🍗 What Makes This Recipe So Good
This recipe for pan-seared chicken thighs is one that everyone in my family has requested for almost every special occasion for years. Of course, I’m happy to oblige because it’s a super simple recipe that doesn’t take much time or effort at all… even though it looks (and tastes) elegant and delicate. If you want an equally-elegant side to pair with it, you have to try my recipe for the best risotto ever! The combination of cooking methods is what puts this chicken dish over the top! The chicken thighs are seared until the skins are beautifully crispy, almost as if you fried them. After that, they’re oven-roasted to perfection, ensuring the chicken is cooked through while staying tender and juicy. It’s a total 1-2 punch that absolutely makes this recipe. Of course, there’s a simple pan sauce that completes the whole dish. It’s a combination of shallots, white wine, chicken stock, butter, and fresh herbs that tastes totally gourmet – and is totally foolproof. It’s really versatile, though, so feel free to swap out ingredients for whatever you like best. You can even give the chicken thighs a nice dry rub if you want.
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
Don’t force the chicken thighs out of the skillet. Seriously. Once you place them in the pan, leave them alone the entire 7-8 minutes. After that, try to lift them very, very gently. If they don’t release easily, let them sear another minute and then try again. Keep repeating the process until the skins do release easily – that’s the key to getting perfectly crispy chicken thighs in a skillet! If you’ve got time to spare and you really, really want to take this recipe to the next level, use my quick chicken brine on your chicken thighs before you begin this recipe. The brine flavors the chicken from the inside out, but it also makes the meat SUPER moist. That gives you a little buffer in case you forget to set your timer. 😉 Just be sure to pat the chicken completely dry before searing it, otherwise you won’t get that crispy chicken skin. Now that you know the magic method for perfectly pan-seared chicken thighs, you can use it for literally any recipe that calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken. No, really! I use it all the time myself. Maybe you recognize it from my cranberry apple chicken thighs recipe?
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