Southwest Buttermilk Baked Chicken
The most flavorful chicken you will ever make, baked to absolute crisp-tender, juicy perfection! 207 calories each.
So with all these Thanksgiving recipes I’ve been posting lately, I figured a little break might be a nice refresher. After all, weeknight meals are still needed in the midst of this holiday mayhem, right?
That’s where this chicken comes in. Crisp-tender chicken thighs, baked to absolute perfection.
And with just a few spices, these chicken thighs are packed with tons of flavor, baked in its own juices with that creamy buttermilk.
You’d be amazed as to how such simple ingredients can transform a chicken dish like this.
I honestly didn’t expect much out of it but boy was I wrong. Jason had to beg me for days to make it again the very next week!
Southwest Buttermilk Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season chicken thighs with spice mixture, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides.
- Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and stir in buttermilk.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve chicken immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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It looks delicious! Mine just came out of the oven, but the buttermilk curdled as soon as I stirred it in. Its fresh buttermilk from the store and smells just fine. And ideas why it would curdle so fast?
Katie, is there a reason why you stirred in the buttermilk after it came out of the oven? The directions advise to stir it in prior to baking:
Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Stir in buttermilk.
i bet this would be great with coconut milk instead of butter…great paleo recipes at urban pL8.
I made this tonight it is a keeper! The chicken was so moist and practically falling off the bone. The flavors were so delicious! I didn’t have buttermilk so I used sour cream and thinned it with milk.
Extremely delicious! I’ve made this several times! Thank you for the recipe!
I made this the night before Christmas Eve and it turned out soooo good. This will be made regularly!
My buttermilk curdled when I put in oven. Im afraid to serve the sauce. I pulled chicken out and put in new pan. I checked the date and it was good. Weird???
That’s really strange! But keep in mind that buttermilk (or really any food item) can expire before the actual expiration date. The expiration date is really a guideline but if it smells off or seems off in any way, I recommend discarding it.
I made this with some really large, free range chicken breasts. It fed my family of four with leftovers. It was so, so easy, and delicious.
Hi Chungah,
Thanks for the wonderful recipes! This is the third I’ve tried. I am wondering if the buttermilk is meant to completely cover the chicken in the pan? I halved the recipe and the chicken thighs were not totally immersed in the buttermilk and so there wasn’t much of a sauce to speak of.
Thanks!
Surita, the buttermilk is not meant to completely cover the chicken but please feel free to add more as needed.
This was DamnDelicious. Seriously. So good my 4 & 6 year old kids ate it. I made it using boneless/skinless thighs from Costco for same cooking time and still came out amazing, tender & juicy. I did baste it when it came out skimming using a spoon, just the top juices so as not to get the curdled buttermilk that was on bottom of pan. I also spooned some of the top layer of juice when plated. Served with your skillet enchilada rice. Mommy scored a DOUBLE Do-Over on both recipes from the kids. That makes me so happy when they love my meals! Thank you! Garlic brown sugar & Sundried tomato cream thighs next…woohoo!
I made this last night & while it was “damn delicious” the “sauce” broke and we didn’t use it. I would make it again though as even without using what was left in the pan I think the buttermilk lent additional flavor.
I’m so glad you tried this recipe! But can you clarify on what you mean by the sauce breaking?
Certainly! The dairy separated from the fat, giving it a somewhat “icky” look and texture. I tried to whisk it back together, but to no avail. It could have just been that these particular thighs had “extra” fat on them or something. Definitely won’t deter me from making the recipe again! 🙂
I also served with rice, like Stephanie (below), and the leftovers make fantastic chicken and rice burritos. My 3 year old daughter loved the original dish as well as the burritos; thanks!!
Yes this happened to me as well
Yes Me too. Looked like curdled milk and I was glad I tested it on family. There must be some magic step I don’t know as I let the thighs sit with the spices on for 20-30 min before beginning and the flavor was meh. I’m sure there could be something to the milk separating.
This is lovely flavored recipe. I will definitely make this soon. thank you very much Chungah. 🙂
This chicken looks so amazing! Love that you used skin-on, bone-in thighs! They stay so perfectly juicy!
Hello! I recently found your blog, and I must say, everything looks so yummy! I especially love the soups, and I can’t wait to try them!
My question has to do with the cookware that you use. Your stainless steel pans look so heavy and high-quality. Are they All-Clad or another brand? Do you recommend any particular brand? Also, in this particular chicken recipe, what size pan did you use? I am trying to upgrade my cookware and am trying to get a sense of what brands/sizes may work best.
I prefer to use All-Clad, Le Creuset and/or Staub. This pan here is a 9 or 10-inch, and it’s certainly my most used cooking tool in my kitchen!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Chungah, I think I am going to save up for an All-Clad pan. It will be my first, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about All-Clad’s performance and durability. Thanks again!
I made this a couple of days ago but didn’t have buttermilk. I substituted coconut cream and it was delish!
This chicken looks perfectly crisp and flavorful! Pinned!
This recipe was awesome! It was easy to make and the seasoning was just right for me. The smoked paprika added a nice flavor. I’ll definitely make it again!
Looks fabulous – can’t wait to try this recipe on Friday – cheers!
Hi Chungah! So for the buttermilk, do you place it in the cooking pan and then transfer it to the oven? Or straight for the oven? Thanks! I love your blog… I just found it recently and have been cooking up a storm from it!! 🙂
Yes, you stir in the buttermilk and then place it in the oven.
i love chicken thighs and i’m always looking for a way to use buttermilk. this looks great!
Loving all those spices! I never cook with chicken thighs…I’ll have to give it a try 🙂