Easy Boneless Chicken Thighs
Updated March 11, 2024
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound), patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
113 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 272 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Coat with the olive oil.
- Step 2
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When the skillet just starts to smoke, add the chicken flat side down and cook, pressing down occasionally with tongs, until golden-brown and opaque halfway up the sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through (at least 165 degrees in the thickest part), 3 to 5 minutes.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Matt D
It’s a very basic recipe (more of a technique) but olive oil is not well suited to high heat cooking such as this. Better to use canola. Also after you remove the thighs from the pan, throw some broth, butter, and a splash of white wine in the pan, scrape up the leftover bits and let it reduce. Then turn off the heat and squeeze some lemon in there for a perfect sauce for your chicken.
Ryan
How does an empty skillet smoke? Doesn’t that mean the stove is on fire?
LUC
I sauté fresh spinach in the pan after removing the chicken. Add a bit of olive oil and or butter if needed to sauté. The added flavor from the chicken makes the spinach taste better. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I also add some onion powder to the chicken before cooking.
AK
Canola oil is consistently listed as a highly inflammatory food ingredient on every list I have ever seen concerning foods to avoid for healthy eating. And unless it's organic, it's also a GMO crop, meaning it is likely to be contaminated with glyphosate. Avocado oil handles high heat cooking and does not have the health issues of canola.
Blake C
a dry skillet (never use a non stick — the coating is dangerous when heated that high) will emit whisps of smoke when heated thoroughly, very different than your stove being on fire
Faye
It should never using olive oil frying chicken. I am an 80 years old cook. Oliver oil is a bad idea with high heat. (It is basic knowledge)
JW
Follow the instructions. You will be pleasantly surprised with outcome. Be sure to have the fan hood on high. The only misleading part would be the pic showing the thigh curled over. Cook it flat, smooth side down( as Ali says ) then flip. Just follow his steps. Those that say don’t use olive oil due to the smoke point are missing the point, because it’s cooked in a dry pan with the chicken only lightly coated in oil. Follow the instructions and enjoy….no regrets.
John M.
The way I read it, you coat the chicken with oil. The skillet isn't even mentioned until Step 2.
Stephen in AP
The author acknowledges the skin/no skin question in the opening lines, and the absence of skin is the very point of this recipe. I'm guessing you didn't prepare the dish but still felt compelled to address a question no one's asking.
Lance Linklot
Grape seed oil for high temp cooking
Rusty Sterling
This is now the only way I'm cooking chicken thighs. OMG this was good. I added a little of my own spice shake. Heavenly. And as crispy as advertised.
Mary Bean
These chicken thighs were delicious: succulent, juicy and tender. I followed the recipe and when the thighs were done, I added 2 tablespoons water, juice of one lime and a few shakes of ancho chili powder. Perfect!
Leslie
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and was blown away by how much flavor the thighs had. Plus, they smelled like a roasting chicken! I kept a window open and the exhaust fan on.
JDC
Used cast iron skillet on gas grill. No smoke issue
calisson
I added chocolate chips and got a great result with choco-chickies.
Sarah L
This was delicious! Toward the end. I gave each side an extra little layer of salt and one last sear. Very good and my kids ate it too!
Daniel
Delicious! Followed exactly as written. Bursting with juicy flavor! Once the thighs were done and resting, I threw a pat of butter into the pan, half a cup of frozen onions, half a bag of frozen kale and a thin slice of lemon, swirled that around fora couple of minutes and voila!
Peaches
Makes a mess of your stovetop! I followed directions exactly, up to the point of declaring the thighs done. They looked tough. So I threw in the white wine I was drinking (!) and covered the pan. When it stopped make it spattering noise, I removed the lid to let alcohol boil away. Reduced sauce while moving the chicken around. Finished by covering again and cooking on low for about five minutes. Result: very succulent chicken. Needs more flavor, though. Rosemary maybe?
Ron
I find myself confused by "flat side". The thighs have a smooth side, the outside of the thigh, which had skin on it, and a rough side, what was next to the bone. The latter is "flatter", in the sense of how much of its surface rests flush to the pan when frying. The smooth side retains it's curves, and does not uniformly rest against the hot pan. But I suspect that the intent is to have the "flat" side be the smooth (outside) part. Not that it will make much difference.
Susan D
I mistakenly added the oil to the pan, but this still turned out well. I added a bit of smoked paprika to the chicken along with salt and pepper. When the thighs were almost done I threw in some halved multicolor cherry tomatoes and removed just the chicken when done. Tossed in a bit of broth and heavy cream and cooked down. It was delicious with a bit of Parma on top. I’ll be using this cooking method as a start with thighs from now on — delicious as-is or embellished — and quick!
SBG
I read all the reviews for cooking this chicken, regarding the oil especially. I decided to cook it exactly as written. The chicken is excellent and tastes just like the skin is on! I put a screen over the pan but it still made quite a mess on the stove. We have a pretty good fan but the kitchen still got smokey. This is a great go-to dish because I think everyone has salt, pepper, and olive oil. We will definitely make it again.
English
4 minutes didn't quite release from the pan. Cooking another 4 min on other side (small thighs) The next ones are bigger - will try 6 and 4
L
You're not frying it in the oil so using olive oil as a coating for the chicken is fine. I made this as is and it was delicious. Just make sure to press down so that the crevices of the non-flat side get cooked. Also I second everyone saying to saute veggies in the pan after taking the chicken out or to deglaze the pan with whatever you have (wine or broth). Heck, do both like I did. Fantastic dinner.
Julia Childless
Well, at least no one asked if this could be made with chicken breasts…….
Jessie Tenney
I’m sorry, but there is just no way that this is going to be anything but dry on the exterior where it’s been browned. You can call it bronze if you want to, but I call it dry, tough and leathery. Without its skin to protect it from drying out, a chicken thigh must be braised in a liquid, and forget doing much browning first. There; I said it!
Stephen in AP
The author acknowledges the skin/no skin question in the opening lines, and the absence of skin is the very point of this recipe. I'm guessing you didn't prepare the dish but still felt compelled to address a question no one's asking.
Janet
Oy! Cheers to whoever has to scrub that pan. Wouldn't the broiler and my trusty sheet pan work as well? If Ryan ever left a dry pan on the stove too long, he'd know that pans do smoke and scorch. I spent an hour last week with Bar Keepers and a sponge cleaning a scorched stainless steel pan. Coincidentally, Wirecutter published excellent instructions for my situation on that day, so my pan looks great.
Angie
Don't scrub the pan, saute some mushrooms in it and deglaze with a little white wine and/or broth! Less scrubbing and more flavor, double win!
Pat M
Baking soda is great for cleaning crusted pans. Spread a little on the crusty bits, maybe a bit of water. Let sit if stubborn, but this is a great way to clean the pan, tried and try and not abrasive.
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