Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs (Printable)
Golden-seared chicken thighs in a silky garlic-herb cream sauce — rich, comforting, ready in 45 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
→ Dairy
02 - 1 cup heavy cream
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Aromatics
04 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
→ Liquids
06 - 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
→ Herbs and Seasonings
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
11 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Oils
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and the foam subsides, place the chicken thighs skin side down. Sear for 5 to 6 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add the finely chopped shallot and minced garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened.
05 - Pour in the chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the liquid simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
06 - Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, thyme, rosemary, and half of the chopped parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for 1 minute.
07 - Nestle the chicken thighs back into the skillet, skin side up. Spoon some of the cream sauce over the top of each thigh.
08 - Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is cooked through completely.
09 - Remove the skillet from the oven. Sprinkle with the remaining fresh parsley and serve immediately, spooning the pan sauce over each portion.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cream sauce tastes like something from a French bistro but takes almost no technique to pull off.
- Everything cooks in one skillet, which means cleanup is almost nothing and the flavors build in the same pan.
02 -
- Do not move the chicken while it is searing because the skin needs uninterrupted contact with the pan to get crisp.
- The sauce will look thin when it goes into the oven but it thickens as it bakes and rests.
03 -
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven so the juices redistribute instead of running out onto the plate.
- If the sauce is still too thin after baking, remove the chicken and simmer the sauce on the stovetop for 2 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon.