Chicken Thighs in a Skillet
A simple, appetizing dinner for the whole family! Chicken thighs in a skillet turn out very tender, juicy, and flavorful. They cook quickly and easily. You can serve them without a side dish because the recipe includes plenty of vegetables.
Updated : 26 February, 2026
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
1.2 kilograms
Chicken thighs
2
Bell pepper
1
Tomato
1
Onion
1
Garlic
60 milliliters
Vegetable oil
to taste
Salt
to taste
Dry spices
16
Olive
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to fry thighs in a skillet? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. The thighs can be bone-in or boneless. Use medium-sized peppers and a tomato, and a large onion. The tomato can be replaced with ketchup, tomatoes in their own juice, or tomato paste - adjust the amounts to taste. If you use vegetables of different colors, the dish will look brighter.
Step 2
Rinse the chicken under running water. Remove the skin from the thighs and take out the bone - you can use them for another dish, for example, to make broth. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels so no moisture remains and there will be less splattering during frying.
Step 3
Rub the thighs with salt and spices. If you use ready-made spice mixes, read the ingredients on the package - often they already contain salt, so take that into account to avoid oversalting. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
Step 4
Peel the onion, rinse it, and slice into thin half-rings. My onions were small, so I used 2. To reduce eye irritation, rinse the onion and the knife with cold water. A cutting board won’t absorb the onion smell if you rub it with a piece of lemon before slicing.
Step 5
Wash the bell pepper, remove the stem, cut it open, remove the seeds, and chop into large pieces. Wash the tomato, remove the stem, and cut into small pieces of any shape. Peel the garlic and mince it using a garlic press or grate it finely.
Step 6
Use a skillet about 22 cm (8.7 in) in diameter. Heat the skillet with oil over medium heat and add all the chicken pieces. Increase the heat and sear the thighs on one side until nicely browned.
Step 7
Flip the thighs, lower the heat, and fry on the other side for 10-15 minutes.
Step 8
This searing method keeps the chicken thighs juicy. When the chicken browns on the second side, remove it from the skillet. In the same oil, sauté the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Don’t brown it too much - it should become soft and translucent. Add a little salt.
Step 9
Then add the bell pepper and the chicken to the onion and mix. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 10
Add the tomato and garlic to the skillet. Stir and cook for 3 more minutes.
Step 11
At the end, add the olives, stir, cover with a lid, and leave on low heat for 5 minutes. You can slice the olives lengthwise in half or into rings. I prefer adding them whole, so I didn’t cut them.
Author note
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