When I need a fast no-brainer meal, it’s all about a quick skillet-cooked chicken and an easy pan sauce. Those rich flavorful pan sauces are absolute heaven and can be spooned over rice, tossed with sautéed vegetables, or even drizzled over a small pasta, like orzo. This time I used a pre-mixed Italian herb blend to make this rich and buttery herb pan sauce, which was so good that I wanted to just sit there with a chunk of bread to sop it all up. Alas, these Herb Butter Chicken Thighs are part of my meal prep this week (stay tuned tomorrow to see what I paired them with), so I couldn’t just dive into the skillet. But I sure wanted to!
Use a Pre-Mixed Herb Blend for Convenience
I used a pre-mixed Italian Seasoning blend of herbs for this pan sauce, just so I wouldn’t have to measure out 4-5 herbs individually. Plus, this particular Italian herb blend includes a few items that I don’t usually keep in my pantry. The blend I have is Kroger brand and it includes marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil. Don’t worry if you can’t find an herb blend exactly like this, any Italian herb blend is sure to be just as scrumptious. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have your own herb garden, feel free to use fresh herbs!
Can I use Chicken Breasts Instead?
I love how tender and juicy chicken thighs are, so that’s what I used, but you can use chicken breasts if you prefer. The only change you’ll need to make is to pound the breasts until they are an even thickness (about 1/2″ thick) so they cook quickly and evenly. You can even dust them in a bit of flour, if you like, to create a nice thin browned coating, like in my Chicken Piccata.
Herb Butter Chicken Thighs
Servings 5 1 thigh eachIngredients
- 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1/3 lb. each) ($5.08)
- pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning herb blend ($0.15)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth* ($0.07)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.13)
- handful fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish) ($0.11)
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and pepper on each side.
- Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the thighs to a clean plate. There should be plenty of browned bits left on the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning blend to the skillet. Sauté the garlic and herbs in the leftover oil in the skillet. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic softens a bit and becomes very fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir, dissolving all the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Let the broth simmer (still over medium heat) for about 5 minutes, or until it has reduced by half.
- Once the broth has reduced, add the butter and stir until it has melted into the sauce. Add the chicken pieces back to the skillet with the sauce and spoon the sauce over each piece. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired. Serve while hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Herb Butter Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos
Season both sides of five (or four, if that’s what you have) boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium, then once it’s hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. You should have plenty of browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Remove the chicken thighs to a clean plate.
Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning herb blend to the skillet. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is softened and very fragrant.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon to make my broth) and continue to stir and cook, dissolving the browned bits off the bottom as you stir. Let the broth simmer for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
Once reduced, add the butter and stir until it has melted into the sauce.
Add the chicken thighs back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over top. If you want to make things extra pretty, sprinkle some chopped parsley over top of the Herb Butter Chicken Thighs just before serving!
This was delicious with a angel hair pasta and Asparagus. I’m looking for the nutritional information so I can input it into MyFitnessPal. Would appreciate any help!
Amazing, epic recipe that I crafted last night! Total yummy bachelor meal thatg delivers full flavor. The broth, garlic, spices and BUTTER were a hit (I used awesomely-high quality Irish butter). Graced with a crisp white wine, couscous and zucchini, I munched! Totally amazing recipe!
just made this,.. it turned out delicious.. I used..sweet basil, dried parsley, we don’t have Italian herb and I used a little garlic oil for the chicken before frying it. I used bone -in chicken, yea it takes time to cook,
Hello, I didn’t have any savory or rosemary, I added onion powder, coriander. I used fresh thyme and garlic, the rest were ground seasonings. I must say this recipe was so good. I will be making again and again. Thank you!
Great Recipe!
I just made this recipe, though I had to make some slight adjustments: I used butterflied chicken breast and herbs of provence, because my local supermarket had no thighs or italian herbs in stock. Also, before adding the garlic and herbs to the fond, I sautéed a finely diced small onion, because it just made sense here. Also, in the end, I added maybe a teaspoon of lemon juice, because it is good friends with chicken.
And let me tell you, this is, without exaggeration, one of the best things I ever cooked. Even just tasting the sauce made me say “oh my god, what?!” a couple of times.
I will definitly make this again!
Thanks, Beth. I’ve just made this, it’s DELICIOUS and I’m trying not to eat the entire lot out of the pan. OM NOM NOM.
Beth. Girl. Seriously. These were so amazing and incredibly cheap to make! I loved your balsamic chicken skillet, and these were even better. I love foods that are really flavorful, and this recipe definitely wasn’t a disappointment. I was worried that my thighs were going to stew, as they were taking a while longer to cook and released a lot of liquid. But, the sauce and the chicken came out fantastic! I paired it with some steam-in-bag green beans that I seasoned with Italian veggie spice, olive oil, butter, garlic, and lemon juice. l The sauce from this recipe was so good and buttery that I couldn’t stop licking my plate. I’m going to try experimenting with this in a curry/Thai style. Super easy, and super tasty! THANK YOU! BETH WINS AGAIN!
Love how this recipe is easy because I most always have these ingredients on hand so it can be a quick go to with rice or pasta, whatever is handy. Always need a great go-to recipe that the whole family can enjoy!
This was awesome. Combined with the pasta and bean dish, this made a fantastic meal that my family raved about. I’m in school, so finding such a flavorful, quick recipe was a life saver. Thank you!
I made these tonight and they were delicious. Everyone liked them which is unusual in our house. I had a little trouble getting the thighs to cook, next time I will cut them into pieces more evenly sized.
OMG, this was so good and so easy! I made it with 2 chicken breasts that I butterflied. I doubled the sauce re ipe, but probably didn’t need to. I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation. I always go to Budget Bytes first for recipe ideas and recommend to everyone.
Could you use skinless chicken breast instead of the thighs?
Delicious and KETO friendly!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Could it be adjusted for bone-in chicken thighs?
Thanks, Beth!
The issue with using bone-in thighs for a recipe like this is that they take so much longer to cook through. You may need to just brown them in the skillet, transfer them to a baking dish and bake until they are cooked through while you make the pan sauce in the skillet.
Thank you!
Hey Beth! How long do you suggest baking the thighs after browning if we were to use bone-in?
Hi Candyse, unfortunately I’m really not sure. I’d need to test it in my kitchen to get a ballpark idea.