Skillet Chicken Thighs

These easy skillet chicken thighs are bursting with flavor and cook up perfectly juicy and tender.  The kick of heat from the chilies, the burst of flavor from the aromatics and the melt-in-your-mouth chicken all come together in one skillet in this dish that everyone in the family is sure to love. 

There’s really something magical about cooking chicken thighs in a cast-iron skillet. It’s easy, delicious and so flexible to work with. And that’s exactly why I almost always turn to this recipe when I’m trying to make an easy dinner for the family. 

The best part? The recipe is super simple, needs just one pan and a few ingredients, which means minimal effort and cleanup. 

This Chicken Thighs in Skillet Recipe Is…

• Super easy: No complicated procedures and lots of pots and pans. All you’ll need is your trusty cast-iron skillet and you’re sorted.
• Addictive: The heat from the peppers and the savory deliciousness of the chicken makes this poblano chicken dish finger-licking good.
• Gluten-free: It’s naturally gluten-free, and is perfect if you’re consciously trying to eat healthier meals.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs: I prefer using boneless chicken thighs with the skin on. Leaving the skin on gets the chicken extra crispy on the outside, which is what I like, but you could totally use skinless chicken too, if that’s what you want. 
• Peppers: I used a mix of Poblano peppers and Anaheim peppers here, and also some jalapenos. You could skip adding the jalapenos if you feel like the dish will get too spicy. 
• Aromatics: Fresh garlic and onion work the magic here, and bring tons of flavor to the dish. I love using yellow onion for its subtle sweetness. 
• Soy sauce: Use the gluten-free variety for this recipe. 
• Taco seasoning: This one’s optional, but I highly recommend adding it in. It lends such a beautiful depth of flavor to the dish.
• Olive oil: To cook the chicken thighs in. 
• Toppings: Chopped cilantro and sliced avocado to finish it all up. 

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

How to Make Skillet Chicken Thighs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set a lightly greased skillet on high heat. 

1. Step 1: Prep chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. Step 2: Pan fry chicken. Place the chicken thighs into the pan, skin side down and let them sear for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes. 
3. Step 3: Soften onions. Get the chicken thighs out of the pan, into a plate and add a tablespoon of oil into the skillet. Add in the onions and cook on medium heat for around 7 minutes.
4. Step 4: Add the rest. Next, add the peppers and let them cook for 7-10 minutes. Now add the garlic, soy sauce, taco seasoning and a bit of water and mix. Stir it all well and let it cook for 7 minutes. 
5. Step 5: Finish up. Add the chicken thighs back to the pan, season again with salt and pepper, and pop the skillet in the oven. Cook for 40-45 minutes and serve.

Variations

• Make it tangy: To lend a nice bit of tang to the chicken poblano, top with a generous squeeze of lemon or lime juice right before you serve. You could also add some lemon or lime slices if you want to. 
• Make it creamy: Add a dash of heavy cream or some cream cheese to balance out the heat from the peppers, and also to make the sauce nice and creamy. 
• Cut swap: If you don’t have chicken thighs, you can replicate the same recipe with any other cut of chicken too. Chicken breasts are a great option, and can be quite affordable too. 

Storage Tips

• Storing: Store your leftover chicken thighs and peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
• Freezing: I would recommend making and serving this skillet chicken thighs recipe fresh. Freezing might work, but it’ll ruin the crispiness and texture of the chicken. 
• Reheating: Reheat the chicken in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat. 

Serving Suggestions

Turn to this easy cast-iron chicken thighs recipe when you’re looking for something different and delicious to cook for a weeknight meal. Team up the chicken and poblano peppers with some rice or gluten-free pasta to make it a complete, wholesome meal. 

Another great idea is to shred the chicken with two forks, stuff it into tortillas or taco shells along with the peppers, and serve it with some guacamole and sour cream on the side. You can also use it to make a chicken avocado wrap!

And if you want to keep it simple, serve these easy chicken thighs in a skillet with some garlic bread or simple crusty bread to mop up all the juices.  In the summer we love this zucchini corn salad!

Tips & Tricks

• Pat Dry: To get that perfect crispy texture on the outside, you’ll need to make sure you have the chicken thighs completely dry and free from moisture before you add them to the pan.
• Quality matters: Remember to use a good quality cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe pan for this recipe. A heavy-bottomed pan will work best, and allow even distribution of heat.
• Don’t overcrowd: If you’re using a small skillet or are making this chicken thighs skillet recipe in a big batch, make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan with too many chicken thighs, especially if you want the perfectly crispy texture.

Skillet Chicken Thighs With Poblano Peppers

Jennifer Reidy

Make these skillet chicken thighs when you’re craving for something spicy and savory. This one pan meal is incredibly easy to make, and is a delicious mix of flavors and textures.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 chicken thighs skin on
• salt and pepper to season chicken
• 2 large poblano peppers sliced length wise, stems & seeds removed
• 2 large Anaheim hot peppers sliced length wise, stems & seeds removed
• 1 large yellow onion or 2-3 medium sized, sliced
• ⅓ cup gluten-free soy sauce San-J makes gluten-free
• ⅔ cup water
• 3 large garlic cloves chopped
• taco seasoning optional
• Jalapenos optional
• cilantro and avocado garnish and serving
• olive oil good California olive oil

Instructions

 

• Heat a thinly oiled cast iron skillet to medium high or high heat. Preheat oven to roast at 350 degrees.
• Pat dry chicken thighs, leaving skin on. Season both sides of thighs with kosher salt and ground black peppercorn.
• Once skillet is hot, place thighs in skillet, skin side down. Let skin sear for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Turn thighs over and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Remove thighs from skillet onto a clean plate when finished, and set aside. Lower skillet heat to medium or medium low.
• A minute later, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then throw on the sliced onions. Let onions cook for approximately 7 minutes. Stir occasionally. It’s okay to have a bit of a char to them! Also, the sweat from the onions should bring up the scrapings from the chicken on the bottom of the skillet.
• Once onions are softened and darkened a bit, add the sliced peppers. Be sure to stir around so the peppers can reach the bottom of the pan. Let cook for approximately 7-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Up your heat to medium if you haven’t already. Add garlic, water and gluten-free soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Let sautee for approximately 2 minutes.
• Take the chicken thighs that were set aside, and place in skillet with vegetable mixture. Place thighs around skillet so they are laid out evenly, preferably not touching. And push the vegetables to the side a bit so they are not completely under chicken.
• Sprinkle koshers salt and pepper over everything to taste, then place cast iron skillet in heated oven. Turn off stovetop range.
• Cook in oven for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear and thighs reach an internal temperature of about 165 degrees.
• You can baste the chicken with the sauce if desired halfway through cooking time. If things look like they are drying out, add a small amount of water to the sauce.
• Once cooked, remove from oven then plate and serve immediately. Offer cilantro, avocado, jalapeno peppers and sour cream on the side for anyone who wants it.

Notes

Oven temps and times all vary.

Chicken thighs, when finished, will still look dark pink at times, so go by the clear juices or internal temperature for doneness.

To get that perfect crispy texture on the outside, you’ll need to make sure you have the chicken thighs completely dry and free from moisture before you add them to the pan.

Remember to use a good quality cast iron skillet or an oven-safe pan for this recipe. A heavy bottomed pan will work best, and allow even distribution of heat.

If you’re using a small skillet or are making this chicken thighs skillet recipe in a big batch, make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan with too many chicken thighs, especially if you want the perfectly crispy texture.

Keyword chicken poblano, chicken thighs in cast iron skillet, skillet chicken thighs