This quick and healthy Sage Chicken Thighs recipe makes for the perfect weeknight meal or meal prep. All you need are a handful of ingredients to turn chicken thighs into a delicious and flavourful meal!

Perfectly seared in a few minutes, this sage chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. It’s so quick and easy, these juicy chicken thighs cook faster than it takes for rice to cook! I love how well sage goes with chicken and if you don’t have fresh sage, this recipe works with dried sage as well!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Chicken Thighs Recipe

This sage chicken thighs recipe leans heavily to pantry staples to make it flavourful. Most of these ingredients are already in my fridge and spice cabinet.
It’s quick! While the total time seems long, it’s because I allow the chicken thighs to marinate for 30 minutes, so it’ll be more flavourful. Other than take, it takes less than 10 minutes per side to sear the chicken thighs.
Makes for the perfect meal prep. Meal prep a batch of this lemon sage chicken for the week! It reheats wonderfully.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make lemon sage chicken.

sage — fresh sage is where this recipe is at! However, if you don’t have fresh sage, dried sage works in a pinch.
lemon juice — fresh is best. I much prefer fresh lemon juice to bottled lemon juice.
garlic — I prefer freshly minced garlic to preminced garlic as those tend to have an aftertaste.
onion powder
paprika — feel free to use whatever type of paprika you have on hand.
salt and pepper
brown sugar
olive oil — or your prefered neutral oil.
chicken thighs — I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

How to Make Sage Chicken Thighs

Chicken marinated in sage, olive oil, and seasoning.

A cast iron with sage chicken thighs added to it.

Coat the chicken thighs with chopped sage, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and olive oil. Marinate for 30 to 60 minutes if you have the time.
On medium heat, heat up your skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil before adding in the chicken thighs, smooth side down, and then cook for 5 minutes.

A plate with a pile of lemon sage chicken.

Flip and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary. Be sure to add more oil for the second batch.
Rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips and Notes

For every tablespoon of fresh herbs, you can substitute with one teaspoon of dried.
Chicken thighs are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C. Use an instant read thermometer to check.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

Get it Now!

Avoid moving the chicken when you first place it in. Allow the chicken to brown. The chicken will come off the skillet once it’s ready. If you move it too early, the chicken will stick to the skillet and tear.
Chicken thighs can be swapped out for chicken breasts but you’ll have to change the cook time to avoid overcooking it.
Allow the cast iron skillet to heat up before adding the chicken to the pan so you can get a nice sear on the chicken thighs.
The smaller the bowl you use to marinade your chicken in, the less marinade you’ll need!
This is the cast iron skillet I use.

Three sage chicken thighs with rice and brussels sprouts in a green plate.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to pack my sage lemon chicken thighs with some rice and vegetables to make it a complete meal.
Freezer: allow the lemon sage chicken thighs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months.
How to prep this for the freezer: place the marinade and chicken thighs in a large freezer friendly ziploc bag, to prep this meal ahead of time. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.

Serving Ideas

Need some ideas of what to serve with these chicken thighs? Try these side dishes:

Sage Chicken Thighs

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 42

Servings: servings

Ingredients

4 tbsp chopped sage
½ lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
½ cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
8 to 10 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless

Equipment

skillet

Instructions

Coat the chicken thighs with chopped sage, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and olive oil. Marinate for 30 to 60 minutes if you have the time.
On medium heat, heat up your skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil before adding in the chicken thighs, smooth side down, and then cook for 5 minutes.
Flip and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary. Be sure to add more oil for the second batch.
Rest for a few minutes before serving.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Nutrition Disclaimer

Other places to connect with me
@carmyshungry on Instagram
Facebook
Shop my Amazon faves
Email: [email protected]

Comments

Katrina says

June 12, 2023 at 5:20 pm

When do you put the sugar in? With the marinade?

- Carmy says
  
  June 12, 2023 at 6:36 pm
  
  Yes! Sorry, I missed that! Thanks for letting me know.
  
Doki says

October 02, 2025 at 9:34 pm

I had a lot of fresh sage was growing in my Aero Garden. So I decided to try this recipe tonight. Oh it was so good! I loved 🥰 it! Chickens were nice and juicy! Flavor was fantastic!
It’s a keeper for sure.
May I freeze this with this marinade?

- Carmy says
  
  October 03, 2025 at 10:54 am
  
  Hi Doki! So glad you enjoyed my sage chicken recipe! There’s a blue box in the post that highlights how to store, freeze, and prep for the freezer. I hope that helps!