Crispy Bang Bang Chicken Thighs
Juicy bone-in chicken thighs roasted until shatteringly crisp, then cloaked in a spicy, creamy Bang Bang sauce with a hint of gochujang and finished w...
4 servings
American-Asian fusion Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
Jul 23, 2025
42 views
Ingredients
🥩
6 pieces
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
about 2 ½ lb total, patted very dry
🌾
2 teaspoons
rice vinegar
🍎
1 tablespoon
lime juice
freshly squeezed
📦
½ cup
mayonnaise
Kewpie preferred for richness
🫒
1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
📦
2 tablespoons
chopped fresh cilantro
🌶️
¼ cup
Thai sweet chili sauce
📦
1 tablespoons
sriracha
adjust to heat preference
📦
1 tablespoon
gochujang
adjust to taste, Korean chili paste
🥬
¾ teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
📦
2 teaspoons
honey
🥬
½ teaspoon
garlic powder
🌶️
1 ½ teaspoons
kosher salt
🌶️
½ teaspoon
smoked paprika
📦
2 teaspoons
toasted sesame seeds
optional garnish
📦
1 teaspoon
baking powder
aluminum-free
Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other
Instructions
Step 1
Whisk the kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, baking powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl, ensuring the baking powder is evenly dispersed to avoid off flavors.
Step 2
Rub the seasoning mixture all over the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, making sure to work it underneath any folds of skin; the baking powder raises the skin’s pH, helping it brown and crisp in the oven.
Step 3
Arrange the seasoned bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs skin-side up on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece for air circulation; refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours to dry the skin and intensify flavor.
Step 4
Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 450 °F (232 °C); allowing the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to lose their chill promotes even cooking.
Step 5
Brush the skin of each bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh lightly with the vegetable oil, concentrating on dry spots to ensure uniform fat rendering.
Step 6
Roast on the center rack for 25–30 minutes until the meat registers 175 °F (80 °C) near the bone and the skin is a deep mahogany. For extra crunch, switch the oven to broil and cook 1–2 additional minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
Step 7
While the chicken roasts, whisk the mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha, gochujang, rice vinegar, honey, and lime juice in a medium bowl until completely smooth; the rice vinegar and lime juice thin the sauce to coating consistency while balancing richness and the gochujang adds depth and umami.
Step 8
Transfer the hot, crispy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to a large bowl and spoon in a few tablespoons of the Bang Bang sauce, tossing quickly so the sauce kisses the meat but leaves much of the skin exposed for crunch.
Step 9
Plate the chicken, drizzle with a little extra Bang Bang sauce, shower with the chopped fresh cilantro, and finish with toasted sesame seeds. Serve remaining Bang Bang sauce on the side for dipping.
✨Chef's Tips
- ★Dry brining with baking powder is a professional shortcut to fried-chicken crispness: the alkaline powder weakens peptide bonds in the skin, helping it dehydrate and blister in the dry heat of the oven.
- ★Aim for 175 °F internal temperature rather than the standard 165 °F—dark meat contains more connective tissue and becomes juicier when cooked to the higher range as the collagen fully melts.
- ★Toss the chicken with only a small amount of Bang Bang sauce; excess moisture will soften the crust. Offer extra sauce tableside so each diner controls the crunch-to-cream ratio.
- ★If time is short, skip the refrigerator rest and instead blow-dry the skin briefly with a hair dryer on the cool setting—an old restaurant trick for last-minute crisping.
- ★Leftover Bang Bang sauce keeps for one week refrigerated; use it as a spread for sandwiches or a dip for vegetable crudités to extend its culinary life.
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