Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken (Printable version)

Tender chicken thighs cooked with creamy garlic and mushroom sauce delivers elegant, comforting flavor.

# List of ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 10 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
07 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
09 - ½ cup chicken broth, gluten-free if required
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
03 - Discard excess fat, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Melt butter over medium heat.
04 - Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned and tender.
05 - Stir in minced garlic and thyme; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Pour in chicken broth while scraping the bottom of the skillet to release browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
07 - Reduce heat and add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer gently until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
08 - Nestle chicken thighs, skin-side up, into the sauce along with any accumulated juices. Spoon sauce over the top.
09 - Cover skillet and simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
10 - Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the finished dish before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly tender and juicy because they're naturally forgiving, even if you're not watching the clock.
  • The sauce is pure comfort—buttery, garlicky, mushroomy—and feels restaurant-quality without any showiness.
  • Everything happens in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying what you made.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chicken—moisture is the enemy of a good sear, and a proper sear means crispy skin and better flavor throughout.
  • Resist the urge to overcook the sauce at the end; it thickens as it cools, so if it seems a tiny bit loose on the stove, it'll be perfect once plated.
  • The chicken will carry over-cook slightly while it sits, so aim for 165°F internal temperature and give yourself a minute of leeway.
03 -
  • Don't be tempted to crank up the heat to speed things along—low and slow at the end keeps the cream from breaking and the chicken from becoming rubbery.
  • If you accidentally let the sauce break or look grainy, whisk in a tiny splash of cold cream away from the heat and it'll usually come back together.
  • Leftover sauce is incredible spooned over toast or stirred into eggs the next morning, so don't feel bad about making extra.

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