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Crispy-skin chicken thighs coated in a paprika spice rub in a cast-iron skillet with a small bowl of the dry chicken rub

Cousin Mike's Crispy-Skin Chicken Rub

A crispy-skin chicken rub built on one trick: a little baking powder in the jar for shatter-crisp skin, plus sweet paprika, a touch of brown sugar, garlic, and poultry herbs. Seasons about two whole chickens or 4 lbs of thighs and wings.
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Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 8 tablespoons (about ½ cup)
Course: Seasoning
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed; or granulated for a smoother-pouring jar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal; use about half if you have Morton
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum-free — this is the crispy-skin ingredient
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Method
 

  1. Mix the jar. Combine everything in a bowl, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar with your fingers so it blends evenly. Pour into a sealed jar and shake for 20 seconds. Double-check the box says baking powder, not baking soda — soda in this amount tastes soapy and metallic.
  2. Dry the chicken hard. Pat every surface completely dry with paper towels, and get inside the cavity of a whole bird. Wet skin steams; dry skin crisps. This step matters as much as the rub itself.
  3. Season, and get under the skin. Use about 1 to 1½ teaspoons of rub per pound of chicken. Coat all the outer skin, and where you can — on a whole bird or bone-in thighs — gently loosen the skin and work a little rub directly onto the meat underneath.
  4. Rest it uncovered (the crispy-skin payoff). Set the chicken skin-side up on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 4 to 24 hours. This is where the baking powder and salt pull moisture out and tighten the skin. You can skip it in a pinch, but an overnight rest is the difference between good skin and great skin.
  5. Cook it hot. Roast, grill over indirect heat, or air-fry. For bone-in parts, cook at 425°F until the thickest part of the thigh hits 175°F; a whole bird runs about 45–60 minutes at 425°F depending on size. The skin should come out deep golden and crisp — no oil needed.
  6. Store the rest. Keep it in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard away from the stove. Give it a shake before each use, since the baking powder and sugar can clump in humid weather. Best within about three months.

Notes

For extra-crispy wings, toss them with the rub plus an additional 1/2 teaspoon of straight baking powder per pound before the fridge rest — it's the classic trick and it works. Cooking over an open flame? Keep the chicken over indirect heat or drop your grill temp, because the brown sugar can scorch over direct fire; for a hard-sear, high-flame cook, leave the sugar out. And because the salt lives in this jar, don't also brine the chicken in salt first or it'll come out too salty — this rub is the seasoning.