With these pan-roasted chicken thighs, you get really really crispy skin and juicy and tender meat from bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
Ah, chicken thighs. Overlooked, underrated and crazy delicious if you ask me. And pan-roasted chicken thighs are just about as good as it gets. You need this recipe in your back pocket.
I used to think I was the only one who preferred chicken thighs to chicken breasts. But then, I posted this how to post on roasting chicken thighs and it was actually one of my first viral posts on the blog! I couldn’t believe it.
But what I realized is that most of us prefer chicken thighs, we just don’t know how to cook them, especially bone-in, skin-on. They got a bad wrap in the 90’s when everything with a little bit of fat was deemed evil. But, now that we’re coming out of that hole, chicken thighs are well on their way to making a comeback.
Why bone-in, skin-on thighs?
I prefer buying bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the following reasons:
- They’re juicer – cooking meat on the bone yields a juicier piece of meat because the meat is intact. There are fewer places for juices to run out, and you’re getting added tenderness from the bones as they seep collagen and marrow (this is good for you, too!). Leaving the skin on also encourages juices to stay inside of the meat during cooking.
- They’re crispier – if you cook skin right, it makes a really lovely, crispy layer on top of the meat. Say goodbye to boring chicken.
- You can save the bones and skin for homemade bone broth and stock – here’s the recipe I use!
The secret to juicy and crispy pan-roasted chicken thighs
There are a few tips and tricks that I use for making sure my chicken thighs are super juicy and also crispy. Here we go:
- Bring the meat to room temperature – set your chicken out on the counter to come to room temperature about 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook. This is safe to do and helps with even cooking. You won’t end up with dry spots in some places and undercooked spots in others.
- Pat meat dry – take a paper towel and dab the chicken to make sure no moisture remains. Excess water can make your skin soggy and the chicken can stick to the pan.
- Pan sear your chicken thighs – by pan searing before roasting, you’re creating a layer of crust and texture.
- Don’t flip until the meat is ready to release – That being said, when pan searing, don’t flip the meat until it’s ready. If you go to flip it and it doesn’t give right away, let it sear a bit longer. Once a nice crust is formed it will flip easily.
What is pan roasting?
Ah so you may still be wondering what pan roasting is. Pan roasting is the technique used when you sear meat in a pan (make sure it’s oven safe – I like cast iron) and then finish cooking it in the oven. Sometimes, it’s called pan seared, too.
It’s really commonly used in restaurant cooking because you form a nice crust on the meat, start and speed up the cooking process, and then finish it (hands free) in the oven while you prepare the remainder of the meal.
Pan roasted chicken thighs aren’t the only kind of meat you can pan sear, you can really do this with any type of meat!
Why is pan roasting chicken thighs the best way to get crispy chicken thighs quickly?
As I mentioned above, pan roasting chicken thighs ensures that you’ll have crispy skin on chicken thighs. Because you start the cooking process in a very hot pan, you jump start it, and it takes less time in the oven than just straight roasting does. There’s a little more active time, but it’s well worth it!
Love chicken thighs? Check out my hot honey grilled chicken thighs. They’re always a hit!
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Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs (Bone-In)
By pan roasting chicken thighs you get really really crispy skin and juicy and tender meat from bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan Sear
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- about 2.5lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4–5 big thighs)
- about 2 Tbsp. olive oil (1 tsp. per thigh), divided
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground sage
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400F and set your chicken out on the counter to come to room temperature about 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook. This is safe to do and helps with even cooking. Then, Pat the chicken totally dry with a paper towel.
- Mix together all of the spices and seasonings.
- Drizzle each chicken thigh with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle an equal amount of the spice mixture onto each thigh. Rub the oil and spices all over the chicken.
- Heat an oven-safe or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Pick a skillet that’s big enough to hold all of the chicken in an even layer with a bit of room between each piece. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil.
- Then, lay the chicken thighs, skin side down in the skillet. Sear them for 5-7 minutes until they are nice and golden brown on top, and then flip them. When you go to flip them, they should give right away. If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it isn’t done searing yet.
- Once the chicken is seared and the skin side is facing up, turn the stovetop burner off and slide the skillet into the oven.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Rest for 10 minutes before serving!
Keywords: chicken, chicken thigh, pan sear
Thanks for the recipe. It looks so delicious.
of course!
This looks really good. Can’t wait to try it this weekend! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
hope you enjoyed!
I made this for my GF and she said it was “effing amazing.”
haha I love it!
This is a regular at our house so quick easy and delicious!
★★★★★
YUM! I am so glad you are enjoying this recipe ❤️
Best chicken thigh recipe period. It’s so simple to follow and execute. Make sure that skin is dry and the pan hot before adding your oil. Turns out perfect everytime.
★★★★★
Absolutely perfect. Simple ingredients, super easy to cook and extremely good. It was raining, so I couldn’t grill but I wanted an indoor crispy chicken dinner…this recipe nailed it. Its a keepee!
★★★★★
Turned out pretty good but six minutes on medium high heat with my cast-iron skillet completely burnt the skin.
★★★
*edited*
Turned out to taste amazing despite skin being a little too crispy. I’ll do between medium and medium-high next time.
★★★★★
So glad you ended up enjoying this! Cast iron cooking can be tricky as certain brands conduct heat better than others. If your pan is REALLY smoking, it could help to turn the heat down a bit, but I usually don’t have an issue with this recipe. Thanks for the edit!
This is a winner! You’ve shown a lot of patience with this.
Oh my word,they turned out fantastic! I threw in 4 tiny red potatoes I nuked in the microwave-made a side dish of green beans – yum!
★★★★★
I’m SO glad! Great choice of sides!
Poor commentary — what side of the chicken is placed in the skillet first? Skin down or skin up?
Per the recipe directions…skin side down.
Thank you. I guess I misread the recipe — thank you for replying!
★★
LOOKS SO DELICIOUS! THANKS FOR SHARING! 🙂
Awesome blog. Thanks for sharing positive content.
Thank you for the recipe, cooking it right now for my family 🙂
Omg! I live in Florida and the chicken here sucks, compared to Wisconsin, where I’m from so I buy Perdue Farms organic chicken. I made it per your instructions and it was excellent . The addition of sage was amazing. I made thighs and drumsticks, perfect. My husband is recovering from stomach surgery and could only eat mashed potatoes with gravy from the pan dripping. I will definitely make again for him. Thanks, I usually dontrate anything.5 stars for this!
★★★★★
Ah, Edie! I’m so glad you enjoyed! This makes my day!
Amazing! I love chicken & roasted chicken is my favourite. Thank you for the instructions & recipe;) Really helpful!
So glad you liked them!
Maybe i am missing it, but do you add any oil to the pan? Or just fry as is with the oil that was rubbed on the chicken before seasoning?
One of my favorite easy, in-door crispy chicken recipes. The seasoning is perfect including the technique. Amazing recipe! Thank you!
★★★★★
Delicious recipe! My whole family loves it.
★★★★★
Really wish these places clarify wtf they mean when to add the oil when the pan is hot. You wait until it gets to temp and you have an oil fire on your hands.
No oil in the pan at all. It renders nicely from the chicken skin. In cast iron I cook this at medium-medium high so there is no smoke. Then thighs sort of shallow fry in the oven. Skim most of the fat from the pan, add a milk or water and flour slurry for gravy. Yummy!
Really delicious and easy to make. I had no cast iron pan, so I put a glass oven dish into the oven during the preheat, and transferred the chicken to it after the pan-sear stage. Turned out well.
Excellent! I am excited to hear this recipe turned out great for you, Elizabeth! Thank you for your review, it means so much to me!