Description
A comforting dish with crispy skin and silky sauce for a cozy family dinner or festive occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- Optional: 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or a pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the thighs skin-side down and sear for 4–5 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer thighs to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced shallot to the skillet and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the pan.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the chicken broth and Dijon mustard, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up. Spoon a little sauce over each thigh, then slide the skillet into the oven and roast for 18–22 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken to a warm plate. Place the skillet back on the stove over low heat. Stir in the cream, lemon juice, thyme, and Parmesan. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens — about 3–5 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken back into the sauce for a minute to re-warm, then serve spooned with plenty of the velvety sauce.
Notes
For a healthier option, use skinless thighs and low-fat yogurt stirred in off heat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: chicken thighs, creamy chicken, baked chicken, comforting dinner, family meal