This one pan chicken and stuffing recipe puts my cast iron skillet to good use! Juicy bone-in chicken thighs bake right in the middle of a delicious stuffing mix, dotted with yummy cranberries and fresh sage. Every step of this recipe happens in one pan, from frying the sage and browning the chicken on the stovetop, all the way to baking it in the oven. It’s the simplest holiday meal, but it’s still guaranteed to impress your guests!
Baked Chicken Thighs with Stuffing Mix, Cranberries, and Sage
This year, I decided to dress up my family-favorite chicken and stuffing casserole a little bit. I wanted to create a holiday dish that would look elegant and impressive, while remaining super easy. I took inspiration from my cranberry chicken recipe and my favorite skillet chicken thighs, and came up with this delicious one pan recipe.
Chicken thighs and a box of stovetop stuffing mix are the highlights of this meal, but I mixed in dried cranberries and crispy sage leaves to elevate it. It’s as easy as a standard casserole, but looks truly gourmet. I’ve been testing this recipe for months, and I’m so excited to make it for guests this Thanksgiving!
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This one pan dish is like a full Thanksgiving dinner!
This chicken and stuffing recipe has all the best parts of a Thanksgiving meal in one skillet. It would be the perfect alternative holiday dinner for a small family of chicken lovers!
Skillet Chicken and Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (or another oven-safe skillet)
Ingredients
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (*)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 2 stalk celery (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces dry chicken stuffing mix (**)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds per side, until crisp. Transfer the sage to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.2 tablespoons olive oil, 12 fresh sage leaves
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, without moving them, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until most of the fat has rendered from the skin. Transfer the chicken to a plate. It may not be cooked through at this point.5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onion and celery to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the butter to the skillet and allow it to melt.1 small yellow onion, 2 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the stuffing mix and dried cranberries.6 ounces dry chicken stuffing mix, ½ cup dried cranberries
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir until the stuffing is evenly moistened.2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up into the stuffing, leaving as much of the skin exposed as possible. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part and the stuffing is hot with crisp, browned edges.
- Let the chicken and stuffing rest for 5 minutes. Scatter the crispy sage leaves over the top just before serving.
Notes
- A cast iron skillet is ideal for this recipe, but another large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet can be used instead. A shallow Dutch Oven or braiser works well too.
- The sage will fry and crisp up quickly, so keep an eye on it and remove the leaves as soon as they start to rise up from the pan.
- Resist the urge to flip the chicken too soon. The skin will naturally release from the pan (instead of sticking) when it’s ready.
- Don’t submerge the thighs too far into the stuffing mix. Any skin submerged in the stuffing and broth will remain soft, but we want the skin to get crispy in the oven.
- This recipe is designed to create soft, moist stuffing. It will not be a loose, crumbly dressing.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Foolproof Tips
- Test the heat before frying the sage. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and test one sage leaf before adding the rest. It should sizzle immediately without the oil smoking. If it doesn’t sizzle, give the oil a little more time to heat. If it smokes, lower the heat before continuing.
- Soften the vegetables first. Cooking the onion and celery before adding the stuffing allows them to soften and release their sweetness. Because the oven portion is relatively short, adding them raw would leave them firmer and more pronounced in the finished dish.
- Moisten the stuffing evenly. Remove the skillet from the heat before stirring in the stuffing mix, cranberries, butter, and broth. This makes the mixture easier to combine without scorching the bread cubes against the hot pan. Stir until the broth is distributed throughout, paying attention to any dry pockets.
How to Make Chicken and Stuffing in a Skillet Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this one pan chicken thighs and stuffing recipe. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Dice the onion and celery, then mince the garlic. Line a plate with paper towels.
Crisp the Sage: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 12 fresh sage leaves to the pan, and cook for about 30 seconds per side, until they’re crisp. Transfer the sage to the paper towel lined plate, and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Sear the Thighs: Pat 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side down in the skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, without moving them, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until most of the fat has rendered from the skin. Transfer the chicken to a plate. It may not be fully cooked through at this point.
Sauté the Aromatics: Now reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 diced yellow onion and 2 diced celery stalks to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Then add 2 minced cloves of garlic and ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and allow it to melt.
Add the Stuffing: Remove the skillet from heat, then stir in 6 ounces of chicken stuffing mix and ½ cup of dried cranberries. Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth and stir until the stuffing is evenly moistened.
Bake: Nestle the chicken thighs into the stuffing mix, skin-side up. Don’t push them too deep into the stuffing — leave as much of the skin exposed as possible to help it crisp up. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes. When done, the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165-175°F at the thickest part, and the stuffing should be hot with crisp, browned edges.
Finish: Let the baked chicken and stuffing skillet rest for 5 minutes. This gives the juices a chance to settle and allows the stuffing to absorb some of the remaining liquid. Then scatter the crispy sage leaves over the top just before serving.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store the chicken thighs and stuffing together in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in an oven-safe dish covered with foil, baked at 325°F until heated through. Remove the foil toward the end if you want to restore some crispness to the stuffing. Add a small splash of broth if the stuffing seems dry. While you can freeze this dish for up to 3 months, the stuffing tends to become mushy when thawed and reheated.
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