Jacques Pépin's Easy Method For Juicy Chicken In The Skillet

Cooking chicken on a stovetop skillet might seem like the easiest thing but to get the juiciest outcome with wonderfully crispy skin, there is a super easy hack from one of the greatest cooks of our time. A master of French technique who elevates simple classic recipes, Jacques Pépin recommends browning poultry skin-side-down in a hot skillet, then covering it to let it steam without ever turning it. This yields a perfectly crispy top and a moist, juicy interior. 

There are a few simple steps to follow but once you know the basics, you can apply this technique to most skillet chicken recipes or customize it to your preference. First, you must get the skillet good and hot, placing it on the stovetop at high heat. A cast iron skillet would be wonderful to use but if you don't have one, use the best nonstick one you have. Pépin recommends using chicken thighs since they have a flat surface with lots of skin and are more flavorful than breasts but you can use whatever you prefer. 

Then season the poultry with salt and pepper on both sides and place it skin-side down on the dry pan — no oil and no butter since the high heat will render the fat from the meat. When the fat starts to render and the skin is sizzling, cover the pan and cook it for 20 to 25 minutes, which will create enough steam to cook the chicken without having to turn it.  

The beauty of this method is that it gives you lots of free time for preparing side dishes or anything else you need to do since you don't have to be looking after the chicken. It will cook beautifully when left alone, no need to turn it every few minutes. This technique can also be applied to numerous poultry recipes once you see how easy it is and the wonderful results you will get. 

For his garlic vinegar chicken, Pépin takes the meat off the pan, then fries chopped garlic for a few seconds before deglazing the cookware with vinegar and water to create a fabulously delicious sauce, but you can tweak and adapt this to your favorite recipe. Try his method on this lemon basil chicken recipe using the fruit juice for deglazing or go for this garlic butter chicken, adding the butter to the pan after cooking the bird. Once you try it, you will never go back to cooking poultry a different way. After all, you can't argue with a master of French cuisine.