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Cast iron chicken thighs with cherries in skillet with a pink napkin around the handle.
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5 from 9 votes

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Cherries

Crispy skinned, succulent chicken thighs, surrounded with juicy fresh cherries roasted with lemon, garlic and thyme. Make sure to mop up those juices with some crusty bread!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Servings: 3
Calories: 590kcal
Author: Sasha Hooper

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lb chicken thighs, skin on and bone in 1kg, approx 6 thighs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 head of garlic separated into cloves, skin on
  • 1 lemon half cut into slices, the other half zested
  • 8-10 fresh thyme sprigs tossed in olive oil
  • 2 cups fresh cherries (30-40 large cherries, some halved, some whole)
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 200C/400F and ensure a rack is in the middle of the oven.
  • Trim and tidy the chicken thigh skin to remove excess and season with ¾ of the salt and pepper.
    2.2 lb chicken thighs, skin on and bone in, 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt flakes, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 5-7 minutes until the skin is golden brown.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Flip the chicken thighs over and arrange evenly in the pan.
  • Scatter with the fresh thyme sprigs (tossed in oil), garlic cloves and the lemon slices, ensuring they are tucked between the thighs. Cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
    1 head of garlic, 1 lemon, 8-10 fresh thyme sprigs
  • After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and place the cherries around the chicken.
    2 cups fresh cherries
  • Stir together the pomegranate molasses and honey in a small jug and pour over the cherries (take care to avoid the chicken skin or it will burn) and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
    2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, 1 tablespoon honey
  • After 30 minutes the chicken will be cooked through (165F/73C internal temperature). The skin should be golden and crispy and the cherry juices bubbling away. Garnish with extra thyme and serve with salad, crusty bread and juices from the pan.

Notes

  • Make sure to read the notes and tips throughout the post above.
  • If you don't use flaky sea salt, you will need to use less salt than recommended in the recipe, this is because fine salt will not be the same density as flaked salt and you'll end up over salting the dish.
  • If you don't have pomegranate molasses use 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and don't pour the liquid over the chicken thigh skin to ensure you have crispy skins.
  • Be sure to check out the bonus recipe in the post above to use any leftovers if you have any!

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.2g | Protein: 67.4g | Fat: 18.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.3g | Cholesterol: 311.5mg | Sodium: 1108.1mg | Potassium: 1101.3mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 29.9IU | Vitamin C: 19.9mg | Calcium: 72.3mg | Iron: 3.6mg