Quick Summary
This Easy Skillet Chicken Thigh recipe with a simple garlic cream sauce is the perfect chicken dinner for easy weeknights or entertaining. Everyone loves this juicy chicken dish and it takes less than 30 minutes to make!
I have a winner, winner chicken dinner for you! This Easy Skillet Chicken Thigh recipe is a family favorite and takes less than 30 minutes to make!
We make this chicken recipe all of the time because it is so simple and the chicken is SO juicy. It turns out perfect every single time.
If you don’t cook with chicken thighs very often, you have to give them a try. Thighs are versatile, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious. They stay super juicy, no matter how you cook them. Plus, they are usually less expensive than chicken breasts.
For this recipe, we season the chicken thighs with a simple spice rub and cook them in a hot cast iron skillet. We also whisk together a simple garlic cream sauce to serve with the chicken. The sauce is INCREDIBLE, don’t be embarrassed if you lick every last drop off of your plate. It happens all of the time:)
This one-skillet chicken meal is the BEST! Make it for dinner tonight. I guarantee it will be a regular meal at your house.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, but put them all together and you will end up with the most amazing chicken dinner!
- Chicken thighs– you will need about 1 ½ pounds of chicken. You can use skin-on or skinless chicken thighs, whatever you prefer. Chicken thighs with the skin will have more flavor and the skin will get nice and crispy. Technically, you can use chicken breasts, but we recommend thighs because they are juicier.
- Spices– onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika create a great rub for the chicken.
- Olive oil– for cooking the chicken.
- Butter– to create a rich and delicious sauce.
- Shallot– look for shallot by the garlic at the grocery store.
- Garlic– for flavor!
- Chicken broth– for the sauce. You can also use white wine.
- Lemon juice– to brighten up the sauce.
- Thyme– fresh thyme goes so well with the chicken.
- Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat.
- Heavy cream– to finish the sauce, don’t skip it! It takes the sauce to the next level.
- Parsley– for garnish!
How to Make Skillet Chicken Thighs
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry. Don’t skip this step! You want to remove excess moisture so the chicken will brown and crisp up nicely.
- In a small bowl, combine the spices, salt, and black pepper. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken thighs, on both sides.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Place chicken thighs skin side down in the hot skillet and cook, until skin is crispy about 5 minutes, flip chicken thighs and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until internal temp is 165 degrees. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add the butter, shallot, and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce thickens up a bit.
- Place the chicken back in the pan with the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve the chicken warm with the sauce.
Side Dish Suggestions
We highly recommend serving the skillet chicken thighs with crusty bread or garlic bread to soak up all of that delicious sauce. If you want a few other side dish ideas, here are a few of our favorites.
- Simple Kale Salad
- Simple Arugula Salad
- Easy Green Salad
- Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Broccoli
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
How to Store & Reheat
Leftover chicken thighs will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, preheat the oven to 325°F and place the chicken in an oven safe dish. Cover with foil and bake until warmed through. You can reheat in the microwave for 1 minute or until hot, but we prefer using the oven.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Lemon Butter Chicken
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
- Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken
Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (I LOVE my Lodge skillet)
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs, about 1 ½ pounds*
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken thighs dry.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken thighs, on both sides.
- Heat a large cast iron to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Place chicken thighs skin side down in the hot skillet and cook, until skin is crispy about 5 minutes, flip chicken thighs and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until internal temp is 165 degrees. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add the butter, shallot, and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce thickens up a bit.
- Place the chicken back in the pan with the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve the chicken warm with the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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This looks delicious! What do you recommend using instead of the heavy cream to make it dairy-free?
You can use coconut milk.
Dairy-free sour cream. Delicious!
Do you have to use a cast iron skillet?
A regular skillet is fine.
It’s good but not sure it’s worth the oil splatter mess and getting hot oil popping on my arms.
If you don’t know how to cook without splattering oil everywhere then get out of the kitchen. This is a good easy recipe.
There are such things as “splatter screens”. They’re cheap and useful for more than just covering splattering. I also will use pieces of wax paper on the back of my stove, and sometimes the sides too, to keep splattering from getting all over my wall, and even things on my counter next to the stove.
Yeah Terri, no one wants to hear your bitching. Gtfo of the kitchen
Yeah Terri GTFO of the kitchen
We tried the Skillet Chicken for the first time last night and the food was great and very tasty
Good and easy
My family loved it. Super easy and delicious.
Oh good! It’s a favorite at our house too.
This was very tasty. Very easy to put together and will definitely have it again! Thanks for sharing! I really enjoy following your blog.
Definitely has to be cooked longer than stated. I had to put the chicken in the oven.
Delicious. Instead of shallots I used a yellow onion and it was amazing. I was very pleasantly surprised!
I’m really bad at leaving ratings/reviews on recipes but I HAD to come back to this one. The flavor in this recipe is outstanding and I was obsessed with the sauce. I even put a little on my veggie side. Highly recommend!
I made this for my wife and me tonight, and it turned out very well. My pan was a little crowded, so it took a bit longer to cook but that was Ok. Served it with some roasted red potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce. Next time I think I will try the white wine instead of lemon juice.
The white wine is to replace the chicken stock, not the lemon juice.
Loved the recipe and will make it again. I didn’t use any onions or shallots (didn’t have any) used smoked paprika and garlic salt for the seasoning. Added slivered almonds and used Prosecco instead of white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice , just in case. It was delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
Can you use sour cream instead of heavy cream.
I haven’t tried sour cream. It might be ok if you whisk it in well.
I used sour cream instead of heavy cream. Left out shallots and lemon juice because i had none. I added spinach leaves and grated Parmesan right at the end. It tasted great!
Happy to hear you loved it!
Really enjoyed this recipe. It’s simple, fast, and the sauce tastes great. I make a pork chop with sour cream gravy that my wife loves and she thought it tasted a lot like it. I went with the white wine instead of chicken broth, I love cooking with wine when possible. This is most likely going to be a staple around my house from now on.
Made it just as the recipe says and it turned out wonderfully. My mother, who was visiting, requested a copy of the recipe to take home with her.
Oh good, I am so glad you enjoyed the chicken.
We enjoyed this recipe very much. There was too much oil after the chicken was cooked. I should have wiped the skillet before adding the butter etc. The recipe was easy and quick to prepare
Can you freeze this?
Yes, you can freeze cooked chicken thighs.
How do u avoid the cream from curdling?
Make sure it is on low and stir it in or whisk it in well.
I made this but used rosemary instead of thyme ( didn’t have and couldn’t find fresh), and I added mushrooms and it was so good. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and everyone raved about how tasty it was. We will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the recipe
Love the added mushrooms!
I made this for dinner last week, absolutely delicious. Matter of fact, it was so good I linked it in my FB page and am making it again tonight for my while family. Followed the directions with no changes.
Yahoo! Glad you loved it so much. Thanks for sharing.
Hi! Would whole milk work instead of heavy cream?
I haven’t tried it. I am sure it would be ok, but the sauce won’t be as rich.
Just made it. SHUT UP!!!!! Amazing sauce. The only change I made was I put the chicken back in the sauce and covered continued cooking on low for another 15 minutes. Perfect! Thanks.
So glad you loved it!
Pleasantly surprised!! Taste was amazing and instructions perfect- I only had 3 chicken thighs and adjusted the recipe accordingly. There were no leftovers between the two of us. Thanks so much- such a winner!!.
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Love the recipe and have made it a few times. Really delicious. I went to make it tonight but no chicken broth. Any ideas for a substitute? I have beef broth, is that usable? Thanks again for the recipe. I’m generally a terrible cook and this had em raving.
Vegetable broth would be better because it isn’t as strong, but if you like the flavor of beef broth and that is all you have, you can try it.
YUM. Added some minced ginger, mushrooms and scallions ( I didn’t have shallot), and returned chicken and juices to pan after sauce was reduced. Also added mushrooms.
Could do with a pinch of Sherry or port wine along with veg stock. Served over rice to soak up the yummy sauce.
Perfect meal. Thanks for sharing!
I made this today 8-4-22 and got rave reviews . I liked it too . Most excellent !!!
Glad it got rave reviews.
This may be a stupid question, but can I use 1% milk? I have no heavy cream and I have no desire to go to the store to buy some after a busy workday. I’m sure it will be a thinner consistency, but do you think it’ll still work? I’m not a big cook so substitutions don’t always work well for me. Thanks!
You are correct, it won’t be a rich and creamy sauce, but you can try it if that is all you have. Maybe add some butter to richen up the sauce?
Made it tonight and it was great! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Yuuuuck. I was thinking, because I made sure they were extra crispy, these thighs would be extra delicious. Wrong. Given some exceptions of me using a cast iron skillet (which should make it better), and maybe adding a bit too much heavy cream (because the directions on this website are nearly unbearable), this meal was nearly intolerable for me.
Chicken thighs definitely needs to be cooked longer! I cooked the skin for 5 minutes, then transferred whole skillet in the oven and bake for 30 mins at 400F. This way the skin gets extra crispy! I love this recipe and the sauce, it’s so yummy! I catch myself drinking the sauce after I devour the chicken, LOL!
I tried this recipe because the pictures looked great and the ingredients sounded like they’d make for a great dish, but I was honestly a little disappointed. The finished product tasted okay, but the cooking time took twice the time advertised and frying thighs with the skin on made the dish way too greasy in my opinion. I subsequently researched why chicken thighs are typically cheaper and learned there are a few factors, but the biggest one is that the thighs are a dense meat that takes twice the cooking time from white meat. I also found that leaving the skin on at medium high heat just renders the skin into fat instead of crisping it up. I ended up removing the skin and refrying it, and it just didn’t come out right. I love chicken thighs (and fried chicken in general) from fast food and have reached a conclusion that this is a dish to leave to them – it tastes better, with no mess to clean up, no greasy smell in your house, and the few bucks savings isn’t worth the hours of prep, cooking, or clean up.
It was very good. Loved the sauce it made. Super easy to make. Everyone ate it…which is saying a lot
Yay! Glad it was a winner!
Delicious! I made it in a non stick pan and had no issues.
Perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Stumbled upon this and had close enough ingredients. Delicious and easy! My shallot was a finely diced small red onion and my heavy cream was half and half. Still great. Two thumbs up!
I have a picky husband and he loved it! I used white wine because I was out of chicken broth. My side was rigatoni and I added sun dried tomatoes to mine. Delish!
Sounds like the perfect meal!
Loved it. I didn’t use lemon n substituted heavy cream for half and half. I also used boneless skinless thighs and rotisserie chicken seasoning. They were delicious. I am going to make it again tonight.
Yahoo!
I have made this twice recently and I’m obsessed with it. Easy, quick, and very delicious.
I am glad this is a regular recipe for you!
Recipe was a great jumping off point. I felt the seasonings needed to be doubled to cover all of the chicken thighs. I also used 5 garlic cloves and increased the amount of liquid in the recipe because I added egg noodles to the recipe at the end and spinach. It ended up being delicious!
Made this for dinner & it was a great recipe! Used white wine instead of broth, and A2 Half & Half instead of cream, very tasty. Only side note is, for chicken thighs, the cooking time needs to be much longer than what’s in the recipe. It took at least an extra 30mins for them to fully cook. I cooked in my cast iron skillet on a gas stove, made the sauce perfect! Otherwise, delicious!
Me too. It took much longer to cook, but so delicious!
Would 1/2&1/2 work OK
In place of heavy cream?
Yes!
It’s simple and fast, and the sauce tastes great. Enjoyed this recipe.
So glad you liked it!
Classic and deep, delicious flavors. Easy and mouth watering. I added diced onion. Paired with smash potatoes and honey soy carrots.
Definitely will make this again
Yahoo!
Can you do this with bone in thighs?
Sure! Cooking time will vary.
What can I use for “cream”
Half and half will work.
This was so good! Even my picky partner enjoyed it! Followed recipe exactly except didn’t have Shallots on hand, so used onion in its place, and used skinless thighs as that is what I had in the freezer. The sauce was delicious, both the pan and plate were licked clean! Served with Mashed potatoes and steamed Broccoli. Will definitely make this again!
Glad you loved it! Great sides!
So easy to make – I already had most of the ingredients in the pantry! Very flavorful – the whole family loved it!
Glad it was a winner for your family!
I’m not a big fan of chicken thighs, so I made this recipe with boneless pork chops. I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. They were delicious!
Glad you liked it with pork chops too!
Loved loved everything about this recipe. Served it with roasted broccoli. Excellent. Thanks for all the great content.
Oh good!!
This was really good, served them with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Will make this again!
Perfect sides.
Love this sauce! It even works with while milk if you don’t have cream.
Thanks for sharing.
We loved it. I prepped and my 16 year son cooked it up. He loved it and wants me to print out the recipe for him.
Thank you!
Awesome!
This was fantastic! I served mine with a balsamic salad and smashed potatoes. A real hit!
Are you supposed to discard the chicken fat?
Perfect meal!
This recipe was so easy and the flavors incredible. Some of the best chicken thighs I’ve made.
So happy to hear this!
Attempting this but I only have 2% milk and whipping creamZzzz
LOVE this flavorful, juicy chicken recipe! I used bone-in thighs with skin on and had to add only a few minutes to the cooking time. The sauce is out of this world, so we topped our dumpling noodles with it as a side. Thank you, Maria, for this simple and delicious recipe.
You are welcome. I am so glad you love the recipe.
Well goodness gracious…that was delicious!!! Enjoyed it very much! Couldn’t leave my house so I had to substitute the heavy cream for milk/butter with a little flour to thicken it….but it tasted so good, the sauce had a gravy consistency so I had it with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli with a slice of French bread (cause that’s all I had).
Love the sides!! Glad you loved the recipe!
This was actually the best chicken I’ve ever made. Substituted half and half for cream and onion for shallot as that was all I had and it was still delicious.
Yahoo!! Way to go!
This was so good! All of my boys and hubby loved it!! Followed directions exactly! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Oh good! My boys love it too.
This looks delicious and I will be making this soon. I look forward to receiving your recipes.
This was one of the best moist chicken recipes I’ve ever made!!! I served it over rice & it was delicious! It truly tasted like a dish I would order in a fine dining restaurant! My kids loved it as well!!
So happy you loved it!
So good. Will definitely make again
Glad you loved the recipe!
Very good. Needed to adjust cook times because the theighI used were large. Over all tast was very good served with roasted cauliflower.
Made this tonight, and all I can say is that all the reviews about how delicious this is, are absolutely RIGHT!! The seasoning and sauce make this soooo flavorful! I used bone-in thighs and trimmed some of the excess skin and fat, then browned them about 10 minutes each side. ( I’m always concerned about undercooking chicken, and thighs will accommodate some extra cooking without drying out.) The only thing I wasn’t clear on was the sprigs of fresh thyme — do you cook the whole sprig in the sauce then remove it when done? Or are you supposed to strip the tiny leaves and leave them in the sauce? I cooked the sprig whole then discarded it. Sauce was amazing, so I’d say this was a good choice with the thyme.
Yahoo!
The sauce is amazing! I love this simple, yet elegant meal. I’m starting a cooking biz in my little apartment building and I’m adding this recipe to the rotation. Thanks!
You are welcome!
This meal was a hit in my home tonight. Awesome recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This was Amazing! I had to add juice from 2 key limes because I didn’t have enough lemon juice, I also added in addition, lemon pepper seasoning. Yum it tasted like the lemon chicken from our favorite Chinese restaurant Red Dragon
The whole family loved this! My girls are super picky eaters and they gobbled this up! Highly recommended….I now have to go and purchase a bigger cast iron ;0)
Glad you loved it!
Made this tonight; it was really good and easy. I added spinach just because we like it. Next time I will try to double the sauce because it is so tasty! Served with egg noodles. Thankx!
Very good, will definitely make this again!
It’s very good and amazingly easy to make. Having said that, even though we found it delicious, it’s lacking depth of flavor. Pouring in the juices from the chicken resting plate helped, but it still lacked a wow factor. I think that the next time, I’ll deglaze with some white wine to see if that kicks it up a notch, to quote Emeril.
Sorry. I forgot to rate it. It would have been 5/5 with more depth.
This recipe did NOT disappoint. I had everything on hand except the heavy cream. I used evaporated milk. Our bellies are full and the house still smells amazing. Thank you for this recipe. We put some of the magic sauce over the rice too…YUM!
Thanks for sharing!
Very easy and a great hit with the kids!
Didn’t have cream or fresh thyme on hand so used canned coconut milk/cream and added dried thyme to the chicken rub.
Skipped the salt during cooking and had everyone salt their individual dish so I could give some chopped up chicken to the baby (9 months old). Even the baby scarfed it up!
It will definitely be in our regular rotation.
Next time I’ll make it as written with the cream and fresh thyme.
Ps. After putting the chicken back in the pan, toss it a bit and remove it again. Throw in some fresh or frozen spinach and let the risidual head thaw/cook and you’ve got yourself a super tasty veggie to go along with it!
Just seeing some comments saying it lacked depth and I forgot to add in my original comment:
I tripled or quadrupled the spices and used smoked paprika instead of plain and the dish had plenty of depth. I forgot to mention this because I always add way more spice than recipes generally recommend.
Very good recipe! Shared it with my sis right after dinner. Will be in my dinner rotation for sure!
I have now made this recipe twice in one week. Once with chicken thighs, and once with extra firm tofu. Both times were out-of-this-world delicious. I dare say my husband and I preferred the tofu, only because it soaked up more of the sauce. We plan to double the sauce recipe next time, use tofu, and serve over rice. HOPEFULLY we will have leftovers.
I can’t wait to try it with tofu. Great idea!
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
You are welcome!
Easy recipe for sure. I like the combination of spices for the chicken. The sauce turned out okay. It was more grey in color and looked a little unappealing. Maybe I didn’t use enough spices for it to turn out like the recipes’? I will definitely try and cook it again.
Just made it like literally! It was easy to make and quick
Really liked this, even using boneless skinless thighs since that’s what was thawed and ready. Next time I’ll double the sauce and add sliced mushrooms (and use skin-on thighs because they’re my favorite). Great recipe!
Used coconut cream instead of heavy cream, gravy was delish! I will make again and again.
Glad you loved the chicken!
Delicious recipe, and easy to prepare.
It’s a dinner winner!
Tripled the spices and it came out fantastic! This recipes better than chipotle. I served the chicken over white rice and shredded the leftovers for chicken rice bowls/tacos. Thank you!
Nice flavor and easy. Crispy skin is my favorite . Only had white onion, no shallot but it worked fine..and only had milk, no cream, so I added a tad of cornstarch. Very nice!
This was amazing. I did cook my chicken in the oven at 400 for 35 minutes, but the sauce was incredible
Did you add the cream after the over or before?
Very delicious, sauce is so good over a bed of egg noodles!! I added frozen spinach and thickened sauce with corn starch – an entire meal – fast and delicious- oh I put it in the oven for 20 mins on 375 to thicken the sauce!! Thanks !!
Wow this was so delicious. I will definitely have this one on repeat!
Yay!
This was soooo good. Doubled the sauce because my kids love it. Used skinless thighs, yellow onion, and dried thyme and it was still delicious. Adding it to our rotation!
So glad you all enjoyed it!
This recipe was delicious. I used both shallots and yellow onions and threw in some mushrooms.
Can this dish be frozen? I was thinking of using a glass Pyrex container to go from freezer to oven or microwave. It would be great for one of my meal prep dinners.
Yes, that will work!
We loved this chicken. The sauce over mashed potatoes was delicious. I’ll add this recipe in my regular rotation. Thank you for sharing.
This recipe was delicious. The sauce and the chicken had so much flavor. I served it with yellow rice and broccoli . Everyone loved it..
Oh good!
I used olive oil in place of the butter and coconut cream in place of heavy cream due to intolerance to dairy protein- very easy and tasty!
Thanks for sharing!
The recipe was very tasty. I actually used a combo of half & half & sweetened condensed milk. NOTE: The cook time is WAY understated in the recipe. I cooked the thighs for over 25 minutes in a Le Creuset (covered for most of the time), and they were still pretty raw when I cut into them. I would suggest sous vide the thighs beforehand.
Quick easy and delicious! Plus I had everything on hand, only change I made was I used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream
Thanks for reporting back. Glad you loved the recipe.
Such a delicious and quick dish to make. I doubled the recipe this time so we can have left overs for another dinner and lunch for work. I only had half and half available so that’s what I used. It worked great. Paired this with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed kale. It’s a winner! Thank you.
You are welcome!
Delicious recipe! Easy to make, and it is so flavorful. I accompanied it with rice because I’m Cuban so rice is a staple in our cuisine, and it was the perfect pairing because of the delicious sauce.
Glad you loved the recipe.
Delicious! My husband ate all but one chicken thigh though. .which he left for me.
Absolutely amazing – super easy and one of my family’s favorites!
Yay!
Made this tonight. Super simple. Left out the red pepper flakes to omit a little heat. This was very flavorful. Will make again.
Glad you loved it!
Throughly enjoyed this dish. And what I did was increase the amount of double cream, added some sliced mushrooms and cooked some pasta.
When all was cooked, removed the chicken, added the cooked pasta, and stir ensuring its fully coated. Serve and place a couple of tasty thighs on the top.
Yummy
Thanks for sharing! Glad you loved it!
Made this chicken today. Simply delicious. Substituted heavy cream for milk and start and came out good. Thank you for your receipt..
I am so glad you loved the chicken.
I don’t always review recipes but I felt compelled after eating this! The sauce is absolutely delicious. I didn’t have everything on hand so I substituted skinless thighs, dried thyme for the fresh and garlic powder for the cloves. Smoked paprika instead of plain because, why does the plain stuff even exist when smoked is so much better? I used 1.5x the spices. I don’t like to cook olive oil at high heat so I substitute butter when frying the chicken. O.M.G. I could drink the sauce! Soo flavorful and creamy. Thank you for the recipe!
You are very welcome! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Delicious and easy. I added chopped jalapeños instead of pepper flakes
Perfect!
This was so so so good and it had a little kick. Incredibly easy to make. Will include this in our dinner rotations for sure! Thank you!
So happy you love it.
Wow what a great recipe! I made this for my husband and he loved it. I love that it’s pretty straight forward and uses pantry staples. I made it with garlic mashed potatoes and rolls of course to get all of the delicious sauce! A definite keeper.
A keeper at our house too:)
plan to make this on Sunday. Want to do 3 breasts and 3 thighs. How long would I cook the breasts?
I recommend getting a meat thermometer because all chicken pieces are different in size and thickness.
Delicious and fast
A great weeknight meal!
Quick and easy, tastes great. Used boneless skinless thighs and put it over spaghetti noodles. I used cajun seasoning instead of red pepper but otherwise by the recipe. Will definitely cook again, boys loved it
Glad you loved the recipe. A great weeknight meal!
So flavorful!!!!! I added a little bit of Parmesan cheese while adding the cream/half and half. I recommend cooking the thighs in the liquid for a extra 10-15 minutes if you have larger sized chicken thighs.
Love the Parmesan cheese addition, thanks for sharing.
Used a Cast iron skillet. Scraped up the pan with the garlic+butter. This recipe is perfect.
Perfect!
Made this for the first time this evening and my wife and I LOVED it! No shallots at my grocery store, so I used some chives I had on hand as a sub and added some chopped mushrooms. Had brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes as sides. Winner!
Sounds like the perfect meal!
One of our go-to week night meals! I double the liquid to get enough sauce to go over some rice and add a bag of spinach! So easy and delicious and a household favorite!
Love that idea!
Do you drain the pan after cooking the thighs of the fat off the thighs or is it part of the sauce thanks in advance
No need to drain the pan. Leave any delicious juices in there and add the ingredients for the sauce.
Your writing style is so engaging and informative. I was captivated from start to finish. Looking forward to more posts like this! As acquiring knowledge is a process which never ends, I also keep to date with your recent publications and to invite everyone to engage and discuss with knowledgeable enthusiast.
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I know most people would not get hung up on “salt and pepper to taste,” but they’re not me. I’m a guy who doesn’t cook and I need specificity.
I can cope with this ambiguity when it comes at the end of a recipe in the form of a final seasoning adjustment. But this is part of the rub and I really can’t see myself tasting a mix of spices, period, nor can I imagine it would be very helpful if I did.
So y’all go ahead and roll your eyes but I wouldn’t tell you to just eyeball it if you asked me what the PSI of the air compressor should be when using a framing nailer.
This is an incredible recipe and super tasty. I followed everything almost exactly except I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used ground thyme and went a bit heavier on the seasonings. The ONE THING that I should have followed that is CRUCIAL to this recipe is the cast iron pan. You absolutely need a good pan that does a good job at spreading the heat evenly or else you’ll definitely be cooking for a lot longer than you expected, and you won’t get the right crust on the skin. I will probably be investing in a better pan just so I can make this again and have a much easier time with it!
Thanks for reporting back! Glad you loved the recipe.
AMAZING! I could eat this every day! I used smoked paprika, and added little chicken knorr. Also added a little white wine to the sauce (doubled the sauce because…YUM!) and served over red mashed potatoes. I used skin on, bone in chicken thighs and cooked on both sides for 10 minutes each side then popped them in the oven at 425 for 10 minutes while I made the sauce (added a bit of flour to thicken)
SO happy you loved the recipe!
This was easy to put together and the flavor was wonderful. It is good enough for company. I did not have shallots or fresh thyme so I substituted onion and dried thyme. The results were great.
I am glad you enjoyed the chicken dish.
flavor is ok. Prep time is much longer – Think more like 30+ minutes.
Won’t make again.
This was delicious! I used sour cream instead and added a side of pierogis to add sauce to. Yumm!!!
Nice! Thanks for sharing!
This was amazing…I added a little white wine & dash of cornstarch to the recipe as well. I also cooked mine at a slightly higher temperature & the chicken came out nice & tender, sauce was perfect. Thanks!!
Perfect!! Glad you loved the recipe.
I have made this several times because it’s just one of those recipes that EVERYONE loves. I make it as directed here, but I add capers towards the end. It’s the perfect complement. I serve it on a bed of angel hair pasta with plenty of sauce and it’s…just…perfect. Thank you for this gem!
I don’t know how my rating ended up 3/5! That was a mistake, it’s 5/5…I’ll try to edit.
Have made this and was beyond pleased. Could this work for 20 to 25 people? Able to successfully prepare some ahead of the event?
Thank you!
Sure, you will just need to increase all ingredients and use more skillets.
My family and I enjoyed it. Thank you
You are welcome!
I Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing. I usually hate when people leave reviews who change the recipe but I added mushrooms and spinach to mine because they were about to go bad in my fridge so I doubled the chicken stock and heavy cream. I had to make a rue to thicken up the sauce but this was a perfect Sunday meal for a rainy day and I will be making this again:)
Love the changes you. made. Thank you for sharing.
Shocked by how delicious this dish is! The only thing I changed was using half and half in place of cream. I did have to cook my chicken longer than stated to reach 165 degrees. The sauce is incredible.
I am so glad you loved it.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream???
I loved this recipe and tried it again yesterday, but I think there is a step missing now – I remember putting it in the whole thing in the oven after the last step and this recipe doesn’t call for that. If you follow this recipe exactly, your chicken will not be cooked all the way through (15 min. is not enough!). Is there a step missing?
I noticed that too….15 mins to cook bone in chicken is not enough. You didn’t miss a step. It says the recipe only takes 30 mins, 15 of which is supposedly to cook the chicken. Took an hour for my chicken to cook, next time I will crisp up the skin in the skillet then wrap them up and finish cooking them in the oven, as the skin got extra crispy with the length of time in the skillet and lost any flavour
YES!!! My chicken was not done either. I put mine in the oven to finish cooking it.
One of the best dishes I’ve ever prepared. Served it for a special dinner and everyone raved over it. My husband who is not really a chicken person absolutely loved it. The only complaint was I didn’t make enough.
Ha! I am so glad you loved the recipe. I guess you will have to make it again soon:)
I’ve made this twice now and my god it is perfection!!! The sauce alone should be made into a sauce because I would happily douse anything in it- I’m also guilty of spooning up mouthfuls on its own, I have no shame.
If it was my last day on earth THIS would be my last meal request.
Thank you for putting this on the internet for all of us to enjoy!
I am thrilled you love this recipe!
Very delicious! I used half and half instead of heavy cream and the sauce was delicious. Use a thermometer to check the temp of the chicken to be sure it’s cooked through.
Has anyone tried making this in a crockpot?
What if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?
Thanks!!!
You can use a large skillet.
I just used a regular pan, with skinless thighs. Still came out crispy enough. You just need to do med/high for the first few min to really sear and crisp it from the oil.
Absolutely easy and delish as is
Such a great dinner!
When I made this the first night with only my eating it, I was disappointed others didn’t try it. Not realizing they had the flu…they loved it once taste buds restored. Easy, delicious and now in my rotation of fast meals. Thank you.
This was really good! I used bone-in chicken thighs so it took a bit longer to cook but was totally doable on the stove. I would have skipped the lemon but my partner loved it so I will be making it again!
I am glad you liked the recipe.
Followed as closely as I could…. Used green onions instead of shallots and added green pepper and a hint of grated Parm and pecorino… not too much, soooo good
Followed as closely as I could…. Used green onions instead of shallots and added green pepper and a hint of grated Parm and pecorino… not too much, soooo good
Nice! Thanks for sharing.
Just made this and the only differences were, sherry to deglaze, double the lemon, and add 3 Tablespoons of butter to the sauce at the very end. The very end!. Makes a superb sauce which is smooth. Green beans and riced(mashed) potatoes. Perfect.
Great! Thanks for sharing!
Tried this recipe and it is getting bookmarked! I had no cast iron so I used the biggest pan I had (wok, don’t shame me). I left the chicken a minute and a half longer on both sides because I was not working with a thermometer and I was worried about the chicken being raw in the middle. Chicken turned out so juicy, and the sauce? Just bravo. It tastes complex for such an easy recipe. Thank you!
Yay! Glad you loved it enough to bookmark it!! Thanks for sharing!
This is my first time making this dish for my family and I must say, it will NOT be the last. Highly recommended
I am thrilled you loved it!
kind of bland. My son asked if I used any spices
I was nowhere near 165 after 10 minute mark after flipping.
It took about 55 more minutes. I don’t get it.
It’s almost done. I haven’t tasted it yet.
This chicken recipe is a sleeper! Don’t let the name fool you, it’s delicious and rich, and something I would proudly serve to dinner guests!
Oh good! Glad you loved it!
We enjoyed these recipes, the rest of the family brings their own containers to take home what’s left.
But we always hide some for later.
Ha! Love this!
Deliciously juicy chicken that the whole family loved!
Yay!
My husband really liked the recipe but I found that the thighs needed more cooking time than the recipe instructed in order to get to 165. Had to put back a couple of times and was a little frustrating.
Would this be okay with skinless thighs?
Yes, but you won’t get the same crispy coating.
My family love it!
Yay!
Absolutely delicious. I used white wine in place of chicken broth and added mushrooms. My hubby loved it too
Love the addition of mushrooms!
OMG! When I tell you this was delicious it’s an understatement. The chicken tight’s were amazing. My family loved them so much they asked me to make it again in the same week, lol. I wish I could give this dish 10 stars.
I will take 10 stars:) Thank you!
I made this for company the other night and everyone raved about it. I actually had two skillets going at once and it was so easy it will definetly be a go to.
So happy it was a success with your guests!
Made this tonight and family just loved it ask if I’ll make it again tomorrow. I knew I should have made a double batch.
Ha! It is a dinner winner!
This was so easy and so delicious .. my entire family raved about it. I didn’t have cream but made a roux and used half and half. So good thank you.
Great! Glad you loved it!
So delicious! I added a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese at the end. My husband must of said he loved this dish at least 10 times ! A keeper !
I am so glad he was raving about this dish!
We eat a lot of chicken thighs and have several good recipes but this easy skillet chicken was off the chart delicious and so simple to make. Having it again tonight, mashed potato’s are compulsory!
Yahoo! So glad you love it!
Sounds amazing!! What can I substitute the heavy cream with? Could I use coconut milk??
Yes, coconut milk would be great!
The times stated are definitely not enough. Your chicken will not be cooked in 10-15 min. I put mine in the oven after frying it.
Supurb! Very delicious chicken recipe and I love the little spice in it. I did add mushrooms as well like another persons commented. Dang it’s good! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome. I am so glad you loved the recipe!
Super tasty recipe! I used skinless, boneless thighs and was able to get a nice sear on it. I added gnocchi to the pan at the very end and WOW! Delicious!
Yay!
I’ve made this twice in the last two weeks. Hubby loves it. It’s fantastic.
Yahoo!
Amazing, restaurant quality dish! Delicious and simple to make.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
This chicken has a great seasoned taste. My husband loved this meal and said to make it again (restaurant quality) . I served it with green beans and fingerling potatoes. Lots of garlic and shallots in both which made it very flavorful. yummy!!! The chicken took longer to reach 165 and I also used half and half and a little more butter. Will use the left overs to place over rice.. This is a keeper………..
Glad you think it’s a keeper!
My family loved this recipe – great rich sauce and so quick to make. I fried the thighs in the airfryer and then microwaved them to ensure they were cooked fully and then air fried them again before adding them to the sauce in the pan. I used sour cream successfully instead of heavy cream. I’d double the sauce as it’s so delicious.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Delicious! I didn’t want to chop anything so I left out the garlic and shallot, don’t like red pepper flakes so I left that out, and didn’t have any heavy cream so I left that out too. I realize this is a bit silly because that kind of makes it not really the same dish but I followed the bones of the recipe and it was still super delicious even with me being lazy and leaving out half the ingredients.
How can you rate a recipe when you’ve taken out main ingredients? “Easy Skillet Chicken Thigh recipe with a simple garlic cream sauce”. Hmm, you took OUT the GARLIC. You also took out the heavy cream – “Heavy cream– to finish the sauce, don’t skip it!” What you made doesn’t come close to what the recipe makes. Sure MAYBE what you made was good, but it certainly wasn’t THIS and shouldn’t have been rated, good or bad.
Hahhah!! Thanks for the laugh!
I’m speechless, so I’m not going to comment other than to say that it gave me a good laugh. I’m sure it was good, but…
This is the funniest comment. I’m going to make this tonight
Really perplexed as to why you left a review for a recipe you did not maybe. You made something else dear. Readers want reviews from people who made this recipe…
I usually don’t like a review if it’s not the same especially if it’s negative, but this time I was looking for someone who didn’t use the heavy cream, so thank you!
Thank you for this recipe!
I did not have heavy cream so I improvised with milk & butter, but it was not the same texture. My kids loved it!
Glad your kids loved it!
These chicken thighs were GREAT! Thank you. They were certainly easy and as you suggested they were fine coming out of the refrigerator to heat and serve the next day! Also, thank you very much for putting the recipe on your site and not sending me to Pinterest. I avoid recipes that are only present there. Oh, and I need to say the very picky husband liked them, too.
You are welcome!
Amazing!! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe 🙂
You are welcome!
Not a fan….
Why?
Recipes is simple but full of flavor..me n hubby .enjoying the kitchen as we’re now retired..
We love chicken.. different recipes for s fun..glad have those spices..but some need to get some… what’s missing is a skillet..we put away our old one..time to get one.
This is amazingly delicious. Make this chicken! We put it over white rice and dipped some Naan in the sauce. My kids and husband inhaled it.
Yahoo!
This is delicious. I cooked the chicken yesterday and made the sauce tonite. Added the chicken and sauce to a large cast iron pan, covered with parchment and foil and baked at 285f for 40 mins. Turned out beautifully with the chicken super tender and falling off the bone.
I used a clean cast iron pan to make the sauce (i.e. I would have cleaned it after frying the chicken as there was too much grease and the recipe didn’t specifically address this.)
I did use dried chives and thyme which also worked well. Served with whipped russett potatoes. Yum!!
Thanks for sharing!
It came out perfect. My husband is on a salt-free diet, and I used all the same ingredients minus the salt, and it still came out delicious. I will make this again. It would also go well with rice or potatoes.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Tried this tonight for the first time. My husband LOVED it! So delish and so easy. Thank you
I am glad you loved it the first time you made it! It’s a regular at our house!
A very delicious, friendly and uncomplicated recipe. I found your receipt last night an hour before I needed to prepare dinner for the family and I had most of the ingredients except heavy cream/shallots. A simple fix with an onion and cream cheese. Very appetizing and can definitely be carry out many different ways! Thank you Maria! Will be a staple in my cookbook!
So glad you loved the chicken!
Thanks Pamela. I dont have shallots either, so I am going to use green onion when I make it tonight.
Wonderful dish with great flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome!
Even after 10 minutes skin side down, I still didn’t spget a good crust on it, and it took much longer to cook it through. The sauce was good, but I don’t think I’ll made it again: I can make some other chicken dish that’s just as good, that doesn’t take all the prep chopping.
Excellent! Easy to do. It took me about 35 minutes to get the chicken to around 160. I advise getting out of the fridge and get to room temp for an hour before cooking. Remember to scrape the goodness and deglaze!
My thighs were still pretty frozen in the package. I put them in a bowl and ran some warm water over them to thaw before drying. I know there is a long time between your post and mine but a helpful tip is a helpful tip whenever it arrives.
Did you use boneless chicken thighs as the recipe directs? It’s impossible for those to take 35 minutes to get to 165°. They only take 3 or 4 min total. Perhaps you forgot to turn on the heat under your pan?
This is outstanding!! I used a tiny bit more spices, maybe a teaspon of garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Added 2 tablespoons wine along with the lemon juice and broth. Served over linguini. This is now a standard recipe in our house. A Go-to standard. It’s best cooked in a cast-iron frying pan.
So happy you loved the chicken.
This is pretty similar to a recipe I already use but the lemon added a nice touch. After seasoning the thighs I tossed them in some cornstarch and fried them in some butter and olive oil for a crispier texture. I doubled up on the garlic and shallot since it adds so much flavor to the dish. My daughter hates red pepper flakes so I opted out of that but I def feel like that would kick this dish up a notch. Will make again!
I am so glad you loved it!
Easy & delicious!!! My 3 kids and hubbs ate it up unsolicited. Nice wholesome meal, served with roasted broccoli & green chives!
I am glad your family enjoyed the chicken!
SOOOO GOOD!!
Thank you!
I tried this tonight and did it with skinless, boneless thighs and I really liked it. Because I didn’t have the skin I used ghee and was careful of the browning process. I got the desired fond and browning on the chicken. Really simple was able to do the dishes while monitoring it and I will definitely cook it again. I had it over a bed of egg noodles.
So good with noodles!
very good and easy! next time I will add a little white wine during the simmering process and mushrooms
OK, a bit of honesty, I started with frozen chicken thighs! It cook less than 30 minutes, to 155 degrees. Followed the rest of the recipe and had a wonderful result.
Glad you loved the recipe!
Amazing recipe. I have made it 3 times in the last month. I serve it with penne and throw a few sundried tomato’s and Feta on top. My family loves it.
I am so glad you are loving this recipe!
The family loved it. We had it over penne pasta. Made 50% more sauce because of serving over pasta
Nice!
Good. Mine looked pretty close to the recipe photo. Didn’t have a shallot so I used diced onion. Also added a splash of white wine because I’m trying to use it up. Also I didn’t have thyme so I used a little rosemary which probably changed the flavor but no one knew because I was the only one looking at the recipe.
Thank you Alexa for your review. Kim is trolling you and their comments are not welcome nor do I agree with them. Many families today are in a crisis of budget and time and often affordability of a well stocked pantry is challenging. Bravo for using what you could and still taking a moment to add a positive and helpful review. It makes me more likely to try this recipe even though I may not have all I need to make it perfect this time around.
I made this recipe tonight & I can’t get over how delicious it is! Like others suggested, I added spinach & mushrooms at the end, and it just made it even better, plus added color, flavor & veggies. Yum.
Oh, I did leave out the red pepper flakes as we don’t like the heat. But even my picky husband who doesn’t much like chicken thighs loved this.
Thanks for sharing! Glad you loved it.
Sooooo Good!!
Thank you!
I made this for my girlfriend following the directions exactly. Omg! That first bite..and the last..and everything in between! This recipe brought the wow factor! Thanks for this!
So glad you loved it! It is always a WOW!
What happened to the ingredients no amount s of anything did I miss them didn’t make it
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Made this for my son and daughter and myself, and it was a HUGE hit. I made 9 thighs thinking I could make lunches or something out of the leftovers, but they absolutely devoured it all. And my daughter is a light eater. I had to double the ratio for the spices in the rub (I think skin-on requires a bit more), but otherwise followed this recipe pretty well. Matched with a romaine salad and french bread and it was amazing. We did clean up all the sauce with the bread, like they mentioned. Heavenly!
I am so glad everyone loved it!
Made mostly the same… just added dried thyme instead of fresh… sooooo tasty and easy peasy to make! Served over basmati rice…,it’s a keeper! First time making it and it was a big hit!
Glad you loved it!
This was soo good and easy to make. I did increase the dry ingredients to 1 teaspoon each, and I added some sun dried tomatoes. It was very tasty. Will definitely make again.
Yay! Glad you will make it again!
I made this tonight, OMG it was DELISH!!!!, never had the parsley but ….boy oh boy this was tasty!
It is a dinner winner!
Sorry, I do not usually write reviews but prepared this dish tonight and my entire family didn’t finish their plate – including me. Sauce is not good even though I followed recipe with all ingredients and I make crème sauces regularly Had a very weird flavor. Will not make again. So sorry!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I am so glad you loved the recipe.
Excellent recipe and easy to make. Such great flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome!
I found this recipe a few months ago and WE LOVE IT!!! On Hubby’s first bite, he looked at me, shook his head yes and then he said “This one is definitely a keeper!”
I can back here to ask: can this be made in a Crockpot?
We are super busy moving houses right now and I wanted a crockpot recipe but he mentioned THIS recipe. Just trying to give him what he wants while also not stressing about dinner while we are loading and hauling boxes. Any advice is appreciated!
I am so glad you love it!
I followed the recipe closely, using bone in, skin on chicken thighs. I even used a Lodge 10.25″ griddle, just large enough for six chicken thighs. After removing the thighs from the griddle, I drained off the chicken fat, essential with skin on. I used half-and-half plus butter instead of heavy cream. A quick and tasty recipe.
I am glad you loved the chicken recipe!
Outstanding hate chicken but loved this new favorite
Glad you liked this chicken recipe.
Easy and delicious! Made it for my family tonight and served it over sliced yams, it was a huge hit!
Perfect!
I used a Knorr Dip Mix not having the Hidden Valley Ranch Mix on hand…. also used bottled lemon juice, jarred chopped garlic, and dried thyme not having fresh on hand. The recipe was easy and praise worthy good! Loved it!
I’m in the school of cooking that any recipe with more than a dozen ingredients (breaking out the “spices” as three separate ingredients) is not “easy.” I’m willing to make recipes with two dozen ingredients, but I wouldn’t call them “easy.”
This was absolutely delicious. I’m currently living in Peru with my boyfriend, and Peruvians know their food hahaha. So if he loved it, then its a win for mee hehe. Thank you for sharing this easy and amazing recipe, we just wish we made more!!
Oh good! Glad it was a success!
First time I made this, I made it exactly as the recipe states, except for the garlic, which I use less of per personal preference. It was absolutely delicious! The gravy was perfect. The spices were prominent without being too strong. This evening, I made it with skinless breasts cut into tenders. I was disappointed. The flavor of the gravy lacked depth, and did not have that deep, golden caramel color that it had when prepared with thighs. This recipe is easy to prepare with little prep time using common ingredients. I’ve even made a triple batch of the seasoning in advance and used it for other dishes. A definite keeper
I am so glad you love this chicken recipe!
I don’t normally leave reviews however this dish is delicious! The whole family LOVED it! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you for leaving a review. I am so glad you love the recipe!
Maria, that you so very much for this recipe! The sauce is delicious.
Yesterday I bought some boneless skinless thighs, and then looked for a recipe. I found this, so this morning I went and bought some heavy cream, and a shallot.
I actually followed your instructions (which is a bit unusual for me). I didn’t have onion powder so I used onion flakes instead. My pan will only hold 4 thighs, so that’s what I made, but I used up all of the rub on them. If I were to do eight thighs I would have to double the amount of spices.
The sauce is spectacular. I never used lemon in a cream sauce before. It really sets it apart.
Thanks for sharing!
You are very welcome!
Made this for dinner tonight….delicious!! Had to modify a bit for a big family, but only amounts. So glad I found a new way to make chicken thighs!
I am glad you loved the recipe! It’s a keeper!
The flavor was wonderful but I must have done something wrong because the cream curdled when I added it in. Any tips for me?
FIVE STARS!! I don’t know why it came out as 3, but it’s FIVE!!!
agree.. perfect reason to not count on reviews in my book 😉