Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

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(4) Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

Updated September 4, 2024 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

Pan-frying boneless, skinless chicken thighs on the stove top over high heat makes for perfectly crispy chicken thighs, with gorgeous brown, crust and juicy, tender meat. Categories

• Spring
• Summer
• Fall
• Winter
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Gluten Free
• Low-Carb
• 30 Minutes
• Kid Friendly

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The Best Ever Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are inexpensive, quick to cook, healthy and so much more delicious than chicken breast—we can’t understand why this cut of chicken isn’t more popular. Really, we should just be grateful that it flies under the radar, because that means it still so budget-friendly! If you’ve never cooked boneless, skinless chicken thighs, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon! Our easy, quick boneless chicken thigh recipe is one we’re sure you’ll make again and again.

How To Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs:

Crispy chicken thighs can easily be achieved even if you’re using boneless, skinless chicken! The key is cooking the chicken thighs on the stove top, rather than in the oven (as you might with our Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs). Pan-fried chicken thighs cook really fast and need almost no prep—about 15 minutes, start-to-finish. Here’s best way to cook chicken thighs in a pan:

1. Pat your chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
2. Heat your oil on high until it begins to smoke.
3. Add the chicken thighs and leave them alone! No turning, no futzing.
4. After five minutes, turn the chicken over and the heat down to low.
5. When their internal temp is at 170°F, remove your perfectly crispy chicken thighs from the pan—they’re done!

Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs: Safety First!

Before you do anything else, take a moment to use a paper towel to really thoroughly dry your chicken thighs. We can’t emphasize enough how important the drying step is to making pan-seared boneless chicken thighs. Drying the meat ensures minimal splatter—we can’t promise zero splatter, so do be careful and shoo the kids away from the stove—when you add them to the super hot oil.

How Long Do You Cook Chicken Thighs On The Stove?

Chicken thighs naturally have more fat than chicken breasts, so they’re less likely to dry out, even if you overcook them a bit. Yay! That said, just-done crispy chicken thighs are always more delicious than over-done. The initial five-minute pan-sear is what makes the chicken thigh crisp, so don’t mess with that. But, after you turn the chicken, you can begin to watch for signs of doneness. When the chicken juices run clear, and you get a reading of 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, pull that gorgeous crispy chicken out of the pan! It’s done.

Tools You’ll Need:

• A cast iron skillet.
• An instant-read thermometer.

Our Favorite Chicken Thigh Dinner Recipes

• This Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Cabbage would be just as good with chicken thighs, and a little easier, too.
• Hands up if you love one-pan dinners! This Sheet Pan Olive Bar Chicken is an especially brilliant one, if we may say so.
• The zesty, bright flavors of this Cilantro-Lime Chicken Thigh Recipe are sure to perk up a mid-week family dinner.

Success?!

Snap a photo of your pan-fried boneless, skinless crispy chicken thighs, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to so we can see it and celebrate it, and maybe even share it! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs Recipe

Updated September 4, 2024

By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

• Serves: 6
• Prep Time: 5 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Calories: 241

Description

Pan-frying boneless, skinless chicken thighs on the stove top over high heat makes for perfectly crispy chicken thighs, with gorgeous brown, crust and juicy, tender meat. Print Recipe Pin Recipe

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Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Pat chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.

2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, working in batches, add the chicken thighs in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes per side.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Related Recipes

• Perfect Poached Chicken
• Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs
• Perfectly Crispy Fried Chicken

Nutrition Info

• Per Serving
• Amount

• Calories 241
• Protein 38 g
• Carbohydrates 0 g
• Total Fat 14 g
• Dietary Fiber 0 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg
• Sodium 373 mg
• Total Sugars 0 g

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Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

Questions & Reviews

Rated 5 stars by 4 readers

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Questions 8 Reviews 4 Avg: 5 / 5

• Werner

  Can i season boneless chicken thighs before i fry? What do i use?

  Yes we season al over with salt and pepper first. Hope you enjoy!

• Jennifer

  Can you use vegetable or canola oil instead of extra virgin olive oil?

  Totally!

• cosmas

  what's the best sauce to serve with the chicken?

  Garlic aioli or bbq sauce are always great choices!

• Charie

  Can I use extra virgin olive oil, at what temperature, and much oil do I need to use? Thank you.

  The recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil. Hope you enjoy Charie.

• Steve

  If my chicken come out burnt what should i do, there is sometime a little blood next to the bone if i cut the time at all. (The oil is just hot enough to make bubbles on the end of a chopstick.)

  Hi Steve, If it's burning but not cooked through you need to turn the heat down.

• Melissa

  Isn't avacado oil better since it is not good to cook olive oil on high heat?

  You can use avocado oil if you prefer!

• Michelle

  What if you marinate the chicken prior to cooking. Would you still Pat dry?

  This isn't a marinated recipe. If you are trying to marinate the chicken it won't get as crispy but will still taste great.

• Brodie

  Mentions boneless, skinless chicken thighs....cooked pictures show bone in, skin on chicken thighs.

  It's because we offer BOTH recipes on our blog! And we photographed them finished together on a plate. If you are looking for the bone-in, skin-on, search "Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs" on the blog! Thanks

• Mary

  5-star rating

  The absolute BEST! I made this for a salad (chicken, lettuce, feta, avocado, red onion, alfalfa sprouts and a little drizzle of balsamic glaze) and just about died of happiness.

  HAHA Thank you Mary Anne! Glad you loved it but even more glad you are still with us!

• Lukas

  5-star rating

  Definitely worth a try, turned out amazing! I cooked this for my fiance and I tonight and it was simply delicious I'd recommend adding a pinch of high quality lemon pepper over the top for a bit more of a tang but its delicious both ways

  Thanks Lukas! So happy you both enjoyed it!

• Bill

  5-star rating

  This turned out to be perfect first time! Thank you!

  Thanks Bill! So happy you loved it!

• Cherrie

  5-star rating

  EXCELLENT recipe. I did my own seasoning, basically garlic salt with lots of black pepper, and this was soooo good. One side perfectly crispy, and easily cooked through perfectly! Thank you for the excellent instructions on how to cook chicken thighs, and quickly! My daughter is really thrilled with the results (she's a very picky eater).

  Wonderful! So glad it was a hit!

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