, and is a good source of calcium, iron, folate, Vitamin E, manganese, thiamin and too many more nutrients to list. See full Nutrition data here.
If you don't care for rabe (it is a bit of an acquired taste), then some baked asparagus would be a great choice, especially as it is baked at the same temperature as the Turmeric Chicken.
My Spanish Cauliflower Rice recipe would also be a good choice, or my Frozen Cauliflower rice pilaf for a quick easy option.
Keep your Cast Iron Clean
Crisbee Stik Original Cast Iron Seasoning Oil & Conditioner - Always Free Same Day Shipping - Plant Based Oils With BeeswaxStainless-Steel Chainmail Scrubber for Cast-iron Cleaner, Skillet, Pan, Griddle and Wok by Utopia Kitchen
Cast Iron Chicken Thighs : Baked Turmeric Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
Turmeric Marinade for Chicken Thighs
- ¼ cup oil preferably olive, coconut or avocado
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Mix together ingredients for marinade. Pour into large zipper bag and add chicken thighs. Seal and refrigerate overnight (min 3 hours).
- Pour the bag contents into cast iron pan. Fits in 10 inch cast iron pan.
- Place in unpreheated oven set to 375 and bake for 50 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
More Low Carb Boneless Chicken Thigh Recipes to Consider
Slow Cooker Curry Chicken Thighs: Low Carb Chicken Stew
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs in Turmeric Greek Yogurt Marinade
Whole 30 Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Butternut Squash and Spinach
Sandi says
I love using turmeric in chicken dishes. It is a great way to sneak in some healthy stuff past my kids 🙂
Jillian says
I bet the turmeric makes this chicken taste SO good! I can't wait to try this recipe!
Diane says
Can you give a carb count? It's not listed with everything else.
Robin Gagnon says
The carbs are such a trace amount they calculate as zero and the recipe software doesn't show zero values. I will look into possibly over-riding this, but I just recalculated and it only shows in the backend.
Molly says
Is it 312 cal per thigh?
Robin Gagnon says
It depends on the size of your chicken thighs. I used smaller ones, so there were 8 in the 2 pounds called for in the recipe. if yours are larger the calories will be more... but less oil will adhere.
The calories and nutritional info is just an estimate. I just updated to reflect 2/3rds oil retention. It is probably actually less. When I transferred info to nutritional calculator no change was made to reflect dishes like this where all the oil doesn't typically get eaten.
Lisa says
Can the thighs be grilled?
Robin Gagnon says
Absolutely! I like to go low and slow when grilling Chicken thighs. Like in this somewhat similar recipe >> https://momfoodie.com/grilled-boneless-chicken-thighs-turmeric-greek-yogurt-marinade/