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This Easy Pan Seared Chicken Thighs recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner when you are craving the classics. No fuss and crowd-pleasing; We call that a win. Bonus, this version is Whole30 Approved.
Winner Winner, this is the best chicken dinner
Everyone needs a few classic recipes in their little black book of cooking for those nights when you want to impress with something homemade, but without pomp and circumstance; nights when classic comfort food is what you are craving. Chicken thighs are always a big winner.
Trust me, once you get your hands on delicious thighs, you will keep them in the rotation all of the time. It’s all about locking in the moisture and build on the flavors.
Start with a good sear to get the skin crispy and then finishing it off in the oven keeps it juicy and loaded with amazing flavors. Cheap chicken never had it so good.
These easy pan-seared thighs are the perfect base recipe to start with. Best part is you can keep them simple and classic, or go all wild with your bad self once you get the basics on lock.
How to Pan-Sear Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs have to be one of the most overlooked cuts in the market. They are always crazy cheap and pack a ton of flavor. Problem is, for years people cooked chicken to a bland dry flavorless brick and no one wants to play with it anymore.
Follow these steps and you won’t ever go back. Because thighs are juicy and loaded with flavor (oh, and they are cheap – cha-ching).
First, you need a quality heavy-duty oven-safe pan. Whether it’s a Lodge or a Le Creuset, it’s the key to perfection.
Preheat the oven and get the pan nice and hot on the stovetop. Once the pan is hot, swirl in your cooking fat to coat and add the thighs, skin side down. There should be some serious sizzling. (Also, I love a good cover at this point to save myself time cleaning later).
Don’t be tempted to flip or pull or check the skin!
With a good cast iron skillet and proper temps, it will come loose on its own. Only then flip and finish in the oven. Pulling ahead of time will cause the skin to stick to the pan and rip. A gentle check, oop – still stuck, means let it do its thing a minute longer.
Finish quickly in the oven, in about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the thighs for a fast easy weeknight meal.
Make sure the thighs come to 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer and allow to cool a few minutes before serving from the oven hot pan.
What to serve with chicken thighs
This easy pan-seared thigh recipe goes well with hearty collard greens and mashed potatoes or over a bed of root veggie roasted risotto with a soft white wine. It’s a recipe you can add to that little black book and master quickly for a winning go-to meal that is easily adjusted to the season or occasion.
As an added bonus, if you stick to the recipe as is, it is Whole30 Approved.
Here’s to thighs. The thick and juicy kind.
What you need for seared chicken thighs:
- Large Skillet
- Ghee
- Fresh Herbs (Sage, rosemary, parsley)
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Jacobson Salt
For more Whole30 Recipes that don’t make you feel like you’re starving yourself, you’ve come to the right place. Check these out!
Whole30 Approved Lamb Stuffed Peppers { Turkish Dolma }
Whole30 Grilled Steak Bibimbap Bowls
Whole30 Sausage with Roasted Cabbage and Butternut Squash Puree
If you’ve tried my Pan Seared Chicken Thighs Recipe or any other recipe on GirlCarnivore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below.
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Easy Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs | Whole30 Approved
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp clarified butter, or ghee Use regular butter if not on Whole30
- 4 bone-on, skin on chicken thighs
- dash salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 handful fresh herbs sage, rosemary, tarragon, etc
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Peat the chicken dry and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Swirl 2 tablespoons of clarified butter over the pan to coat when hot. Add some chopped herbs to the pan.
- Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. You should hear a nice sear happening. Allow to cook, without wiggling, flipping, or touching the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes to allow the skin to get nice and crispy. Adjust heat as needed to not burn.
- Flip the chicken and toss in the minced garlic allowing it to become aromatic. Add the remaining clarified butter and baste the chicken. Toss some more fresh herbs on top and carefully transfer to the oven to finish cooking 8 to 10 minutes.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check for a doneness temp of 165. If not at 165, allow the chicken to cook longer, as needed.
- Serve with fresh herbs on top. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Notes
Hey, I’m Kita, the Meat Maven, outdoor junkie, campfire connoisseur, adventure-seeking and world traveled recipe developer and photographer behind GirlCarnivore.com. My mission is to break down savory eats and inspire you to get a little grit under your nails while having fun with your food. READ MORE
Aaron Paolino says
This method of hot skillet straight into the oven chicken cooking has been a game changer for me. The kids love how crispy the skin turns out!