Pan-fried chicken thighs are the easiest, tastiest weeknight dinner you can make. Dress them up with your favorite spices and sides and you have got a meal in a flash.
Instructions
1
Prep the chicken
2
Start by heating the butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. We like to use a cast iron skillet, but your favorite frying pan will work, too. While the pan is heating, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Fresh-ground pepper makes all the difference. You can also add extra seasoning here if you like, but there's nothing wrong with just the basics.
3
Pan-fry the chicken
4
Place the chicken skin side down into the pan. You'll hear a sizzle. The point here is to create a nice, crispy skin. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for five or so minutes. Then flip the chicken over and cook another 5 to 10 minutes—until the internal temperature reads 165ºF (the food-safe temperature for poultry). Use an instant-read thermometer to do this. Once the chicken is at the correct temperature, remove from the pan. Editor's Tip: You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs with this recipe as well. You'll miss out on the crispy skin, but they cook faster.
5
Finish with a sauce
6
You can serve these skillet chicken thighs as-is and they're delicious, but just a few extra minutes at the stove gives you a great sauce. To make the sauce, add wine and garlic to the pan along with all the drippings. Stir to loosen up all the brown bits at the bottom (this is called fond). Cook this for one to two minutes or until the wine has reduced by half. Then stir in the cream, bring up to a boil and cook two minutes more—just until the sauce is thickened up. Spoon over the chicken and serve. Editor's Tip: We called for a dry red here, but whatever you have on hand will work just fine.
