Italian Chicken Thighs

close up of chicken with Italian seasonings

Print Recipe

4.80 from 30 votes

With no advance planning required, these pan-seared chicken thighs require just a few minutes of work in the kitchen.

Prep Time5

Cook Time50

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Mary Younkin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil or light flavored olive oil
1½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs depending on size (4 large pieces fill my skillet)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

Set the chicken thighs on a large sheet pan or cutting board and generously sprinkle the skin side of the chicken thighs with half of all the spices. Turn the chicken over and sprinkle the other side of each thigh with the remaining seasonings.
Warm the oil in a large stainless or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. (A heavy non-stick skillet will work as well, although it isn't required.) Place the chicken in the hot skillet, skin side down.
Allow the chicken thighs to cook uncovered (though I HIGHLY recommend this splatter guard !), without moving them, 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 before turning the chicken over.
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.

Notes

Depending on your stove, you may need to reduce the heat to medium low. I have a very powerful gas stove now and I typically reduce the heat to about medium-low for most of the cooking time for this recipe.

Nutrition