These chimichurri chicken thighs are juicy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside every time with this foolproof skillet-to-oven cooking method.
You all went nuts for this recipe when I previewed it on IG stories! And for a good reason, it is as delicious as it looks. Every time I make this chicken, every single time, Mr. Hungry says why don’t we eat chicken like this all the time? Well, because I need variety in my life, but this chicken is good enough that I could eat it over and over and over again. And the best part is it’s SOOOOOOO easy to make.
I already wrote about chimichurri sauce yesterday, so if you’ve never heard of it, check out this post. But, for everyone else. Make the chicken friends. I promise you NEED this recipe in your rotation.
How to Make Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
This chicken is so easy and so foolproof! You start by quickly blending up the chimichurri sauce. Then, I just put the ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth, BUT if you want more detailed instructions, including how to make the sauce without a food processor, you can check out my entire post on chimichurri sauce here.
Once you have your sauce, marinate your chicken in 3/4 of the sauce for 2-24 hours and reserve 1/4 of the sauce for topping later. Then, preheat your oven and get an oven-safe skillet like a cast iron hot. Next, add the chicken upside down to the skillet. (This step is only essential for aesthetics.) The crispy side of your chicken will be the side you cook in the skillet before transferring to the oven because you can control the crispiness level before moving to the oven. So, for aesthetic reasons, I suggest starting the smooth side down first.
Once your chicken has reached the perfect golden brown color, flip it over, and then you can transfer it to a preheated oven and bake until it reaches 165F. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken thighs, but it will be between 15-20 minutes. And that’s it! When you are done, you can top it with more of your reserved chimichurri sauce and serve immediately!
How to Store & Freeze Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
Store Chimichurri Chicken Thighs: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze Chimichurri Chicken Thighs: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave or under refrigeration, and reheat to 165F.
Swaps and Substitutions
For swaps and substitutions in the chimichurri sauce, please see this post.
Can I use Chicken Breasts?
Yes! Depending on the thickness of your chicken breast, you may need to extend the baking time to 40-50 minutes.
Can I use Bone-In Chicken Thighs?
Yes! Again, the baking time will vary!
Can I use Chicken Tenders?
Yes! The baking time will likely decrease, or you can choose to skip the baking and pan-fry the chicken tenders only.
What to Serve With Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
I usually keep chimichurri chicken night pretty simple. I pair it with a veggie and a starch. Above is a picture from a random dinner I shared on my A Week Of Dinners that I share randomly every couple of months. The above photo is a premade chimichurri sauce I occasionally get from Hungryroot but using this cooking method in this post (I do like my sauce better but sometimes get lazy and order theirs) with air fryer green beans from frozen and pre-cooked grain blends.
To give you a few ideas, here are a few things I’ve served with Chimichurri Chicken Thighs before:
Veggies –
- Pre-made salad mixes
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
- Cauliflower Rice
- Air Fryer Green Beans (from frozen)
- Steamed veggies
- Roasted veggies
Starch –
- Pre-cooked rice blends or brown rice
- Air Fried or roasted baby potatoes
- Garlic bread
Like I said, keep it simple! The other night when I shot this recipe for this post, we ate our chicken thighs with steamed broccoli and air-fried baby potatoes.
You May Also Like
- Chimichurri Egg In A Squash Ring
- Chimichurri Chicken Marinade
- Air Fryer Tumeric Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
- Easy Chimichurri Shrimp
- Chimichurri Flank Steak (stovetop or grill)
- Chimichurri Salmon
- Chimichurri Burgers
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or Oven Safe Skillet
Ingredients
Chimichurri Sauce
- 2 cups parsley
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 green onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
Chicken
Instructions
- Blend parsley, cilantro, green onion, garlic, avocado oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and salt in a small food processor.* You may need to scrape the sides and pulse a few times.2 cups parsley, 1 cup cilantro, 1 green onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup avocado oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt
- Combine 3/4 chimichurri sauce with chicken in a large plastic bag or another container. Place chicken back in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours to marinate—Reserve the remaining 1/4 sauce for topping chicken later.2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Do not cook chicken until the oven is almost preheated, or you may end up with chicken ready for the oven before the oven is ready for the chicken.
- Place an oven-safe skillet such as a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add chicken top side down first. (So the side that is pretty and smooth, put that DOWN first.) Make sure to pour all that good marinade into the skillet too!
- Once the chicken has a nice golden brown sear to it, you can flip all the pieces of chicken over.
- Place the entire skillet in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Time will vary by the thickness of the chicken thighs.
- Top with more chimichurri sauce right before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Love the word Mr. Hungry. I always love to eat chicken thigh. With chimichurri, ohho can’t imagine.