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    Home » Main Dishes » Stove Top Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Published: Oct 22, 2019 · Modified: Jul 19, 2022 by Ajoke · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Stove Top Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Skip to Recipe - Print Recipe

    These juicy and tender crispy stove top chicken thighs is a perfect main dish. It is delicious, quick, easy and with a cooking time of about 30 minutes including prep.

    This stovetop chicken thighs recipe is simple to make, pan seared to perfection and a great one pan meal that the whole family would love.

    stove top chicken thighs in an iron skillet.

    Pan seared chicken thighs

    Learn how to cook chicken thighs on the stove with this recipe. This budget-friendly pan seared chicken thighs recipe is perfect for all occasions, a perfect chicken dinner that is a family favourite.

    I make chicken at least twice a week and this stovetop chicken thighs often find its way on the menu. For a good reason, if you ask me, it is simply the best and it requires a few ingredients and yet full of flavour, just like my cajun butter chicken thighs.

    pan seared chicken thighs in an iron skillet.

    The simple process of pan searing chicken thighs on the stove delivers juicy and crispy chicken. This cooking method is very similar to my honey garlic salmon, only that it cooks faster than the chicken. You can have your cake and eat it at the same time. Chicken thighs and sauce in one pan

    You may be wondering if it is safe to cook chicken thighs on the stove top, the answer is yes. In fact, you can cook boneless chicken thighs on the stove top in less than 15 minutes as I did with this chicken for a wrap

    Related to this post is this juicy and tender cilantro lime chicken recipe.

    stove top chicken thighs.

    Why We Love This Stovetop Chicken Thighs Recipe

    You can use any type of chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, boneless, bone-in.

    It is quick and simple to make and I absolutely love anything 30 minutes one-pan skillet recipe

    This pan-seared chicken thigh is great for weekly meal plans.

    You only need 4 ingredients to make it and they are ingredients you already have in your panty

    It is inexpensive and budget-friendly. A perfect low carb meal that can double as a keto recipe if you are into that vibes.

    Ingredients

    Chicken thighs

    Chicken broth substitute with cooking wine or water

    Smoked Paprika

    Salt and pepper

    Onion powder substitute with garlic powder

    Olive oil: substitute with any flavourless oil or butter

    ingredients.

    How to make the best stove top chicken thighs recipe

    Here is a quick overview of how to cook chicken thighs in a pan on the stovetop. Season chicken and pan fry in an iron skillet (or large cast iron skillet). Sounds so easy right? Ok, let’s get to it.

    Prepare the chicken thighs, remove any visible unwanted fats and hanging skin. If you are using boneless skinless chicken thighs, then you may not need to do much.

    Season both sides of chicken with the spices generously.

    Place a large iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil until hot.

    Add the chicken thighs skin side down and pan sear for 3 minutes untouched until the skin is nice, golden, crispy and no longer sticking to the pan. Flip chicken to the other side and pan fry for another 3 minutes.

    Add chicken broth to the chicken, move around in other to deglaze the skillet. This would make some delicious pan sauce.  Because I have used chicken thighs with bone-in for this recipe, it would take longer to cook than boneless chicken thighs.

    After adding the chicken broth, cover the skillet with a lid (this is optional) and continue to cook chicken over medium heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.

    step by step pictorial guide how to make stove top chicken thighs

    How to Serve Pan Seared Chicken Thighs and Pan Sauce

    Serve it alongside some creamy mashed potatoes, rice, steamed vegetables, cauliflower rice, French fries, salad etc the list is endless. The pan sauce makes a great gravy, you can either add it straight from the pan or add water or broth with cornflour to make a delicious gravy.

    My pan sauce was served over garlic mashed potatoes, ‘Twas so good.

    How long to cook chicken thighs on stove

    This will depend on the thickness of the chicken thighs. Skinless boneless chicken thighs would cook faster than bone-in chicken thighs. Typically, it would take anywhere between 10-15 minutes however, the most important thing is to make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F/74C before consumption.

    stove top chicken thighs served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, gravy and mixed veg.

    How to Store Cooked Chicken Thighs

    Let any leftover cooked chicken thighs cool completely, store in an airtight container or wrapped in a foil then keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    More stove top chicken recipes

    Honey garlic chicken thighs

    Honey mustard chicken

    Cajun chicken

    Garlic mushroom chicken thighs

    Other Recipes From the Blog

    Creamy Mashed Potatoes

    Lemon Garlic Pasta

    Oven-baked Chicken Legs

    Want to make this chicken thighs recipe in an Instant pot then check this recipe?

    stove top chicken thighs.

    Stove Top Chicken Thighs

    Ajoke
    These juicy and tender crispy stove top chicken thighs is a perfect main dish. It is delicious, quick, easy and with a cooking time of about 30 minutes including prep. This stove top chicken thighs recipe is simple to make, pan seared to perfection and a great one pan meal that the whole family would love.
    4.94 from 31 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Chicken, Main Course
    Cuisine American, British
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Cast iron skillet

    Ingredients
      

    • 5 chicken thighs about 700g
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder substitute with garlic powder or use both
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil substitutes with any flavourless oil or butter
    • Parsley chopped to garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare the chicken thighs, remove any visible unwanted fats and hanging skin. If you are using boneless skinless chicken thighs, then you may not need to do much.
    • Season both sides of chicken with the spices generously.
    • Place a large iron skillet over medium high heat, then add oil until hot. Add the chicken thighs skin side down and pan sear for 3 minutes untouched until skin is nice, golden, crispy and no longer sticking to the pan. Flip chicken to the other side and pan fry for another 3 minutes.
    • Add chicken broth to the chicken, move around in other to deglaze the skillet. This would make some delicious pan sauce. After adding the chicken broth, cover the skillet with a lid (this is optional) and continue to cook chicken over medium heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Take it off the heat and serve with other side of choice.

    Notes

    If using skinless boneless chicken thighs, reduce the cooking time by 4 minutes. 
    Let any leftover cooked chicken thighs cool completely, store in an airtight container or wrapped in a foil then keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Chicken can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

    Keyword pan seared chicken thighs, stove top chicken thighs, stovetop chicken thighs
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    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    481 shares

    Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: meal prep, one pot, quick and easy, stovetop

    About Ajoke

    Hello, Nice to meet you! Welcome and thanks for visiting my food blog "The Dinner Bite". Feel free to browse through, you are guaranteed nothing here but a yummy experience

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gary T Trevisan says

      January 14, 2023 at 3:07 am

      I tried this recipe tonight, and I must say I didn't think you could cook chicken on the stove top in 16 minutes!
      (3 minutes a side and then 10 minutes)
      I did add some Herbes De Provence to the spice mixture, as well as used both onion powder and garlic powder. I added rosemary to the chicken stock in the skillet to infuse some aroma.
      This will definitely be in the dinner rotation!

      Reply
    2. Bob S. says

      August 14, 2022 at 10:10 pm

      5 stars
      Hi, I wanted you to know I appreciated your recipe very much. I just needed a bit of guidance on how to cook some bone-in chicken thighs I bought on sale, and was delighted with how well they turned out following your recipe!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        August 16, 2022 at 8:50 pm

        Hello Bob, thank you for your kind feedback. I am glad you enjoyed this recipe.

        Reply
    3. Heather says

      February 09, 2022 at 10:41 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Just had this for dinner and it was soooo good! The rice is amazing! I used 8 chicken thighs (bone-in with skin) and 2 cups of rice with 4 cups of broth. Pure comfort food and the thighs were so tender! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        February 10, 2022 at 10:33 am

        Thank you so much for your feedback, Heather, I am glad you loved it!

        Reply
    4. Happy Camper says

      January 04, 2022 at 2:50 am

      5 stars
      Made this tonight, and it was delicious.

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        January 05, 2022 at 12:36 am

        Thank you, Happy camper.

        Reply
    5. Ann Byrne says

      November 03, 2021 at 1:50 am

      5 stars
      Made this last night - delicious! It was hot here, and I was so glad to have a stovetop recipe and not need to turn the oven on. I’ll definitely be making this again.

      Reply
    6. David Crockett says

      July 06, 2021 at 12:37 am

      5 stars
      Works really well. I added fresh mushrooms from the farmer's market. Sautéed before I started the chicken. I threw them in when I added the chicken broth. I also added a few sprigs of rosemary. I could not find a package wit just thighs. SO I did two thighs and 3 drums sticks.

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        July 06, 2021 at 2:29 pm

        Yay, thank you David for the feedback and tips, I am glad you enjoyed this recipe.

        Reply
    7. Ann Moore says

      April 30, 2021 at 8:01 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe for stovetop cooking! I love it because it is so easy to prepare and tastes so good. I doubled the seasonings. This is wonderful for my low carb eating plan and makes meal prep simple.

      Reply
      • Ann Moore says

        April 30, 2021 at 8:13 pm

        5 stars
        Next time I am going to stir fry cauliflower rice in the sauce for a tasty low carb side dish. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Dinah says

      February 27, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you Ajoke for this wonderful, easy recipe! I made it last night and it was so easy and tasty, I'm going to make it again tonight!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        February 28, 2021 at 10:22 pm

        You are very welcome, Dinah, thank you for loving this recipe and I am glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    9. Vanessa says

      December 13, 2020 at 5:27 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Easy to make and tasty.

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        December 16, 2020 at 11:59 pm

        Thank you, Vanessa, for your feedback, I am glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    10. Katrina says

      August 19, 2020 at 12:12 pm

      I would LOVE to try this recipe,But i want to do more then 5 thighs at a time. Will i nees to follow same proxand double the ingredients??

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        August 20, 2020 at 10:59 am

        Hi Katrina, yes, you can double the recipe and cook the chicken in batches it doesn't fit your pan at once. Kindly let me know how it turns out

        Reply
    11. Franny B says

      July 21, 2020 at 9:29 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for such a great way to cook bone-in chicken thighs! I am a widow and wanted to have just one piece of chicken. I used a smaller cast iron skillet and cooked it to your specifications. To make a creamy gravy, I mixed my corn starch with a little light cream to the drippings. I have to say that in all my years of cooking, this was the best, most moist and delicious chicken I have ever eaten!!! Thank you again and I will be making this over and over!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        July 26, 2020 at 9:40 pm

        Aw, Franny, bless your big heart! I thank you for your kind words. I wish nothing but the best in all you do.

        Reply
    12. Heidi says

      July 08, 2020 at 3:41 am

      It’s was delicious and juicy! My family loves it! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

      Reply
    13. Mira says

      June 22, 2020 at 10:50 pm

      This chicken is absolutely delicious and I love that it’s so fast!!! My only problem is that the chicken broth literally just burns at the bottom of the pan after the 10 mins 🙁 what am I doing wrong? I’ve made it twice now and second time I lowered the heat down to low and it still burns. Fortunately the chicken itself doesn’t and is still tasty!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        June 23, 2020 at 10:37 am

        5 stars
        Hello Mira, Thank you for your feedback. I am happy you love this recipe. In regards to the broth burning off before the cooking time finishes, you can add more broth(if using low sodium broth) or water once it starts drying out and reduce the heat too. Thank you

        Reply
    14. Marthe says

      April 22, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      In a word--yummy!!! And easy and fairly fast. Thanks so much!!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        April 22, 2020 at 9:35 pm

        Happy days! thank you so much Marthe for the feedback.

        Reply
    15. Nat Turner says

      April 01, 2020 at 10:04 pm

      Excellent Recipe, I used close to a tablespoon of smoked Paprika, but this was great!

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        April 02, 2020 at 10:19 pm

        Thank you so much Nat, I am so glad you love the recipe. I am a sucker for smoked paprika too, I literally use it on everything.

        Reply
    16. Sonia Haye says

      January 05, 2020 at 9:02 pm

      Thanks for sharing...i have Dutch pot that i use and i want to bake some chicken for dinner how do i do it

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        January 05, 2020 at 9:39 pm

        Hi Sonia, using the same recipe here, sear the chicken on the stove top for crispy skin then finish it off in the oven using your Ducth pot at 360F for another 20 minutes or so (I am assuming you will be using chicken thighs) Thanks and do let me know how you get on.

        Reply
    17. Jillian says

      October 28, 2019 at 7:55 am

      5 stars
      I love love this recipe. It was a winner as the whole family loved it, I used skinless boneless chicken thighs and it was ready under 15 minutes. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        October 28, 2019 at 6:47 pm

        I am so glad you and your family loved it Jillian thank you, for your feedback

        Reply
    18. Kemi says

      October 24, 2019 at 10:40 pm

      5 stars
      Looks Juicy. Will be trying this soon.

      Reply
      • Ajoke says

        October 28, 2019 at 6:42 pm

        Thank you.

        Reply

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