These perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce are just that: perfect. They make for a gourmet dinner recipe that’s surprisingly easy, and the shallot-white wine pan sauce is out of this world. Clean eating and paleo friendly.
As a food blogger, I’m constantly making new dishes for lunch, dinner, and dessert. Rarely does one singular dish make more than a couple of appearances on our table. If that were the case, I’d never have anything new to share!
These perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce, however, are one major, major exception. I make these whenever I have the opportunity, and they’re oft-requested for birthdays and holidays by my entire family.
The crispy, salty skin, the tender meat, the heady, buttery pan sauce? It’s all too much to battle. There’s simply no use putting up a fight, not when losing the battle means perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce on the table.
Oh.. and did I mention they’re super easy?
Because they’re super easy.
Why this recipe works
- The pan searing and oven roasting method produces the most tender chicken thighs with super crispy skin.
- The combination of shallots, white wine, chicken stock, and butter makes for a gourmet pan sauce that’s surprisingly easy.
- Every part of this recipe for perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce is versatile; you can use the chicken in other recipes or swap out ingredients in the pan sauce!
What I love about this pan seared chicken thighs recipe is that it’s basic enough to work into a weekly meal plan, but elegant and exciting enough to serve to company or to keep you from getting bored. It’s sear, roast, sauté, reduce, and voilà: a perfectly gourmet, yet stupid cheap and easy main course awaits.
What to serve with these perfect pan-seared chicken thighs and pan sauce?
We’ve served these pan seared chicken thighs with pan sauce over gluten-free orzo, rice, quinoa, even steamed potatoes, spooning the rich, white wine and shallot reduction over the whole thing. If you’re paleo, try serving these pan seared chicken thighs on a bed of cauliflower rice or roasted potatoes. Whatever you do, just don’t waste the sauce! Savor every spoonful.
Speaking of, I actually do eat this pan sauce with a spoon… I mean, would you want any of that gorgeous pan sauce to go to waste?! I think not.
Pair the perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce and your starch with a simple green veggie, like roasted broccoli or a simple salad. No gourmet dinner should be this easy!
And um.. hey.. just look at that golden skin. Are you looking? OK.. good.
What makes these pan seared chicken thighs with pan sauce so perfect?
The magic is in the method: you generously salt the chicken then sear it until the skin is beautifully crispy. You finish the whole thing in the oven then let them rest while you make the pan sauce.
I actually use this process for almost every recipe involving bone-in and skin-on chicken. It just works too well to mess with! You might recognize the process from my:
- Paleo Cranberry Apple Chicken Thighs with Rosemary
- Whole30 Cranberry Chicken Recipe
- Creamy Whole30 Bacon Mushroom Chicken Thighs
- 5-Ingredient Whole30 Chicken Thighs with Raspberry-Balsamic Sauce
See? Versatile and perfect.
The result is perfectly cooked, super tender chicken thighs with almost painfully good crispy skin. The pan sauce utilizes a couple of French cuisine-inspired powerhouse ingredients: shallots, white wine, chicken stock, and really good, high-quality butter. The result is so heady and rich and perfect that I can’t describe it in actual mortal terms.
Extra tender chicken and crispy skin
For especially tender chicken and crispy skin, I highly recommend quick brining your chicken pieces before making these perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce. Try my quick chicken brine recipe. It takes only a couple hours to brine the chicken and produces insanely juicy chicken with crispy skin. In addition, it makes your chicken more forgiving in case you forget to set a timer. You’re more likely to end up with still-tender chicken even if you overcook if it’s brined!
Make sure you fully air dry or pat dry the chicken after brining for super crispy skin.
How to make the perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce
The method is actually pretty important here, but it’s easy to nail. And once you have, you can whip dinner together in no time without even glancing at the recipe! Watch us make this recipe below, right above the recipe!
Here’s how to make the perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce:
Season the chicken skin liberally with salt. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large oven-proof skillet over a low medium-high heat (About a 6 or 7 out of 10). Make sure the pan is nice and hot before adding your chicken thighs.
Add your chicken thighs, skin-side down, and don’t crowd. Don’t touch them, either! Let them be for about 8 minutes. If you feel the heat is too high and the skin is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
After 7-8 minutes, the chicken thighs should release from the pan easily, and the skin should be beautifully golden and crispy. Flip the chicken thighs, skin-side up, and transfer to a 375º oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove your perfect pan-seared chicken thighs from the oven and make your pan sauce! Take the skillet out of the oven and transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Be very careful from this point on! Make sure you always have a potholder protecting your hand from the hot skillet handle.
Pour out most of the rendered chicken grease; leave about 1-2 tablespoons in the skillet. Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add your minced shallots and stir until softened, 2-3 minutes. Carefully add the white wine and reduce, scraping the skillet surface with a whisk or spoon to release the browned bits. When the mixture is reduced by about half, add the chicken stock and repeat – reduce by about half.
Finally, whisk in your cubed butter and stir until fully melted. Add your herbs at this time, if you like. Season the sauce with salt, then serve your pan-seared chicken thighs over pasta, grains, or another starch. Ladle plenty of sauce over!
And now that you’re in on the secret, you will never, ever go back to simple roasted chicken pieces, I guarantee it. Not with those golden, crispy-skinned perfect pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce dancing in your mind!
I almost dare you. Double-dog dare you. Tah-riple dog dare you!
(You’re gonna lose this bet).
Variations
- Use a combination of minced garlic and onions in place of the shallots.
- Cook your perfect pan-seared chicken thighs according to this method, then use them in other recipes, like my Whole30 cranberry chicken or creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs recipes!
- Try infusing the pan sauce with different herbs: thyme, rosemary, even basil.
- Substitute more chicken stock or no-sugar-added apple juice for the white wine if you don’t use alcohol in your cooking.
- Try ghee instead of the butter.
FAQs
What if I don’t have an oven-proof skillet?
Here’s a little trick: if your skillet has a rubber handle, you can wrap it in a double layer of wet paper towels then in a layer of aluminum foil before placing it in the oven. The wet layer plus foil will protect the handle from the heat!
However, I love having an oven-proof skillet and highly recommend having one in your arsenal. This one is fantastic (<<< affiliate link!).
Can I use chicken breasts?
Sure! I’d recommend you use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, and you’ll want to increase the oven roasting time to nearly 25 minutes, or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast (near a bone is preferable) registers at about 161º F.
If you want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you can actually cook the chicken fully on the stove. Up your searing time to about 10 minutes total, and split it between sides evenly (5 minutes per side).
Can I make this recipe Whole30 compliant?
Absolutely, and we do all the time! Simply swap the butter for ghee and replace the white wine with more chicken stock. Serve your pan-seared chicken thighs with pan sauce over potatoes or cauliflower rice.
Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! ? And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Perfect Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Pan Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- sea salt
- 2 teaspoons oil like ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil
- 1/2 cup shallots , finely minced
- 1 cup white wine or chicken stock if you can't or don't use alcohol in your cooking
- 1 1/3 cup chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons cold high-quality butter like Kerrygold, or ghee
- stems of fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage
Equipment Needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Pat chicken thighs very dry and then season very liberally with sea salt.
- Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, then, using tongs, place chicken thighs skin-side down in skillet and sear for about 7-8 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and no longer sticks to the pan.
- Flip chicken thighs then transfer skillet to oven. Roast 15 minutes or until internal thermometer registers a temperature of about 162º. Carefully remove skillet from oven.
- Be careful: always using a potholder on the skillet handle during the rest of the recipe. Transfer chicken thighs to plate, then pour off all but about 1-2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Return skillet to stove over medium-low heat.
- Add shallots and sauté, stirring regularly, until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully add white wine and deglaze, scraping the skillet with a wire whisk or spatula to loosen all the browned bits on the skillet. Bring wine-shallot mixture to a boil then reduce by half.
- Add chicken stock and again bring to a boil. Reduce the mixture by half, or until mixture is no longer soupy but thicker, like a sauce. If using fresh herbs, stir in now. Remove from heat and stir in cold butter, whisking constantly until melted. Season with salt.
- Serve thighs over the starch, then ladle plenty of pan sauce over.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2015 but was updated with new photos, video, step by step photos, and information in July 2018.
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
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Rosalia says
This was soooo delicious and easy to make. The house smelled so good while it was cooking. We all loved it. I enjoy trying new recipes on chicken because we eat it quite often, thank you so much for a delicious dinner!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Sharon K. says
This is so delicious that I had to make it two days in a row! My husband took the first night’s leftovers for lunch and I made more for dinner the next night! Did not have white wine but I substituted it with red wine and it was fabulous. This is one that I will make over and over again and it will become a part of our families traditions. I cannot thank you enough!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Aw, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
K says
Well, that was easy; and delicious!
I just used a cast iron pan for the chicken, then for the sauce. No white wine, but sure that would be delicious. I had Herbs de Provence on hand and used those. Fabulously easy dish that got great compliments!
Alex says
Made it today with some broccoli and mashed potatoes. My wife and I loved every bite, great recipe!
Cheryl Malik says
Perfect combo!
A. Truslow says
Delicious! I had this last night, am having it again tonight, and will be making it in a few days when my mother comes to visit. I’m on a low carb diet, so this is perfect. Based on the flavor, you wouldn’t know how quick and easy this is to make! Thanks for the recipe!
NolaC says
Tried this for the first time; but was missing a few ingredients. I substituted white wine with 1 cup of rice vinegar (garlic flavored) and used 1 cup of chicken broth (instead of stock). Also didn’t have onions so just used a half-cup of fresh minced garlic and herbs de provence for the herbs. Came it freaking amazing!!! thanks so much for this, I had no idea doing reductions was so easy.
Jane says
Wow! I’ve never written a review on a recipe before, but I just made this and it was amazing. Ended up looking and tasting like a restaurant quality dish. It will definitely be a staple in my recipe rotation!
Cheryl Malik says
Wow! I’m honored that you loved this enough to write a review! Thank you. 🙂
Monique says
The flavor in this dish is amazing! It was such a hit especially with my kiddos. This is a definite keeper. Thank you so much!
Cheryl Malik says
I am so glad you liked it as much as we do!! It’s one of my all-time faves here!
Jackie says
I really would like to try this but I am on a Whole30. Is it worth it with the broth or should I wait until I’m not on a round?
Cheryl Malik says
We make this recipe on a Whole30 pretty regularly and it’s so good! Of course, it’s a little better with wine and butter but still SO good with just the broth and ghee! 🙂
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Is it bad that I (kind of) want to lick the screen? Because these photos make this dish look absolutely, decadently wonderful… and I want it for dinner. Like, rightthisverymoment. Even though I’m not hungry for dinner just yet.
Love this idea, and we’ll absolutely be making this in our kitchen sometime soon. And I totally feel you on the whole new recipes all the time for the blog. It IS pretty fun to come across something that makes you stop and think twice and make several times. This sounds like the perfect thing for that.
André Gallant says
This looks awesome, Cheryl. My family is mostly vegan, but every now and then I get to cook a pastured chicken, usually roasted. This looks much easier and faster!
RavieNomNoms says
GORGEOUS!
Pang @ circahappy says
It’s SO EASY & ELEGANT; I <3 <3 <3 it, Cheryl.
I, too, will never bet on this recipe because I sure will lose. 🙂
Btw, I assume that you use dry white wine, right? I always have problems choosing wine, do you mind disclosing what kind of wind did you use?
xoxo
Cheryl Malik says
🙂 Pang! I do use dry white wine but let’s be honest.. I made this so often that I’ve even used rosé! It really doesn’t make a huge difference but I obviously wouldn’t use a Riesling or sauvignon blanc or anything. I’d definitely recommend a chardonnay, not too oaky and not too buttery. This stuff is not too bad and it’s very cheap for a decent bottle to cook with! http://www.winelegacy.com/ItemDetail.aspx?Item_ID=48
Bill says
I just wanted to add in that the first time I made this recipe I was out of chicken broth with no time to run to the store, and certainly no time whip up some broth. We also don’t drink in our house, so the wine was out as well. After a little head scratching, I wound up using two 7 oz. cans of Izzy Orange flavored sparkling soda. One can added at wine time, the other added at broth time in the recipe. It took a little longer to cook down, but Wow. A very happy accident. Thanks Cheryl!
Cheryl Malik says
Creative thinking!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Cheryl, I’m forwarding this to my Ma. She will love this recipe! Beautiful photography and cooked to perfection. I’ve made your chimichurri and it is out of this world delicious!
Cheryl Malik says
Oh I love your mom!! I hope she likes it 🙂
pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says
Those look perfect!!! Just look at that crispy skin! Swoon!
Cheryl Malik says
Yay for crispy skin! It’s the best thing like.. ever. Thanks Pam! 🙂
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen says
This sauce looks incredible good and delicious! I bet it adds a great flavour to this crispy chicken!
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Olivia! It totally does 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
These chicken thighs do look pretty perfect. I have to admit that I rarely cook chicken thigh but after seeing this post (with all that sauce and crispy skin…) Cheryl, I have to make this!
Cheryl Malik says
You really should Thalia, you won’t be disappointed! They’re such a great way to use up a whole chicken, too, instead of just buying parts.
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
This reminds me of how they would cook and sear Chicken when I lived in Lille!! I honestly think J would die and go to heaven if I made this for him 🙂 By the way, I am LOVING the new look to your blog! Your header is absolutely gorgeous!
Cheryl Malik says
That’s too funny, my friend Melissa from Teaspoon of Happiness lives in France and when I posted these on Facebook she was like, “oohhh.. how French of you!” Ha! And thanks Ceara! 🙂
Mira says
No wonder these are an exception Cheryl! Love how perfectly seared they are and sauce looks awesome! Thanks for sharing, as I’m always looking for new “No chicken breast” chicken recipes to try! Beautiful pictures! Pinned!
Cheryl Malik says
Yes! I personally adore chicken thighs, but these are so somehow elegant yet so so so easy and cheap that you will fall in love. I really hope you try them Mira!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Cheryl,
That sauce is perfection. . and yes, I would be dipping and smothering each bite of chicken in that deliciousness. The crispy, salty skin, tender thigh meat (I like you even more) and the sauce. . this is real food at it’s best. love this!
Cheryl Malik says
Did I mention I literally eat this with a spoon? I cut up the chicken like I’m my own mother and my own child and then scoop little chunks of chicken on the spoon and flood in as much sauce as possible. Mmm!
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
YES! I can’t tell you how much this rings true for me. I make new recipes every week, but once every few months I come across a recipe that makes it into my regular dessert rotation. You know, the desserts that you put on the blog months (or even years) ago, but that you still make to this day because they’re that good. If this is true about these chicken thighs, then I just have to try them. Pinned!
Cheryl Malik says
Oh yes.. it’s so very true about this. It’s truly one of my favorite meals–the combination of rich, browned chicken bits, heady white wine, garlicky shallots, and ohmygod BUTTER. Oh man. You must try!