These pan seared chicken thighs are browned in a hot skillet, then simmered with shallots, fresh rosemary, thyme, butter, and broth until the pan juices cook down to a glossy glaze. It takes about 35 minutes from start to finish, and the whole thing happens in one pan. Below the recipe, you'll find what each ingredient brings magically and a short blessing to say over a weeknight supper.
Why Rosemary and Thyme Make an Everyday Kitchen Spell
Rosemary and thyme make an everyday kitchen spell because they're two of the oldest herbs for remembrance, courage, and a peaceful home, and most of us already have them in the kitchen. Rosemary has stood for remembrance for centuries. In Hamlet, Ophelia says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance," and people still lay sprigs of it at funerals and memorials.
A quick skillet supper doesn't have to wait for a sabbat to carry an intention. Fresh herbs, butter, and a slow-reducing glaze give you a few quiet minutes at the stove to think about the people you're feeding.
Magical Properties of the Ingredients
This skillet leans toward protection, courage, and peace at home. Here is what each ingredient brings.
- Rosemary is for remembrance and protection. Many practitioners keep it by the door to guard the home.
- Thyme is for courage and for a peaceful home.
- Shallots are for protection, like their cousins onion and garlic. Their layers are a reminder of everything a home holds.
- Butter has long been part of hearth and household magic, used for peace in the home and to smooth things over.
- Parsley is for protection and purification.
- Chicken is nourishment and comfort, the center of a meal made to look after the people you love.
- Olive oil comes from the olive tree, a symbol of peace since ancient Greece.
- Salt is protection and purification.
- Black pepper is a fire spice for protection and for clearing away what you don't want to carry.
How to Make Pan Seared Chicken Thighs
To make pan seared chicken thighs, season thin boneless thighs with salt and pepper and sear them skin side down in a hot skillet, two at a time. Soften the shallots in the same pan, add rosemary, thyme, and butter, then return the chicken with broth and simmer until the liquid reduces to a glaze.
Pan Seared Chicken Thighs With Rosemary, Thyme, and Shallots
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs about 4 ounces each, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ pound shallots peeled and quartered
- ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- chopped fresh parsley for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper.
- Place 2 chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook for 3 minutes, until golden brown.
- Flip and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Repeat with the remaining 2 thighs.
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Add the shallots to the hot pan and cook until they begin to turn translucent.
- Add the rosemary, thyme, and butter. Cook for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the broth. Simmer until the liquid reduces to a glaze and the chicken reaches 165°F inside.
- Serve each thigh topped with the glazed shallots and a sprinkle of parsley.
Notes
- Low-sodium broth keeps the glaze from turning too salty as it cooks down. Taste the glaze at the end and add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
- Homemade bone broth makes an even richer glaze.
- To pound the thighs, lay them between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan.
- Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge.
How to Bless a Weeknight Supper
You can turn the minute the herbs hit the butter into a small blessing for everyone at your table. Here's how.
- Think of who you're feeding. It might be your household, a guest, or just yourself after a long day.
- Add the rosemary and thyme to the pan with that person in mind. Rosemary is for protection and thyme is for courage and a peaceful home.
- Stir the shallots clockwise while the butter melts. Practitioners stir clockwise to draw something in. While you stir, recite:
Thyme for courage, rosemary near,
peace and plenty gather here.
- Serve the first plate to the person you had in mind. If you're eating alone, that first plate is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do You Pan Sear Chicken Thighs?
You pan sear thin boneless chicken thighs for 3 minutes skin side down and 1 minute on the second side. In this recipe, they finish cooking in the simmering broth until they reach 165°F inside.
What Temperature Should Chicken Thighs Be When They're Done?
Chicken thighs are done when they reach 165°F in the thickest part, which is the USDA safe minimum temperature for poultry. Check with an instant-read thermometer.
Can I Use Dried Rosemary and Thyme?
Yes, you can use dried rosemary and thyme. Use 1/2 teaspoon of each in place of the 1/2 tablespoon fresh, because dried herbs are about three times as strong.
What Can I Use Instead of Shallots?
You can use a small red or yellow onion instead of shallots. Cut it into wedges about the size of a quartered shallot so it cooks in the same time.
What Goes Well With Pan Seared Chicken Thighs?
Pan seared chicken thighs go well with mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the glaze. Our creamed spinach makes a rich green side.
A skillet of chicken and herbs on an ordinary night is still a way of looking after the people at your table.
