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.