Chicken thighs are usually in the freezer at my house. They cook evenly, tolerate a long simmer or a hot grill, and bring a lot of flavor to the table. And when it comes to those things, choosing bone-in, skin-on thighs saves you money and gets you crispy skin too!
This fully stove-top skillet version is perfect for your heavy bottomed nonstick skillet. Cast iron is ideal, but any good nonstick skillet will do the trick. And while you have a bit of attention to pay to what's happening on the stove, you can certainly find enough time to steam some green beans, toss together a salad, or the like. It's a surprisingly good way to accomplish dinner!
And while I usually offer a fun starch to serve alongside, I suggest waiting until early next week for the recipe for the Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes pictured above, but if the holiday weekend has you itching for sweet and spicy chicken, go ahead and make a super creamy potato salad and dig in!
Maple Sriracha Chicken Thighs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I like using a very dark, thick soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, divided
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon water
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the sriracha, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Add 1 tablespoon of water and whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
Generously rub both sides of the chicken thighs with the remaining sriracha.
Heat a large non-stick skillet (I used a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat until shimmering.
Add the chicken thighs, skin side up, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook another 5 minutes or until the skin side is golden brown and starting to crisp.
Add the sauce and partially cover; cook for about 10 more minutes or until the sauce is thickened and bubbly and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest thigh reads 165° F.
Serve the chicken hot and spoon any sauce remaining in the skillet over the top.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: About 30 minutes