Description
Tender, juicy chicken thighs cooked to golden perfection in a luxuriously creamy lemon garlic sauce. This one-pan dinner is ready in just 35 minutes and delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal effort. The bright citrus notes perfectly balance the rich cream, while aromatic garlic infuses every bite. Perfect served over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread to soak up the incredible sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Lemon slices (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. This helps achieve crispy skin and ensures the chicken is well-seasoned throughout.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts and begins to foam, place chicken thighs skin-side down. Cook without moving for 6-8 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook another 5 minutes on the other side. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Create the Sauce Base: Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon of butter to the same skillet (don’t clean it—those browned bits are flavor!). Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Build the Sauce: Sprinkle flour over the garlic and stir for 30 seconds to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add Cream and Lemon: Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Let the sauce simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
- Return Chicken to Pan: Nestle the seared chicken thighs back into the sauce, skin-side up. Spoon some sauce over the chicken. Let everything simmer together for 8-10 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from heat. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve immediately with your favorite sides.
Notes
- For crispier skin, you can finish the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end.
- If sauce becomes too thick, thin it with a splash of chicken broth or cream.
- For a lighter version, substitute half the heavy cream with additional chicken broth and Greek yogurt added at the end (off heat).
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work too—reduce cooking time to 12-15 minutes total.
- Fresh thyme or rosemary can replace Italian seasoning for a different flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce (approximately 1.5 thighs if smaller)
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 185mg