“LAZY GIRL” CHICKEN THIGHS
on Aug 13, 2023, Updated Jun 09, 2025
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This has become my go-to, hands down favorite way to cook chicken. You simply season the chicken with just salt and pepper, add the thighs to a pan, cook until ready to flip, add some bone broth and voila, your protein is done!
“How to cook chicken” must be one of the most searched inquiries on Google. While I’m no algorithm expert, I know from reading my comments and talking to you all that something as simple as cooking chicken can be daunting!
I’m here to help conquer your fears and show you how simple making juicy, tender chicken thighs is. It’s so simple that I call it my “Lazy Girl” Chicken Thighs.
I love this recipe so much that I make it at least once a week, and I’m sure it will become a staple for you as well.
Serve it up with a salad like my Edamame Quinoa Crunch Salad, an easy chimichurri, or a roasted starch like my Crispy Baked Salt and Vinegar Potatoes for a simple weeknight meal. Or make a big batch on the weekend as part of your meal prep to have on hand for a quick and easy protein.
So, if you’re intimidated by cooking chicken, give this pan-seared chicken thigh recipe a go. You’ll become a pro in no time. I promise! Cheers!
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Ingredients for EASY PAN-SEARED Chicken Thighs
Are you ready for it? This recipe has only four ingredients — and two of them really shouldn’t count!
- Chicken Thighs: Obviously, the main ingredient here! I buy this whenever it’s on sale at the store and keep it in the freezer. Raw chicken lasts several months in the freezer. Just take it out the night before you want to cook it and let it defrost in the fridge. I buy organic, boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Bone Broth: Adding some broth helps deglaze the pan and creates a delicious pan sauce. I buy @kettleandfire bone broth because it’s gluten-free and made with organic, free-range chicken.
- Salt and Pepper: Seasoning chicken is so important as it will help develop its flavor as it cooks. Season to taste, meaning add as much or as little salt and pepper as you’d like. A few turns of a grinder works well for me.
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Pin ItHow to Make “Lazy Girl” Chicken Thighs
This recipe you’ll soon memorize starts with heating a skillet over medium-high heat.
Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Remember, this is a simple recipe, so now is the time to add the flavor!
Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken thighs. You don’t need to oil the pan as the thighs are already fatty enough. Be sure to give each thigh enough space. If you overcrowd the pan, they will be harder to flip and won’t develop a nice golden crust.
Cook undisturbed for about 10 or 12 minutes until they’re nearly cooked through. Avoid the temptation to touch or move them around the pan. They won’t develop that crust if you do! If you’re worried about being splattered, use a splatter screen.
Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the chicken broth. Start with just ¼ cup and add up to ½ total, if needed. You’ll know if you need more if it seems to cook down too quickly before the chicken is fully cooked or if you want more of a sauce.
Scrape up the chicken bits with a wooden spoon as the broth deglazes the pan. Allow the sauce to thicken until there is only a thin glaze over the bottom of the pan, carefully tossing the chicken in the sauce as you go.
Remove from the heat and you’re ready to serve them up immediately or cool and store in the fridge for later use.
Make These Recipes With This Chicken:
- Avocado Corn Chicken Salad
- Spicy Cashew Quinoa Crunch Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Southwestern Micro-Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
Or, try my “Lazy Girl” Chicken Breasts if chicken breasts are more your thing!
“LAZY GIRL” CHICKEN THIGHS
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- Salt and pepper to season
- About ½ cup of bone broth (start with ¼ cup and add more as needed)
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the skillet heats up, season your chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken thighs to the dry skillet, making sure they are not crowded, and cook, undisturbed, for 10 to 12 minutes or until they appear almost cooked through. It's important not to move them around while cooking because you want a nice crust to form.
- Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Turn the temperature to medium-low and add your chicken broth (start with ¼ cup), scraping up the chicken bits as the broth deglazes the pan.
- Allow the sauce to reduce until there is only a thin glaze over the bottom of the pan, tossing the chicken in the sauce as you go.
- Serve and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this several times now. So yummy! I switched it up today and added harissa to the garlic broth. Can’t wait to try it!
Sounds delicious, Dawn! Hope you loved it!
Just made this! Heat was up too high (lol lots of smoke!) but now I know to stick to medium heat on my stove. This will be a new staple in my house.
Hi, Andrea! So happy you love these! Medium heat definitely is high enough 🙂 especially for a cast iron or stainless steel pan. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review!
This is dynamite. I will not be making chicken thighs any other way. I was worried bc my MIl really hates chicken thighs, and this was the first time she said she actually enjoyed them! So excited to make these for my family on a regular basis. It’s so refreshing when you can find a super simple recipe that you can add to a weekly rotation or as meal prep and you don’t have to think too hard about it. Love this. Can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you so much, Liz! Honored that you and your family loved these! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review.
Will the bits burn if I have to make A few batches of this? Should I add broth in between batches?
Hi, Gina! Yes add the broth in between the batches, that way each round of chicken gets a little bit of sauce and you deglaze the pan. The deglazing will help avoid any burning since all the bits on the bottom will end up in the sauce!
Making this tonight with homemade chicken flavored buttered noodles.
Sounds delicious, Lisa!
Surprisingly delicious
I love the simplicity and the bold flavour!
Thank you so much, Pam!
I buy skinless boneless thighs from Whole Foods with lower fat and this comes out so good. I’ve made it for myself a bunch of times (at least once a week) and for guests. I love it. I contemplated trying it with chicken breast since I have some.
Thank you, Cassandra! I have a Lazy Girl Chicken Breast recipe as well, but it’s the same exact cooking method 🙂 Let me know if you try it!
Easy and delicious!
Thank you so much, Tamara!
So easy to make and impossible to mess up! Nailed it on my first try and will definitely be using this recipe again.
Thank you so much, Savi! I’m so glad this one was a hit.