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Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

Pan-frying boneless, skinless chicken thighs on the stove top over high heat makes for perfectly crispy chicken thighs, with gorgeous brown, crust and juicy, tender meat.

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pan-fried Boneless Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs on a plater

The Best Ever Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are inexpensive, quick to cook, healthy and so much more delicious than chicken breast—we can’t understand why this cut of chicken isn’t more popular. Really, we should just be grateful that it flies under the radar, because that means it still so budget-friendly! If you’ve never cooked boneless, skinless chicken thighs, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon! Our easy, quick boneless chicken thigh recipe is one we’re sure you’ll make again and again.

raw Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs on parchment salt pepper in a bowl olive oil in bowl

How To Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs:

Crispy chicken thighs can easily be achieved even if you’re using boneless, skinless chicken! The key is cooking the chicken thighs on the stove top, rather than in the oven (as you might with skin-on thighs). Pan-fried chicken thighs cook really fast and need almost no prep—about 15 minutes, start-to-finish. Here’s best way to cook chicken thighs in a pan:

  1. Pat your chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
  2. Heat your oil on high until it begins to smoke.
  3. Add the chicken thighs and leave them alone! No turning, no futzing.
  4. After five minutes, turn the chicken over and the heat down to low.
  5. When their internal temp is at 170°F, remove your perfectly crispy chicken thighs from the pan—they’re done!
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in a frying pan
Boneless Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs in a cast iron pan
Boneless Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs on a plate

Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs: Safety First!

Before you do anything else, take a moment to use a paper towel to really thoroughly dry your chicken thighs. We can’t emphasize enough how important the drying step is to making pan-seared boneless chicken thighs. Drying the meat ensures minimal splatter—we can’t promise zero splatter, so do be careful and shoo the kids away from the stove—when you add them to the super hot oil.

pan-fried Boneless Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs on a plater

How Long Do You Cook Chicken Thighs On The Stove?

Chicken thighs naturally have more fat than chicken breasts, so they’re less likely to dry out, even if you overcook them a bit. Yay! That said, just-done crispy chicken thighs are always more delicious than over-done. The initial five-minute pan-sear is what makes the chicken thigh crisp, so don’t mess with that. But, after you turn the chicken, you can begin to watch for signs of doneness. When the chicken juices run clear, and you get a reading of 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, pull that gorgeous crispy chicken out of the pan! It’s done.

Tools You’ll Need:

Boneless Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs on a plate

Our Favorite Chicken Thigh Dinner Recipes

Success?!

Snap a photo of your pan-fried boneless, skinless crispy chicken thighs, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to so we can see it and celebrate it, and maybe even share it! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min
  • Calories: 301

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Method

  1. Use a paper towel to pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, set over high heat until oil begins to smoke.
  3. Working in batches add chicken to skillet without crowding. Cook chicken on one side without turning for 5 minutes. This step will help ensure your chicken gets extra crispy.
  4. Flip chicken over and reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 170°F.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories301
  • Protein38 g
  • Carbohydrates0 g
  • Total Fat21 g
  • Dietary Fiber0 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium775 mg
  • Total Sugars0 g

Pan-Fried, Boneless, Skinless Crispy Chicken Thighs

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Brodie

    Mentions boneless, skinless chicken thighs....cooked pictures show bone in, skin on chicken thighs.

    It's because we offer BOTH recipes on our blog! And we photographed them finished together on a plate. If you are looking for the bone-in, skin-on, search "Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs" on the blog! Thanks

  • Mary Anne Clark

    The absolute BEST! I made this for a salad (chicken, lettuce, feta, avocado, red onion, alfalfa sprouts and a little drizzle of balsamic glaze) and just about died of happiness.

    HAHA Thank you Mary Anne! Glad you loved it but even more glad you are still with us!

  • Lukas Patterson

    Definitely worth a try, turned out amazing! I cooked this for my fiance and I tonight and it was simply delicious

    I'd recommend adding a pinch of high quality lemon pepper over the top for a bit more of a tang but its delicious both ways

    Thanks Lukas! So happy you both enjoyed it!

  • Bill Stevens

    This turned out to be perfect first time!
    Thank you!

    Thanks Bill! So happy you loved it!

  • Cherrie M

    EXCELLENT recipe. I did my own seasoning, basically garlic salt with lots of black pepper, and this was soooo good. One side perfectly crispy, and easily cooked through perfectly! Thank you for the excellent instructions on how to cook chicken thighs, and quickly! My daughter is really thrilled with the results (she's a very picky eater).

    Wonderful! So glad it was a hit!