Perfectly golden, tender, and juicy skinless, boneless chicken thighs prepared on the stove top. These delicious pan seared chicken thighs make for a wonderful meal that’s surprisingly easy, and the pan sauce is amazing!
Table of Contents
- THE BEST STOVE TOP CHICKEN THIGHS
- HOW TO MAKE JUICY CHICKEN THIGHS ON THE STOVE TOP
- COOK’S NOTES FOR STOVE TOP CHICKEN THIGHS
- HOW TO STORE COOKED CHICKEN THIGHS
- HOW TO FREEZE COOKED CHICKEN THIGHS
- WHAT SIDE DISHES GO WITH CHICKEN THIGHS
- MORE CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPES
- Get the Recipe
- COOK’S NOTES FOR STOVE TOP CHICKEN THIGHS
- WW FREESTYLE SMART POINTS: 6
THE BEST STOVE TOP CHICKEN THIGHS
Quick enough for a Thursday night dinner, or even a dinner party, this Stove Top Chicken Thighs recipe is all about the technique. Cooked in olive oil and finished off with butter, garlic and chicken broth results in crispy, yet tender and finger-licking good chicken thighs.
Did I mention that this recipe is budget friendly, keto friendly, and paleo friendly, too? ‘Cause IT IS! I cook with our waistlines in mind.
Pan seared chicken, whether it’s chicken breasts or chicken thighs, most often come out dry and tasteless. However, this stove top chicken thighs recipe is about to change all of that. If you’re looking for an oven recipe, hop on over here and see these deliciously marinated Oven Baked Chicken Thighs.
HOW TO MAKE JUICY CHICKEN THIGHS ON THE STOVE TOP
- Similar to my Garlic Sauce Chicken Thighs, sans bones and skin, this recipe starts with a wide, deep 12-inch skillet and well heated olive oil.
- In the meantime, we will season our chicken thighs with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add chicken thighs, smooth side down, to the skillet and sear for about 5 minutes, or until you can easily flip it over.
- Flip and cook for 6 more minutes; add butter and garlic to the pan and cook for a minute before adding chicken broth to scrape up all the delicious bits on the bottom of the pan. This will also create the sauce to go with the chicken thighs.
COOK’S NOTES FOR STOVE TOP CHICKEN THIGHS
- Use a large skillet that comfortably fits 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Cook the chicken thighs over medium-high heat.
- DO NOT move the chicken thighs around; let cook for 5 minutes or until you can easily flip them over.
- After adding in the butter and garlic, a splash of chicken broth will help with scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. If you want, you can also use your favorite white wine or apple juice.
- If chicken breasts are all you’ve got, get my recipe for Juicy Stove Top Chicken Breasts.
HOW TO STORE COOKED CHICKEN THIGHS
- Refrigerate chicken thighs within two hours of cooking. Make sure that they are completely cooled.
- Store chicken in airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
HOW TO FREEZE COOKED CHICKEN THIGHS
- Transfer completely cooled chicken thighs to an airtight container OR freezer bags.
- Label the bag or container with name and date, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
WHAT SIDE DISHES GO WITH CHICKEN THIGHS
- Garlic Butter Cauliflower Rice (pictured)
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
- Creamy Basil Avocado Pasta
- Garlic Butter Asparagus Pasta
MORE CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPES
- Honey Sriracha Chicken Recipe with Cauliflower Rice
- Grilled Chicken Thighs with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Garlic Butter Chicken and Rice
- Saucy Skillet Chicken with Lemons and Olives
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Juicy Stove Top Chicken Thighs
Perfectly golden, tender, and juicy skinless, boneless chicken thighs prepared on the stove top.
Servings : 4 serves
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 pounds (about 6 chicken thighs) boneless skinless chicken thighs (you can also use chicken breasts)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (you can also use wine or juice)
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add seasoned chicken thighs to the skillet, smooth side down; cook for 5 minutes or until you can easily flip over the chicken. Flip and continue to cook for 6 to 7 more minutes, or until no longer pink.
- Add butter and minced garlic; cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth and stir around to scrape up all the crispy bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve.
Video
Notes
COOK’S NOTES FOR STOVE TOP CHICKEN THIGHS
- Use a large skillet that comfortably fits 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Cook the chicken thighs over medium-high heat.
- DO NOT move the chicken thighs around; let cook for 5 minutes or until you can easily flip them over.
- After adding in the butter and garlic, a splash of chicken broth will help with scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. If you want, you can also use your favorite white wine or apple juice.
- Additionally, you can use chicken breasts in place of the chicken thighs.
WW FREESTYLE SMART POINTS: 6
Nutrition
Serving: 4 ounces | Calories: 283 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 15 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 169 mg | Sodium: 190 mg | Potassium: 442 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 0 g | Vitamin A: 200 IU | Vitamin C: 0.5 mg | Calcium: 18 mg | Iron: 1.4 mg | Net Carbs: 1 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and let us know how it was!
Simply yummy. The family loved it with a side of steamed broccoli. Clean up was a breeze too.
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your family loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight but omitted the chili powder because I have a low tolerance for spice. The flavor was delicious, so I added a bit of cornstarch to make gravy with the broth! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I used a teaspoon of salt but skipped butter and broth. I also added 1 tsp of
paprika and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning. The seasonings mix I use basically is the same as another outstanding recipe for baked chicken thighs. But this recipe tastes even better because the thighs did not lose a lot of juice to the process.
I bought bone-in and skin-on thighs, and removed the bones and skin myself, because I do a much better job. I threw in the first two bones to the Jasmin brown that was being cooked. I also stir-fried cabbage with broccoli and red pepper. It’s a wonderful meal for 4 people.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂