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Perfectly golden, tender, and juicy boneless skinless 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!
Quick enough for a weeknight dinner, or even a dinner party, this stove top chicken thighs recipe is all about the technique. If you’re wondering how to cook chicken thighs in a pan, this method, using olive oil and finishing with butter, garlic, and chicken broth, results in crispy yet tender, finger-licking good chicken thighs.
Pan-seared chicken often ends up dry and flavorless, but not so with this recipe! The meat is tender and juicy. Chicken thighs have a rich and hearty taste and are tastier than chicken breasts, in my opinion. The dark meat of the thigh contains more fat than the breast, which gives it a deeper flavor.
Why I Love This Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Easy. Just season your chicken then cook it up in a skillet. No complicated techniques or fancy ingredients here.
- Quick. Start-to-finish this recipe is ready in 20 minutes! How’s that for the perfect weeknight dinner?
- Flavorful. Boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes should be juicy, tender, and moist when cooked properly. This recipe delivers on all of that.
- Flexible. Both boneless and bone-in chicken thighs can be used in this recipe; however, remember that bone-in thighs will take longer to cook.
Looking for more ways to cook chicken thighs? Check out my air fryer chicken thighs or these instant pot chicken thighs.
What You’ll Need
- Olive oil: You could also use avocado oil.
- Boneless chicken thighs: We’ll need about 6 thighs. You can also use bone-in thighs but they will take a bit longer to cook.
- Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Butter: You can use unsalted or salted butter, whichever you have on hand.
- Garlic: A couple cloves of garlic adds flavor to the the butter.
- Broth: I used low-sodium chicken broth, but vegetable or bone broth also works. If you want, you can also use your favorite white wine or apple juice.
How To Cook Boneless Chicken Thighs
Cooking chicken thighs in a pan is a simple and easy method. Here’s a quick look at how to do it:
- Heat the oil: 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.
- Season the chicken: In the meantime, we will season our chicken thighs with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook: Add chicken thighs, smooth side down, to the skillet and sear for about 5 minutes, or until you can easily flip it over.
- Turn over and finish cooking: Flip the chicken thighs over 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.
Tips for Cooking Chicken Thighs
- Use a large skillet: To make the most perfect pan fried chicken thighs, use a large skillet that comfortably fits 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Use the right temperature: Cook the chicken thighs over medium heat so to allow the lower heat to evenly cook the meat. This helps ensure that you know exactly how long to cook chicken thighs on the stove for the best results.
- DO NOT move the chicken thighs around. Let cook for 5 minutes or until you can easily flip them over.
- Do not overcook the chicken thighs. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness; chicken thighs are cooked through when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
How To Store Extras
- Store in the fridge: 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.
- Freeze it: 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.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with your delicious chicken dinner? I have some ideas:
More Chicken 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
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Juicy Stovetop Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds (about 6 chicken thighs) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth, you can also use dry white wine or apple juice
- fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Season chicken thighs with onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add seasoned chicken thighs to the skillet, smooth side down; cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until you can easily flip over the chicken. Flip and cook for 6 to 7 more minutes or until no longer pink.
- Add butter and minced garlic; cook for about 20 to 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 and serve.
Video
Notes
- Use a large skillet that fits 4 to 6 boneless chicken thighs.
- Do not move the chicken thighs around; let them cook for 5 minutes or until you can easily flip them over.
- Both boneless and bone-in chicken thighs can be used; however, note that bone-in thighs will take longer to cook as the bones add mass. Use a Meat Thermometer to check for doneness – chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
- After adding in the butter and garlic, a splash of chicken broth will help to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
- You can use chicken breasts in place of chicken thighs.
Nutrition
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.
Super delicious recipe! My picky husband absolutely loved it. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I agree with all rave reviews here this is a simple flavorful incredible dinner. Well done.
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
These were the best chicken thighs I’ve had in a long time. I skipped the onion powder as I had none. Will make again!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
OMG! THIS WAS DELICIOUS! I used apple juice. I didn’t have the chili powder or minced garlic though. My picky boyfriend and his mother LOVED it! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
made it again, this time had the minced garlic and chilli powder! I used apple juice again. It was still DELICIOUS!! The juiciest chicken ever!!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Delicious! The sauce was delicious on its own, but I tossed in some Gorgonzola and cream in on a whim. The chicken was perfect! Served it with gnocchi and green beans. Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely use it again!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Just wow! I’ve been looking for a quick and easy chicken thigh recipe and finally found the best! Even my super picky husband said he’d eat it again! It’s going in my regular file!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made this tonight to go with leftovers from last night and it was delicious!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Is this a dominican recipe? I ask because the moment I tasted this – I was brought back in time to my childhoon when I’d visit my neighbor nextdoor and his parents would cook chicken that tasted just like this.. So delicious, a flavor I haven’t tasted in 25 years. Maybe it was just similar enough, but either way wow what a flavor. My version was only SLIGHTLY different in the sense that I didn’t regular garlic available I only had a big clove of elephant garlic, which was a LOT of garlic but hey I love garlic so i threw it all in with the butter at the end and man it was good. I only regret that I didn’t have enough of that sauce, but perhaps a quarter cup or half cup more broth would make more sauce, I’ll have to try it out. This tasted phenomenal.
As my husband said,”This is a keeper.” This is a huge compliment from a very picky man. I served these thighs with mashed potatoes that I had cut and boiled. As I whipped them, I added garlic, half and half, and butter. I drizzled the butter sauce from the chicken pan over the potatoes. I served the chicken and mashed potatoes with a marinated vegetable salad. Delish!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful recipe. I made it for the second time with ginger ale and I liked it even more. I wondered whether you had any suggestions on how best to reheat it?
My 6 and 8 year old just asked for seconds on the chicken! You don’t know how crazy that is. I substituted paprika for the hot pepper, poured the sauce on angel hair pasta, and served with cooked carrots. It’s bookmarked! The sauce on the pasta had a surprising texture. Maybe from the grated parmesan mixing with it.
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Quick, easy and FABULOUSLY delicious! I make this frequently. It’s always a hit with the family. I remove the thighs before making the sauce. I up the garlic and butter a bit and make the pan sauce with one cup of chicken broth, saving half for the chicken and the other half to add to pasta or rice for a side dish.
I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂