Cast Iron Buffalo Chicken & Grits

Ingredients

Chicken thighs

Grits (cooked the night before)

I typically do this with chicken thighs, but wings can work, too. You just have to cook them for less time in the oven. Same goes for boneless, skinless thighs as well, less thickness means less cooking time. Bone-in skin-on will have the best flavor, the least processing, and save you money, though ;)

Brine

2-4 pounds of thighs, bone-in, skin on. Mix kosher salt into water.
I don't go too heavy on the salt, one tablespoon per liter or so.
Soak in the brine for 30-60 minutes.
It makes a significant difference in terms of giving the meat a consistent, juicy bite all the way through.

Interesting ways to experiment here are to add spices to the brine (e.g., bay leaf, peppercorn, rosemary, chili peppers) and see if you notice a difference.

Instructions

Pat dry and season

Drain chicken thighs.
Pat dry with paper towels.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
I don't really measure this, I just do a light coating and make sure it's covered.

Cook on stovetop with olive oil in cast iron pan, 5 minutes

Still working out if it's better to cook skin-side down all the way through or flip half-way. I'm still flipping halfway.

Cook in oven in middle rack at 450 degrees F (252 Celsius), 20 minutes or until done

Mix up some Frank's hot sauce*, Worcestershire, and butter in a pan, heat on low to combine

Finish cooking chicken, move into a pan

Pour sauce over chicken, let sit

Reheat grits in cast iron pan, soaking up juices and seasonings

Frank's hot sauce is the base flavor for "Buffalo wings" in the US, aged cayenne peppers provide the heat. It's pretty great stuff, but if you can't find Frank's and Worcestershire sauce, then any of your favorite smoky, chili pepper infused sauce might suffice.