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
This recipe was perfect, but I cheated some…I got some boneless, skin-on thighs that were very freshly hand butchered. I heated canola oil very hot, then dropped the thighs in skinnier down after rubbing with a pre-made rub from a shaker. Did not touch them for 7 full minutes, and flipped them for 12 more minutes as directed. At that point I called them done. They were fabulous, and talk about easy!!! Will make this a staples for sure.
I’m so glad you liked the chicken, Bill!
Very quick to prepare, very tasty to eat. A bit of a stretch to say the chicken was crispy but the “gravy” that was created was craveable. Perfect with mashed potatoes and roasted corn. Definitely will make again.
Thanks Raymond! Glad you enjoyed the chicken!
these were incredible…that mix is good on everything. I keep a spice container filled with it. it is a regular on our dinner menu. thank you. we have also made the pan seared chicken tenders…delish!!
This makes me so happy — I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the chicken thighs AND tenders!
I made this last night and my husband and I loved it! It changed his mind about chicken thighs! Totally 😋 delicious!
Thanks Melissa! Glad you enjoyed the chicken!
Chicken was so good just like I knew it would
Thanks James! Glad you liked the chicken thighs!
Delicious and super easy!
So happy you liked the chicken!
My oven broke so I’ve been needing to make dinner on the stove and this was just the thing I needed for my chicken thighs, and it was so so good! I can’t wait to make these again.
I’m so happy you liked the chicken, Carina!