Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Citrus and Sage Butter Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Juicy chicken thighs pan-seared to golden perfection, finished with a bright citrus and fragrant sage butter sauce. This American-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves 4 American cuisine 380 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs dry and season evenly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 7-8 minutes without moving until skin is deep golden and crisp.
  3. Step 3: Flip chicken thighs and add 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 8 fresh sage leaves, and 3 smashed garlic cloves to the pan. Spoon the melted butter over the chicken as it cooks for another 6-7 minutes until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  4. Step 4: Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Lower heat to medium and pour 1/4 cup fresh orange juice and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice into the skillet, scraping up browned bits. Cook the sauce for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
  5. Step 5: Stir the sage and garlic butter back into the sauce, then return chicken to the pan and coat with the citrus butter sauce before serving.

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