Quick Boneless Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Spice up your weeknights with our irresistible boneless buffalo chicken thighs! Juicy, bold, and ready in 28 minutes with just one pan, they’re perfect for game nights, parties, or a quick dinner. Serve with side of celery and blue cheese for a guaranteed hit!
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And if you love chicken thigh recipes, be sure to also check out our Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs, Chicken Pomodoro, Baked Chicken and Squash, and Chicken Fajita Tacos!
👍 Why We Love this Recipe
Fast! Like all of our recipes, our buffalo chicken thighs recipe comes together in 28 minutes or less! Note: This timeframe allows for 15 minutes marinating time. If you’d like to marinate your chicken for longer, allow for extra time.
One Pan- Make this dish in three simple steps and with ONE pan or skillet. Easy cleanup! These chicken thighs make a great dish for game-day!
Crispy and juicy– We chose chicken thighs over chicken breasts for this dish due to chicken thighs’ moist texture and juicy flavor. When seared in a skillet they have so much flavor!
🛒 Ingredients
Notes on ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs– They cook fast and are so juicy on in the inside! Be sure to trim away the fat before marinating. Note: If you love cooking with chicken thighs, check out some of our favorite boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes!
- Seasoning– Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika to add flavor to the chicken.
- Hot sauce– You can’t beat Frank’s Hot Sauce but feel free to choose your favorite.
- Oil– We prefer extra virgin olive oil.
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Season and marinate chicken in buffalo sauce. Allow chicken to marinade for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour (if you have the time) in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Cook chicken in skillet for 10-14 minutes, flipping halfway.
Step 3: Drizzle extra sauce over chicken and serve!
🥄 Kids Steps: Let kids help measure out seasoning and buffalo sauce ingredients. You can also show kids how to use a splatter guard while the chicken cooks.
✏️ Expert Tips and Tricks
- Don’t skip marinating. To maximize the chicken’s zesty flavor, marinate for at least 15 minutes or longer if you have time!
- Trim away excess fat using kitchen shears before cooking chicken thighs.
- For an extra crispy finish, consider popping chicken under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking on the stove.
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. We love the Thermapen® by Thermoworks for checking meat temps.
- Instead of pan-searing chicken, cook chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400°F.
- Serve blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side for dipping.
🍽️ How to Serve
There are tons of ways to enjoy these buffalo chicken thighs, so take your pick!
Game-day appetizer– Your guests will love having these chicken thighs as an appetizer or side while they watch the big game. Pair with celery, a side of blue cheese and any of your other favorite game-day apps, like crescent dogs, roast beef sliders or mini turkey burgers.
Main course- Our buffalo chicken thighs can stand alone as a main dish or paired with a simple side, like baked potatoes, fries, salad, or light pasta. Find more side suggestions below.
Salad topper- Add buffalo chicken to a salad, like mixed greens, a bed of romaine or caesar, or Southwestern salad.
Buffalo chicken sandwich. Why not slather some blue cheese on chicken and tuck it into your favorite roll? Serve witht a side of fries or potato chips and you are good to go!
🥗 Side Suggestions
We serve this dish with a side of ranch or blue cheese for dipping. It would also pair nicely witih a side of sliced veggies, like carrots, cucumbers or celery or a simple green salad. Here are some other side options if you are seeking something more substantial:
- Baked Potato
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan and Lemon
- Lemony Garlic Pasta
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
🧊 Storage and Reheating
It’s best to serve chicken right away while tender and juicy. Leftover buffalo chicken thighs are also delicious served cold! Slice and serve over a salad or in a wrap or sandwich.
Storing: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Buffalo chicken thighs can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: This dish can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven or toaster oven at 300°F until warmed through.
❓FAQ
Chicken thighs are considered fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat.
Yes, buffalo chicken thighs can be baked in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400°F.
Absolutely! Just keep in mind that bone-in chicken thighs take longer to cook, so I would allow an extra 5-6 minutes of cooking time to your recipe.
Yes, these chicken thighs can be made in the air fryer. Simply heat your air fryer to 380°F and air fry your marinated chicken for 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway.
🧒🏻 Tips for Picky Eaters
Tone down the heat. If this dish feels spicy, reduce the marinating time or skip the extra drizzle of sauce at the end.
Kids choose the dipping sauce. Blue cheese, ranch, Ketchup…let kids pick their favorite!
Add a kid-friendly side. Let kids choose their favorite side for this dish, like sliced veggies, a baked potato, simple salad…or their favorite pasta!
➡️ More Chicken Recipes
🧶 Craft for this Recipe
While you make the chicken dish, your kiddos can make this incredibly Adorable Chicken Craft! All you need is a few basic craft supplies and toilet paper rolls. The coolest part: your cute cardboard chickens can double as napkin rings for your next dinner party!
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Quick Boneless Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4-6 chicken thighs ((boneless & skinless))
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 cup buffalo sauce (divided )
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag, combine chicken with seasoning and 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce, stirring until combined. Allow chicken to marinade for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour (if you have the time) in the refrigerator.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side and until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°. Cook in batches if your pan is not large enough to hold all chicken thighs at once.
- Drizzle on remaining buffalo sauce and serve!
Video
Notes
-
- Don’t skip marinating. To maximize the chicken’s zesty flavor, marinate for at least 15 minutes or longer if you have time!
-
- Trim away excess fat using kitchen shears before cooking chicken thighs.
-
- For an extra crispy finish, consider popping chicken under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking on the stove.
-
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. We love the Thermapen® by Thermoworks for checking meat temps.
-
- Instead of pan-searing chicken, cook chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400°F.
- Serve blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side for dipping.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
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