Juicy, tender pan-fried chicken thighs with a golden-crisp skin are possible with just a spoonful of oil and a bit of patience.
The hardest part of this recipe is waiting while they slowly cook on the stove-top. You want the skin to be golden-brown with all the fat rendered before you turn them over. This chicken is completely worth the wait!
Pan Fried Chicken Thighs
These pan-fried chicken thighs have become a staple in my house over the past few years. I made this chicken at least once a week for the first couple of months and I still make it at least once a month. The chicken turns out perfectly every single time.
My kids now ask for the “crispy skin chicken” every time they see me purchasing chicken. This pan-cooked chicken has been a kid and adult favorite for over ten years now.
Can you fry chicken in olive oil?
Short answer? YES! I’ve been asked so many times, I finally made a note in the recipe card. I used to use refined (unscented) coconut oil to pan-fry chicken because it had a slightly higher smoking point, but I’ve been using olive oil for years now without any issues at all.
You’re not cooking at a high temp and you aren’t deep frying the chicken either. This is a shallow pan fry method that requires just a tablespoon of oil. You’ll be just fine with olive oil in this case.
After cooking chicken this way for a couple of years, I decided to play with an oven method for achieving the same crispy chicken thighs. I’m thrilled to tell you that this Oven Baked Crispy Chicken is pretty amazing too.
My first choice for crispy chicken thighs is the pan-fried method, but a very close second (and perfect for the busiest of days) is the crispy chicken made in the oven. I’m so happy to have two great methods now for cooking perfectly crispy chicken.
Irresistible Mandarin Broccoli Salad is a terrific side dish with both chicken recipes, as is this Creamy Pasta Salad or this Panera Mac and Cheese.
These Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are next on my list to try with this chicken. What’s not to love about a piping hot silky smooth sweet potato that practically cooks itself?
How Long To Fry Chicken Thighs
- Pour a tablespoon of oil into a large stainless or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. (A non-stick skillet will work as well, although it isn’t required.)
- Generously sprinkle the skin side of the chicken thighs with spices and then place them in the hot skillet, skin side down. Sprinkle the other side of the thighs and then, without moving them, cook uncovered* for about 20-25 minutes.
- Let the chicken cook until the fat has rendered and the skin is deep golden brown and crisp; this could take as long as 30 minutes. If the skin is sticking to the pan, it likely isn’t finished on that side. Reduce the heat as needed if the skin starts to burn before it is evenly golden brown.
- Turn the thighs over and continue to cook for about 20 more minutes. When the meat closest to the bone is cooked through, the chicken is done.
* Please note that a splatter-screen for your skillet will help cut down on the mess on the stovetop and a small bowl with a cup of vinegar set next to the stove will greatly reduce the lingering aroma of this recipe through the rest of the night.
Frying Chicken Thighs in a Pan
When I finally learned how to cook chicken on the stove, I was in heaven. Crispy chicken thighs really are possible without deep frying or standing over the stove the whole time.
With a few tips in hand, you’re going to be making some amazing chicken in no time. First, you’ll want to start with a heavy skillet.
A splatter-screen for cooking will help cut down on the mess on the stovetop.
A small bowl with a cup of vinegar set next to the stove will greatly reduce the lingering aroma of this recipe through the rest of the night.
Perfect Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or light flavored olive oil
- 4-6 chicken thighs depending on size (4 large pieces fill my skillet)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Optional spices: garlic and paprika
Instructions
- Pour the oil into a large stainless or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. (A non-stick skillet will work as well, although it isn't required.) Generously sprinkle the skin side of the chicken thighs with spices and then place them in the hot skillet, skin side down.
- Sprinkle the other side of the thighs and then, without moving them, cook uncovered* for about 20-25 minutes. Let them cook until the fat has rendered and the skin is deep golden brown and crisp; this could take as long as 30 minutes.
- If the skin is sticking to the pan, it likely isn’t finished on that side. Reduce the heat as needed if the skin starts to burn before it is evenly golden brown. Turn the thighs over and continue to cook for about 20 more minutes. When the meat closest to the bone is cooked through, the chicken is done. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please note that a splatter-screen for your skillet will help cut down on the mess on the stovetop and a small bowl with a cup of vinegar set next to the stove will greatly reduce the lingering aroma of this recipe through the rest of the night.
Nutrition
{originally published 4/17/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 9/1/2022}
blueknit says
Really tasty! The skin did stick but I liked the way the chicken had a crunchiness to it. Great recipe!
Anonymous says
The instructions on this are perfect! I made a Caramel Chicken off Epicurious. The 1st time I made it I was interrupted by a phone call, so I turned the heat down. It took forever to brown, but at a low heat I found it easy to turn the chicken and it had a great color. The 2nd time I made it (it was that good) I did not turn it down and it stuck. I really could not get it and this time I tried a search engine to search "how to prevent chicken sticking" and this recipe popped up. This is the answer, slow cooking, let fat render and turns easily. Excellent job Mary!!
Elizabeth Upper says
What can I do with skinless thighs on the stovetop?
Mary says
If you check the recipe index, there are several options:
https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/2011/04/chicken.html
These Chicken Bites are a lightning fast option for cooking boneless skinless chicken on the stovetop, I still make them at least every other month:
https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/2012/03/chicken-bits-made-by-my-man.html
Anonymous says
can you fry this way if you batter it
Mary says
If you want a battered (more traditional) fried chicken, you'll need more oil. I'd recommend trying a recipe written specifically for battered and fried chicken.
Anonymous says
You, and everyone else, have mentioned waiting until the fat is rendered… can you describe what that looks like? I'm clueless. Thanks!
Mary says
Basically, the chicken will no longer be stuck to the bottom of the pan. It will be easy to pick up and the skin will be crispy because the chicken has rendered the fat. (rendered is a way of saying the fat in the skin has melted away leaving the skin crispy)
D says
Awesome! I tried this tonight and I was scraping my plate. I love that it only used the tablespoon of coconut oil (though I suspect it was really just frying in its own fat) and I can use whatever spice blend I wish. I had no problems with turning it and getting a crispy skin. The meat itself was juicy and flavorful. I will be doing this again. Thanks!
Anne Pietramale says
I tried the recipe and the chicken came out great! My family loves this recipe. I did not have Paprika on hand, so I used about a 1/4 tsp of Cayenne Pepper — Excellent mix of flavors. Pan fried as recommended. No sticking, perfect and tasty.
Cody O'Rourke says
Perfection! The chicken gives that nice crispy fried flavor, but without all of that breading and heavy oil it is still a healthy choice! Thank for sharing! I think this is going to make it into the regular rotation!
Mark says
I do pretty much the same except I pull the skin back and season the the meat then fold the skin back over, then fry as above. Also to cut the time after I brown the skin I turn them over and put a lid on it until done. You can even separate the fat from the drippings and make a delicious gravy or gelatin
Anonymous says
Yum! Nice idea! I'll definitely remember that.
iwantcake says
these are in my skillet now…I was able to flip without sticking but they are soooo burnt 🙁 Cooked for 25 minutes on medium heat. Any idea why so burnt? I'm sure they will taste delish but not as pretty as your pics!
Mary says
What a bummer that they burnt! It sounds like medium might be too high for your stove's heat. I've done them on medium-low as well, when it seems like they were cooking too quickly on a different stove.
Kiki says
This was reaaallly helpful in many ways. I read it once and tried it and succeeded the first time! i never thought i would be able to get such amazing pan-fried chicken. Thank you so much!
Trish Stewart says
I keep buying skinless chicken thinking that it was bad for cholesterol and feeling very guilty when sneaking a piece off a roasted chicken. We watch our animal fat intake and use only lean cuts of meat. This looks SO good, but is it healthy? I do cook in olive oil or avocado oil.
I love food says
This is an interesting question! I have a few friends with type ii diabetes, who have found great success in staying off insulin injections and metformin by reducing their high glycemic carbs, and replacing those calories with fat. Although we are told that animal fat is not the ‘good’ type, coconut is also not the good type either, from what I’ve read recently. A bunch of years back, maybe 5?, the big Canadian National paper the Globe and Mail wrote about fat, and said that if you eat your meat with the fat it came in, everything in your body works better for it. Which does not necessarily mean that we should be eating meat twice a day, seven days a week 🙂 there is so much info on dietary health, but mostly most of it still seems to be coming down to 7-12 veg and fruit a day, some carbs, some protein (Canada food guide). But Brazil’s food Guide is a whole ‘nuther approach, and discusses food in levels of processing and additives-which seems to be the greater issue for many people around the world. It’s a good read! (I think it came in four languages, English being one of them:)
Kakola says
Medium Heat.
Is that like, oh, 500 degrees?
Nitin agarwal. says
Ok so I tried the recipe exactly as you said. I didnt have sticking issues I had another issue lol. The heat was medium to low. And my smoke alarm went off. I live in a hotel apt right now so I had ppl show up in a panic to my room. Also I used a tablespoon kf coconut oil. How can I prevent this in the future?
Karen says
Every time I fry chicken it turns dark around the bones
Mark says
The reason this is more difficult than it sounds for some people is that chicken fat has a very low smoke point compared to most types of oil you’d use for frying (375F). The only way to prevent the chicken thighs from creating a lot of smoke will be to cook over a low temperature (I would guess that ‘medium’ would be much too high on almost every stove). There are a lot of factors but with a properly sized pan and burner, most pans will get over 400F fairly quickly on medium. I suggest If the skin is even starting to go crisp after less than 15 minutes, the temperature is probably much too high.
Peggy S. says
Why in the world would anyone want to reduce the spread of this fabulous aroma throughout their house?! I’ll skip the vinegar ’cause I want this intoxicating smell everywhere. One question, though… There is an asterisk next to “uncovered” in the instructions, yet no asterisk at the end to denote what the additional information is. So now I’m curious about what the notation to “uncovered” is. I’m cooking this as I type and it smells so darn good!
Cynthia says
Trying this recipe as I type…im never good at cooking chicken… at all…. lol so far it’s going well! Thanks for the helpful directions and tips!
Jan S says
Many years ago I worked in a family owned restaurant in Louisiana. The owner told me about his family favorite : Sticky Chicken. This is it! He used Creole seasoning but the method was exactly the same. I had forgotten about it. Thanks you for the reminder! The trick is to cook low & slow and don’t futz around with it while it’s cooking. So simple and so yummy.
bird says
you can always tell when fried chicken is done when it quits sizzling!