Pan-roasting makes chicken thighs perfectly crisp on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside—and it’s easy!
Are you a fan of the chicken thigh? I sure am. Light-meat chicken might be way more popular, but thighs are more flavorful. If you want to learn my perfect pan-roasted method for cooking chicken thighs, keep on reading.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Chicken Thighs Are SO Flavorful
Why are thighs more flavorful? One reason is they have a little more fat. Not a lot, but a little. And that bit of extra fat also helps them stay juicy and tender and gives you a little more wiggle room between perfectly cooked and overcooked (as opposed to chicken breasts, which can go from done to dry and tough very quickly).
I even like my thighs bone-in and skin-on. Skin-on adds even a little more fat, but I think it’s worth it for the yummy flavor and crispy skin. That said, my cooking method below will work for thighs with or without skin and with or without bones, So you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer, as long as they’re about an inch thick.
And that method? It’s pan-roasting, and it’s EASY!
How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs?
With this pan-roasting method, your chicken thighs will be cooked in 10-12 minutes. That cooking time is divided between the stovetop and the oven for perfect chicken thighs every time.
How To Cook Chicken Thighs
Even if you want to bake chicken thighs, I highly encourage you to try this method that starts out on the stove. You want to have an oven-safe pan, like a cast-iron skillet for this chicken recipe.
You start by placing the chicken thighs in a very hot skillet on the stovetop, which quickly sears one side of the chicken, getting it nicely crisp and brown. If you’re using skin-on chicken thighs, you want to start with the skin-side down, against the hot pan. Then you flip the chicken and move the skillet to the oven, where the second side browns from contact with the skillet and the oven’s heat roasts the inside to tender, juicy perfection.
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that pan-roasting is also great for chicken breasts, pork chops, steaks, and even salmon—pretty much any protein that’s 3/4-inch or thicker.
To test for doneness, use an instant read thermometer and go for 165°F. You can also test for doneness by touch—a perfectly cooked chicken thigh should feel firm, but not rock hard. Or you can use this method, choosing medium for chicken.
But the bottom line is this: after a few minutes on the stovetop and then a few minutes in the oven, all your chicken thighs will need is to achieve simple perfection is a few minutes rest. You don’t want all those delicious juices spilling out when you cut into them.
During that time, you can rest as well, or make this delicious homemade chicken gravy to serve on the chicken thighs! Add a veggie side dish and dinner is served!
More Delicious Chicken Thigh Recipes
You can browse my entire collection of chicken recipes, which include chicken breasts, wings, and even whole chicken recipes. Or try one of my other great chicken thigh recipes below.
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Ranch Thighs
- Baked Reuben Chicken
- Verde Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
Podcast Episode About Cooking Chicken Thighs Perfectly
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these chicken thighs, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
How to Cook Chicken Thighs Perfectly
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Pan-roasting makes chicken thighs perfectly crisp on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside—and it’s easy!
Ingredients
- 4 (7-8 oz.) large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (see note)
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper.
- Preheat a large oven-safe skillet (large enough to hold the chicken without crowding) over medium-high heat.
- When the skillet is good and hot, add the oil.
- When the oil is good and hot, add the chicken and cook undisturbed until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and place the skillet in the oven until the chicken is cooked throughout, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven (be careful—it will be very hot). Transfer the chicken to plates and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Note: Although I prefer bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs, this recipe will work for skinless boneless thighs as well—as long as they’re about 1 inch thick.
This post originally appeared in March 2019 and was revised and republished in November 2023.
I didn’t tell my husband that I was practicing a new way to cook chicken thighs. After a couple of bites, he put down his fork, asked me what I had done to the chicken, and declared it was the best ever! Old me always ended up with dry unappetizing results. New me will only cook chicken this way forever after. I rarely use my iron frying pan which sits ignored at the back of my cabinet, but now it’s coming front and center! I also followed your recipe for chicken gravy with the juices, and that’s going to be filled with cut up chicken bites and poured over a biscuit. I love the way you explain everything thoroughly and in “can’t mess it up” detail.
That is so wonderful to hear, Lynn! I’m thrilled it was helpful and you loved the results.
Perfect! I had the skin-on kind which is why I tried this. But I did it with boneless skinless too and it’s great. Thank!
That’s great to hear, Justine!
Hi
After using your best chicken marinade, do you still need to salt and pepper the chicken and use olive oil to cook it, I would think since it is marinaded in olive oil you could just cook in the pan. Also, do you use regular olive oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
Either kind of olive oil is fine. I typically use a mild-flavored one, nothing too bitter. I would wipe the marinade off of the chicken pieces and then I would still heat a bit of olive oil in the pan before adding the chicken. I wouldn’t salt and pepper the chicken though, correct.