Name: Skillet Chicken Thighs with Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs (fat trimmed); Salt & pepper (for seasoning); 2 teaspoons Paprika; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 onion (chopped); 1 pound small red potatoes (quartered); 8 large carrots (or 1lb baby carrots); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 cups chicken broth; Fresh thyme (optional)

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

You're going to love these flavorful skillet chicken thighs with crispy skin and a delicious pan sauce served with potatoes and carrots.

What I love most about this recipe, other than the chicken thighs in the skillet are *chef’s kiss* perfection, is that I can serve a full meal to my family in about 35 minutes! All my tips for making it happen are in this post.

image: large skillet filled with cooked potato chunks, carrot chunks and chicken thighs.

Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs

If you want an easy recipe for chicken thighs that can be made in a skillet to add to your family’s list of epic dinners, this is it! As long as you have one large pan and a lid, this recipe is one you’ll want to make more than once.

This Skillet Chicken Thighs recipe yields perfectly cooked juicy chicken meat with crisp outsides and an au jus (sauce) that’s simply epic. You’ll cook the potatoes and veggies at the same time in one single skillet for an irresistible meal.

Ingredients

You’ll find the measurements in the printable recipe card, but first, let me walk you through the ingredients so you can see the simplicity of this Skillet Chicken Thighs recipe:

Chicken thighs: I use skin-on, bone-in thighs for the juiciest chicken dinner.
Salt & pepper: for seasoning. Don’t omit them!
Paprika: sweet, smoky, or Spanish paprika, depending on the flavor profile you prefer.
Butter: for cooking the chicken. You can swap it for olive oil or cooking oil.
Onion: makes everything tastier!
Small red potatoes: or a large potato. You want to cut them into even pieces.
Carrots: regular or baby carrots.
Cornstarch: or tapioca starch, for thickening the sauce.
Chicken broth: chicken stock or vegetable broth also does the work!
Fresh thyme: optional for added flavor.

How to Cook Chicken Thighs in a Pan

The skillet (or pan) that I’m using has high sides (about 3″) and a lid to hold all the ingredients and sauce in. Here is the step-by-step for cooking stove-top chicken thighs:

Prep the chicken
You want to pat dry the chicken first so the seasonings stick to it. Seasoning both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper is an essential first step.
Prep the veggies
Chop the onions. Wash and cut the carrots and potatoes into even pieces so they cook all at the same time.
Sear the chicken
Brown the skin side first for 2-3 minutes. Flip the thighs and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet. The chicken thighs won’t be fully cooked yet, don’t worry.
Cook the veggies
In the same skillet, sauté the chopped onion, carrots, and potatoes. Sprinkle cornstarch on the veggies to thicken the sauce. Gradually, you pour the chicken broth over the veggies and scrape the bottoms to incorporate.
Place the chicken back in the skillet
Once it’s simmering, place the chicken thighs back into the skillet, cover, and cook for an additional 25 minutes. You’ll know the thighs are cooked when the internal temperature reaches 175F. If using, sprinkle the fresh thyme and serve!

These skillet chicken thighs are even easier to make when you watch this video where I show you the recipe from start to finish:

Don’t flip the chicken thighs over too soon. Let them sear enough that they easily flip to the other side, about 5 minutes.

Skin Up or Skin Down first?

I personally prefer to brown the skin side of my chicken thighs first so they get that golden color and crispy sear first. The skin will also leave those amazing tidbits on the skillet that will be incorporated into the sauce later.

Once the skin side is seared, I flip the thighs and sear the underside of the meat to start the cooking process and seal the juices in the meat.

How Long to Cook Chicken Thighs on a Stove

Like all the chicken recipes on this website, I always suggest that chicken should be cooked by temperature, not just time.

For this skillet recipe, we’re cooking the chicken thighs on a stove for a total of 30 minutes, approximately, until the internal temperature reaches 175F (80C).

How to Tell if Chicken Thighs are Undercooked

Say you don’t have a meat thermometer and are wondering if you can actually tell if the chicken thighs are undercooked before you start serving.

To check for doneness, using a sharp knife, slice the middle of the chicken thigh (at the thickest point) and check that the meat inside is white and there are no pink edges or veins showing.

If you have a meat thermometer, probe the chicken thighs at the thickest point and make sure the temperature reads 175F (80C).

Tips for Juicy Chicken Thighs

We’ve all that the unfortunate experience of eating a piece of chicken (cooked on a skillet) that was dry and pretty tasteless. With these tips, you’ll get juicy skillet chicken thighs every time:

Use a large skillet
A large skillet with enough room for the chicken thighs, at least 12-inches.

Season
Season generously with salt and pepper and any other seasonings the recipe calls for -don’t skip!

The flavor is at the bottom
Add a liquid to make a sauce, like chicken broth, and scrape the bottom tidbits from the pan to add additional flavor.

Cover the pan with a lid
Finish cooking the chicken thighs in the stove top covered so the pan retains moisture and the chicken “steams” inside.

Avoid overcooking
Don’t cook chicken thighs longer than needed. Check for doneness by the internal temperature of 175F (80C).

What to Cook with Skillet Chicken Thighs

One of the things I love about this particular recipe is that other ingredients can be cooked in the skillet with the chicken thighs at the same time. This recipe has carrots and potatoes, but other veggies you can use are:

Brussels sprouts: crispy edges, tender centers, caramelized flavor… so good!
Peppers: cut into strips; it’s always a great veggie for skillet meals!
Turnips: another healthy addition to this meal.
Green beans: the skillet makes them crispy and delicious.
Mushrooms: a super tasty addition packed with nutrition.
Squash: add cubed butternut or acorn squash for a slightly sweet flavor.
Eggplant: super flavorful and tender when you cook it in the skillet.

Pro tip: making sure your veggies are cut in similar sized pieces will ensure that they are all cooked evenly.

More Recipes Using Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are a great protein for making meals on a budget while enjoying its delicious dark meat in so many different ways! Another epic one-skillet dinner I cook often is this super tasty Spanish Chicken Thighs recipe. Soooo good!

On days when I want to put the oven in charge and forget about it, I make these easy Sheet Pan Baked Chicken Thighs, these Pesto Chicken Thighs, or these mouthwatering Garlic Chicken Thighs.

More of the bowl-food team? You’re going to LOVE these scrumptious Healthy Teriyaki Bowls and this hearty Chicken Stew!

Skillet Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 40

You're going to love these flavorful skillet chicken thighs with crispy skin and a delicious pan sauce served with potatoes and carrots.

5 from 42 votes

Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds chicken thighs, fat trimmed
Salt & pepper, for seasoning
2 teaspoons Paprika
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
8 large carrots, or 1lb baby carrots
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups chicken broth
Fresh thyme, optional

Instructions

Prep:

Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Chop the onion, cut the carrots into 1 ½-inch pieces, baby carrot-sized, and wash and quarter the potatoes.

Sear the thighs:

Heat a skillet with sides or large pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, melt the butter. Add the chicken, skin side down first, and cook for 2-3 minutes until it’s golden and crisp on the first side and flip. Cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the skillet onto a plate. It won’t be fully cooked; you’ll be putting it back in to finish cooking it, the goal is to sear it well.

Cook:

To the chicken juices and tidbits left in the pan, add the chopped onion. Cook for about a minute while stirring to let the onion absorb the flavors left behind.
Add the quartered potatoes and carrots, ½ teaspoons of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to brown on all sides.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the vegetables and toss them around the pan to coat. Gradually add the chicken broth to the pan. Bring it to a simmer and stir. Once it’s simmering, return the chicken to the pan, moving the potatoes and carrots around to make room for the thighs to sit directly on the pan.
Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, stirring and turning the chicken over occasionally, for 25 minutes. You know the thighs are ready when the internal temperature reaches 175F. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the meal, if using, and serve.