These Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs Are a Guaranteed Crowd-Pleaser And they’re ready in less than 45 minutes! Crispy chicken thighs, tender potatoes, and caramelized onions are baked together in a pan for maximum flavor and minimal effort.
Mid-week chaos calls for easy, delicious meals with minimal cleanup. That’s where this skillet chicken recipe shines! Place the chicken thighs and your favorite vegetables on a baking sheet, pop it in the oven, and let the magic happen. You’ll have a crispy, delicious dinner in no time.
For more sheet pan dinners, check out our baked salmon with brown sugar with green beans! Or, if you prefer a hands-off approach, these simple slow cooker chicken thighs They are a lifesaver.
Key ingredients
- Chicken thighs: I use skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. I have also done it with chicken thighs and breasts with good results. When using skin-on chicken, I prefer to brown it before adding it to the baking sheet to give it a little more color.
- Potatoes and Red Onion: You can add any vegetables you want to the pan, but I love potatoes and red onion. The potatoes become tender and the onion becomes soft and sweet. For more inspiration, think cubed sweet potatoes or winter squash instead of potatoes. I also love roasted cabbage, so adding some chopped cabbage to the pan is great too!
- Olive oil and seasonings: I use olive or avocado oil so that the chicken and vegetables brown well. Next, I keep the seasoning very simple, but you can have a lot of fun here. I use salt, pepper, and garlic in the recipe below, but you can use your favorite spice blends. Think Italian seasoning, cajun seasoning, chili powderAnd more!
- Vegetables: When the baking sheet comes out of the oven, I add some baby spinach or arugula around the chicken. They wilt slightly from the heat of the chicken and vegetables and are dressed with the pan juices.
How to make chicken thighs in a skillet
These skillet chicken thighs are quick and easy. You will need about 10 minutes to prepare it and then place the chicken thighs, potatoes and onions on a baking sheet and bake until crispy.
Before baking, season the chicken thighs and potatoes with salt and pepper. Then, for more flavor, we added some minced garlic towards the end of the baking time (adding the garlic later prevents it from burning in the oven and turning bitter).
Bake the chicken thighs in a 425°F oven for about 35 minutes. This baking time is perfect for roasting vegetables along with the chicken.
Then, I throw some vegetables on the baking sheet right before serving. The heat from the baked chicken thighs and potatoes will wilt them a bit. Easy and dinner is prepared all in one pan!
Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs
-
HOMEWORK
-
COOK
-
TOTAL
Our easy skillet chicken thighs recipe is simple and perfect for busy weeknights. We keep the seasoning simple, but feel free to add your favorite spice blend on top of the chicken and potatoes.
4 servings
You will need
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1 ½ pounds
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 medium)
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups fresh arugula leaves or baby spinach
Instructions
1Preheat the oven to 425°F (218ºC). Line a rimmed baking sheet (baking sheet) with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2Trim excess skin and pat the chicken dry, then season generously with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on both sides.
3Spread the potatoes and onions on the prepared baking sheet and toss with 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4Place the seasoned chicken thighs, skin side up, between the potatoes and onions. Bake the chicken and potatoes for 15 minutes.
5Meanwhile, whisk together the minced garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small bowl. After 15 minutes of baking, scatter the garlic over the chicken thighs, potatoes and onion. Continue baking until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, or until an internal thermometer reads 165°F (73°C) when inserted into the thigh, about 20 minutes more.
6Before serving, scatter arugula leaves over the chicken, potatoes and onion.
Adam and Joanne’s advice
- Skinless chicken thighs or breasts: Follow the recipe as directed, but rub the skinless chicken with a teaspoon of oil before baking. After adding the garlic, continue baking until the chicken is cooked through (this will take a little less time than mentioned above for bone-in chicken thighs).
- The nutritional data provided below are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Serving size
1 thigh plus 1/4 of the vegetables
/
calories
216
/
Protein
16 grams
/
Carbohydrate
13 grams
/
Dietary fiber
2 grams
/
Total sugars
2 grams
/
Total fat
11 grams
/
saturated fat
3 grams
/
Cholesterol
81mg
/
Sodium
716mg