Trim off any excess flaps of skin from the thighs.
Place flour on a plate and dredge the chicken thighs.
In a large heavy bottomed skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Place chicken thighs, skin side down, into the hot oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, enough to crisp and brown the skin.
Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water, in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally, cook until heated through.
Make a slurry from the cornstarch and water and add it to the sauce ingredients. Whisk it in, allow to thicken slightly then turn off the heat.
Turn thighs over and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Remove chicken from the skillet and drain the oil from the pan. Put chicken back into the skillet.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the skillet.
Place skillet in the oven uncovered and bake for 35 minutes.
Notes
You can prepare the sauce before cooking the chicken if you find that easier. We make the sauce while the chicken is browning.
We suggest trimming off the excess skin flap (if any) on the chicken thighs because they can produce a lot of excess fat and you won’t be eating them anyway.
If desired, you can use chicken breasts or tenderloins in place of the chicken thighs. Cook to an internal temperature of 165F.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.