Garlic Chicken Thighs (2024)

By:Nagi

338 Comments

Quick chicken thigh recipes are midweek lifesavers, and these Garlic Chicken Thighs are one of my gold nuggets!

With acrispy, garlic crusted surface, juicy insides and a garlic butter sauce, this is a 5 ingredient boneless skinless chicken thigh recipe. It’s almost unbelievable how outrageously delicious such an effortless recipe can be!

Garlic Chicken Thighs (1)

The BEST quick chicken thigh recipe I know

There’s one key thing about this recipe that distinguishes it from most quick and easy chicken thigh recipes – these are CRISPY skinless chicken thighs.

Crispy crust? Withskinless chicken thighs?

YES YOU CAN!

Here’s the secret: garlic powder, salt and pepper sprinkled on the chicken thighs. Cook on a relativelylow heat= deep golden, crispy crust with terrific savoury garlic flavour.

And not only do you get all the pleasure of devouring that garlicky crispy crust, the brown bits in the pan from the searing* is the base for an incredible pan sauce that takes 1 1/2 minutes to make.

* The official word for the gold stuff in pans isfond.

Garlic Chicken Thighs (2)

Chicken thighs – all the way!

I’m pretty sure chicken breast is the most popular cut of chicken here in Australia – and probably many western countries.

Yes breast is leaner – just marginally. Does it surprise you to know that 100g/3.5oz chicken thighs only has 2 teeny tiny grams more fat than breast? 2 grams is nothing for all the extraflavour and juiciness you get from chicken thighs!

In all honesty, when it comes to stress free quick and easy meals with chicken, go chicken thighs all the way. It’s juicier so easier to cook, less prone to drying out because you overcooked it by 90 seconds, can be cooked with less oil and it has better flavour than breast. 🙂

What to serve on the side?

Make dinner extra fabulous by serving these Garlic Chicken Thighs with this addictive CurriedBasmati Rice or Mushroom Rice!Add this Everyday Cabbage Salad for crunch (a great standby salad) or make a quick garden salad.

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There are very few recipes in this world that are truly made from scratch that call for such few ingredients, are seriously quick and easy, don’t call for a tub of butter and cream, are economical and yet so lip smackingly delicious, you’d proudly serve this up for company.

This Garlic Chicken Thighs recipe makes the cut. Terrific back pocket recipe! 🙌🏻🙌🏻– Nagi x

More skinless boneless chicken thigh recipes:

  • Greek Chicken Gyros– long time reader fave!

  • Sticky Baked Chicken Thighs – country style sauce, pantry staples!

  • Chicken STROGANOFF!

  • Chicken Doner Kebab

  • Asian flavours –Thai Grilled Chicken,Chinese BBQ Chicken,Thai Coconut Chicken,Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Bone in, skin on chicken thigh recipes:

  • Baked Chicken and Rice

  • Chicken Stew

  • Honey Mustard Chicken

  • Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

  • Spicy Italian Chicken Casserole

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WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Garlic Chicken Thighs (5)

Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs

Author: Nagi

Prep: 3 minutes mins

Cook: 12 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

4.94 from 143 votes

Servings4

Tap or hover to scale

Print

Recipe video above. A fantastic quick and easy chicken thigh recipe! You'll love the terrific garlic flavour in this - seared on the crust and in the sauce. The trick to crispy skinless chicken thighs is to cook longer on a lower heat.

Ingredients

  • 700 g / 1.2 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup / 125 ml dry white wine (or broth or water)
  • 25 g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 large garlic cloves , minced
  • Finely chopped parsley , optional

Instructions

  • Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in skillet smooth side down.

  • Press down lightly with with spatula. Cook for 5 minutes until deep golden and crispy.

  • Turn and press lightly with spatula. Cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and butter, cook for 1 minute until garlic is light golden and it smells amazing.

  • Add wine, then turn up heat. Stir around the chicken to dissolve golden bits stuck on the skillet into the wine. Simmer rapidly for 1 1/2 minutes or until alcohol smell evaporates.

  • Remove from heat. Serve chicken with sauce.

Recipe Notes:

1. This recipe can be made with chicken breast but it won't have the same golden crust. Cut breast in half horizontally so they're 1cm / 2/5" thick, follow recipe but use these cook times: heat skillet on high, cook for 2 minutes, flip, cook for 1 minute then add garlic and butter, proceed with recipe as written.

2. Suggested sides: Cowboy Rice Salad, Roasted Broccoli, Avocado Corn Salad, Garlic Butter Kale Rice, Mushroom Rice(also see Baked Mushroom Rice), Smashed Potatoes.

3. Nutrition per serving, chicken and all the sauce.

Garlic Chicken Thighs (6)

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 180gCalories: 334cal (17%)

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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338 Comments

  1. Garlic Chicken Thighs (11)Becca says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (12)
    So delicious! My crowd of 4 children (including a friend who can be a picky eater) LOVED this! So easy and quick.

    Reply

  2. Garlic Chicken Thighs (13)Verity Stokes says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (14)
    Only my second time using chicken thighs and this recipe is band on perfect
    tasty tasty tasty
    I shall defo be cooking this again ❤️

    Reply

  3. Garlic Chicken Thighs (15)Miriam says

    Here’s the thing: I like moderately seasoned food, but I don’t care for more than 2 cloves of garlic in a recipe that serves, say, 6. When I read that a dish is garlicky, I take that as a warning, not an enticement. I like most other alliums. So what can I substitute for garlic in this recipe?
    Otherwise I’m with you – dark meat rules!

    Reply

    • Garlic Chicken Thighs (16)Steph G says

      I haven’t tried it, but you could maybe sub garlic powder with onion powder and use finely chopped shallots (the baby onion kind, not spring onions!) instead of the minced garlic. Obviously the flavour base will be different, but may solve your garlic aversion?

      Reply

  4. Garlic Chicken Thighs (18)beontopoman says

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    Reply

    • Garlic Chicken Thighs (21)Ingrid says

      The sauce is what you made with the wine and the bits.. the juices left over in the pan.

      Reply

  5. Garlic Chicken Thighs (22)Chapelle says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (23)
    This was sooooo easy and soooo good. I DID have to put them in the oven to finish cooking but the flavor was amazing!!

    Reply

  6. Garlic Chicken Thighs (26)Robert says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (27)
    Great sauce with rice! I needed to cook the chicken longer than the recommended time. This will become one of my go to recipes.

    Reply

  7. Garlic Chicken Thighs (28)Angela says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (29)
    Made this for my kids tonight. As usual, I braced myself for the sulks, refusals to eat, complaints etc., which invariably accompany any dinner that doesn’t feature some crumbed or fried thing. But they ate it! And said it was “pretty good”, and that the sauce was really yummy. Wow.
    Delish for minimal effort. Thanks

    Reply

  8. Garlic Chicken Thighs (30)Summer says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (31)
    My mother in law is a great cook & she rated these chicken thighs and the smashed potatoes 10/10 🙂 So glad I stumbled upon these recipes

    Reply

  9. Garlic Chicken Thighs (38)Lori says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (39)
    Chicken thighs do not cook in 91/2 min. Great recipe but took a lot longer. I cooked them in the oven after for another 15ish min covered at 350

    Reply

    • Garlic Chicken Thighs (42)Joan says

      Garlic Chicken Thighs (43)
      Recently the grocery store chicken parts seem a lot bigger. The thighs are huge, and the breasts are DDD cup! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Sometimes there is a range of sizes in one package. I just make sure that before I add the butter and garlic, the largest thighs are almost done, 155-160 degrees F. If there really is a big difference in size, I put the biggest ones in the pan first.

      Reply

  10. Garlic Chicken Thighs (46)Petina says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (47)
    After I took the chicken out, I whisked in a 1/2 cup of broth and thickened it with teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a bit of water to make a gravy. It was lovely to serve over brown rice drizzled with gravy, tossed greens and peas with grass fed butter and smoked salt! will make this again!

    Reply

  11. Garlic Chicken Thighs (50)Joe Blogs says

    Garlic Chicken Thighs (51)
    Good taste. Easy and quick to prepare compared to some more traditional Spanish style recipes for same.

    Reply

  12. Garlic Chicken Thighs (52)Victoria Khera says

    Hi Nagi. Love this recipe. How is this different from your Crispy garlic chicken thighs that is exclusive in your cookbook?

    Reply

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Garlic Chicken Thighs (2024)

FAQs

What cooking method is best for chicken thighs? ›

Chicken thighs are a perfect go-to for a hot grill (or grill pan!). Try a rub or marinade, or simply season with salt and pepper. Brush grill grates or grill pan with oil. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.

How to make chicken thighs taste better? ›

Spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and thyme will make the most flavorful spice rub for your chicken, so make sure to always have your pantry stocked with some spices. Preheat a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes with 1 tablespoon of oil.

How do you cook chicken thighs so they don't dry out? ›

Keeping the skin on protects your chicken thighs from drying out while they cook, plus it allows for the additional textural treat of crispy, perfectly seasoned skin. Bone-in can be tricky to cut, but the bones help prevent the chicken from drying out.

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