Golden Brown Chicken Thighs with Pan Sauce
Serves 6
5 mins prep
15 mins cook
20 mins total
You'll love the ease of cooking these pan-seared chicken thighs, and they taste really good! Boneless chicken thighs stay juicy when quickly cooked in a skillet, and develop a beautiful golden brown crust. I use a simple seasoning marinade made with spices, soy sauce and mustard to add flavor and create a zesty pan sauce.
Put the chicken thighs in a large bowl or baking dish.
Whisk the soy sauce, honey, mustard, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Use tongs or a fork to toss the pieces until they're evenly coated. At this point, the raw chicken can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day before cooking.
Place a 12-inch nonstick skillet or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until a few drops of water sizzle and evaporate. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken lightly with salt. Add the oil, then the arrange the chicken thighs in the pan.
Cook until the surface turns deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Keep your eye on them and lower the heat if needed so they don't blacken or brown too quickly.
Flip the chicken over and continue cooking 5-7 more minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear. If liquid starts to collect in the pan while they cook on the second side, carefully pour most of it off into a heatproof measuring cup or small bowl and reserve.
Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Pour in the chicken broth and any reserved pan juice. Bring to a bowl and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.