Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs
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You’re going to love these Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs! They’re seasoned with dry rub, then completely cooked in a skillet, making them crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. This is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that comes together in about 25 minutes total!
More chicken?! That’s right! These pan-seared chicken thighs are the easiest weeknight dinner, and they’re made in one skillet so clean-up is a breeze!
See, I used to find chicken bland and boring, but not anymore! I’ve developed a repertoire of go-to chicken recipes, such as my air fryer chicken thighs and Instant Pot whole chicken, both of which are anything but boring.
Recipe features
- A quick weeknight dinner that’s ready in just 25 minutes
- Made with an easy, flavorful dry rub
- Pan-seared to perfection so the skin is crispy but the chicken is juicy
Ingredient notes
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients; the full ingredient list is below in the recipe card.
Chicken thighs – I tested this recipe using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; you can use boneless, skinless chicken but you’ll have to adjust the cook time (see notes below)
Olive oil – Can also sub avocado oil, butter or ghee if you prefer
Broth – Chicken or vegetable
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Heat oil. Start by heating the oil/butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. We want the oil to be hot by the time we add the chicken.
Step 2: Make the dry rub. Next, combine all of the dry rub ingredients in a bowl, then use your hands to rub the dry rub all over the chicken thighs, making sure they’re completely coated.
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Place the chicken skin side down in the skillet, then cover it with a lid and cook for 7 minutes. Then, flip the chicken over, place the lid back on and continue cooking for 8-12 minutes.
The final step is to reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute before pouring in the broth to scrape up any brown bits from the pan.
Tips and tricks
-Use a deep skillet, and one large enough to fit all 4 chicken thighs without over-crowding the pan.
-Always start by cooking the skin so it gets nice and crispy, then flip it over so it can continue to cook all the way through.
-Once you place the chicken in the skillet, do NOT move it around; the skin will get crispy if it sits in the same place for the first 7 minutes.
Yep! You’ll follow the exact same steps, but reduce the cook time. If you’re going this route, cook the chicken for 5 minutes on the first side, then 6-7 minutes on the second side.
After you add the broth, you’ll be left with a “sauce” made from broth, garlic and the seasoning that you can spoon over the chicken, which results in an incredibly moist chicken recipe. You could also whip up my chipotle aioli to pair with it.
Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place chicken in a baking dish, along with some chicken broth, and cook in the oven at 350° until it’s reheated. PureWow has a great article on how to reheat chicken.
More delicious dinner recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, bone-in, with skin
- 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- fresh parsley for garnish , chopped, optional
Instructions
- Add oil or ghee to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet/cast iron/dutch oven and heat over medium heat.
- While it's heating up, make the dry rub: combine salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, parsley, oregano, and pepper in a bowl. Next, pat the chicken thighs dry, then rub the dry rub over them until they're completely coated.
- Place chicken skin side down in the skillet, then cover with a lid. Cook chicken for 7 minutes, then flip over, place the lid back on and cook for an additional 8-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute before pouring in the chicken broth to remove any brown bits from the skillet. Top with chopped fresh parsley (optional), and use a spoon to spoon the chicken broth/garlic mixture over the chicken. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
5 star, so easy and so good. the pan gravy makes the dish. I had some left over and sopped it up with toast.
I’m so glad you liked the chicken, Jonathan!
Delicious, easy, quick! The chicken came out tender, juicy and flavorful! I served it over polenta, would also be delicious over mashed potatoes.
Thanks Gayle — I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken!
Love this recipe- so tasty! I added more chicken broth, fresh lemon juice & at the end sliced mushrooms .
YUM that sounds delicious — I’m so happy you like the chicken!
I made this last week, cooking it again now with chicken drums this time.
Happy to hear you’re loving this recipe!
Great recipe, made tonight. Very flavorful and juicy. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5-star rating, Tammy!
Hella good chicken, this recipe was my first step towards expanding my repertoire after moving out on my own. Thighs are so cheap, so healthy, and with this recipe they’re so tasty! I mess with the seasoning balance, my current favorite is a base of lawry’s season salt (which I know has the other stuff but it’s about the balance) with garlic powder, smoked paprika, and just a touch of onion powder and crushed oregano. If you finish these off in the oven in a cast-iron or on a sheet with foil, the crisp is even better! My friend is huge into old bay seasoning so we’re figuring out a good spice balance for that, chicken is versatile as all get-out.
YUM! Love the sound of that seasoning blend — I’m so glad you liked the chicken!
Can this be done in a stainless steel pan? I don’t have a cast iron but this looks so good
Yes that should work!
After searching for “best pan fried chicken thighs” I chose this recipe. It is a keeper! Very tasty and moist, delicious juice in the pan from the chicken broth, garlic and drippings. Be sure to spoon some of the juice over the thighs before serving. I used 4 medium sized bone-in thighs with skin. Would definitely recommend using thighs with skin. Used cast iron skillet and got a fabulous result! Served it with steamed broccoli and couscous. Thanks Erin, for a great recipe!
Thanks for the kind comment and positive review, Sara — I’m glad you liked the chicken!
Wonderful, easy and flavourful recipe. I cheated and instead of olive oil used bacon fat, but the plates were licked and I used chicken/bacon fat to sauté some veggies and still had enough gravy to add to rice. Perfect for busy family with younger children, but could easily be served for a fancy adult dinner as well. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind comment, Julia. I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken!
I was wanting some sort of lemon chicken when I saw this. I didn’t get the skin crisp, but that was my fault, I don’t think I got the oil hot enough. I really liked the seasoning rub. I did go ahead and splash about a1/4 cup of lemon juice after the broth. I don’t know how much it changed the flavor other than giving it a little twang, but I really liked it. Will definitely keep this recipe and make again. Just gotta let my oil get hot enough
Thanks for the review — I’m so glad you liked the chicken!