Description
This Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs recipe features golden-brown, tender chicken thighs smothered in a rich, velvety cream sauce loaded with earthy mushrooms, garlic, and fresh herbs. It’s an easy one-pan meal that tastes like restaurant-quality comfort food and comes together in just 40 minutes. Perfect served over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta for a satisfying dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- 1 cup chicken broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. This is crucial for getting crispy skin. Season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Brown the chicken: Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, place chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan. Don’t overcrowd – work in batches if needed. Cook undisturbed for 6-7 minutes until skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes on the other side. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté the mushrooms: In the same skillet (don’t wipe it clean – those browned bits are flavor gold!), reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Once melted, add sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until they begin to brown. Stir and cook another 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are golden and have released their moisture.
- Build the sauce base: Add minced garlic to the mushrooms and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat everything evenly. Cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add liquids: Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Scrape up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Create the cream sauce: Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in heavy cream and fresh thyme. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Return chicken and finish cooking: Nestle the chicken thighs back into the skillet, skin-side up, spooning some sauce over each piece (but keeping the skin exposed to stay crispy). Let everything simmer together for 5-7 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the sauce has thickened to coat the back of a spoon.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately while hot, spooning extra sauce over each serving.
Notes
- For extra crispy skin, broil the finished dish for 2-3 minutes at the end
- The sauce will thicken as it cools, so if you’re reheating, add a splash of broth or cream
- Don’t skip patting the chicken dry – moisture is the enemy of crispy skin
- If using boneless, skinless thighs, reduce cooking time by about 5 minutes
- Wine lovers can add 1/4 cup white wine with the broth for extra depth
- For a dairy-free version, use coconut cream instead of heavy cream
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce (1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 195mg