I'll be honest, this dish shows up on my table three times most weeks, and nobody has complained yet. Crispy chicken thighs, a silky mushroom and garlic cream sauce, and only one skillet to wash at the end of a long day. The trick is to chop half the mushrooms very finely so they melt into the sauce and give it a deep, savory flavor, while the sliced half stays meaty. Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice or buttered noodles and watch it disappear.
Servings: 6 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
- 6 (about 2 1/4 lb / 1 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 g) butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 10 oz (280 g) cremini or white mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) dry white wine (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- to taste salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Clean the mushrooms, slice half of them and chop the other half very finely.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the thighs skin side down and cook without moving them for 7 to 8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp. Flip and cook 3 minutes more, then move the chicken to a plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Lower the heat to medium, add the butter and the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until soft. Add all the mushrooms and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring, until their liquid has evaporated and they start to brown.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme for 30 seconds, then sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, if using, and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the broth and the cream, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Return the chicken to the skillet skin side up, keeping the skin above the sauce so it stays crisp. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the thickest thigh reaches 165°F (74°C) on a meat thermometer.
- Let it rest 5 minutes, scatter the parsley over the top and serve straight from the skillet.
Tips and variations
- No wine? Replace it with the same amount of extra broth and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
- Boneless thighs work too: brown them 4 minutes per side and bake only 12 to 15 minutes.
- For a lighter sauce, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but keep the heat low so it does not split.
- Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth.
Give this one a try on your next busy evening, and I bet it ends up on your weekly rotation too. Enjoy!
