An incredibly creamy garlic chicken thighs recipe made using just one pot in under 30 minutes. Serve it over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes for a quick weeknight meal.
Garlic Chicken Thighs
What I really like about this dish is that it is easy to make, low in carbs and pairs well with most veggies. All it takes to make this mouth-watering dish is a handful of ingredients and a skillet.
The sauce has an amazing depth of flavour, and the chicken is super tender and succulent. Seriously, this dish is a must-try dish!
What Do You Need For This Recipe?
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Chicken: I use chicken thighs with bone and skin on.
- Heavy cream: To give the sauce richness. You may also substitute heavy cream with milk or half-and-half.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper and paprika.
- Chicken stock: Make sure to use good quality chicken broth for the best flavour. You can substitute it with vegetable or beef stock.
- Fresh rosemary: Fresh rosemary adds an aromatic flavour to the dish.
- Garlic: I use a lot of crushed garlic, 6 cloves of garlic.
- Olive oil: You may also use butter or vegetable oil.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs?
One: Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and paprika.
Two: Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat, then pan-fry the chicken thighs until they become golden brown and crispy from both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Three: Now, clean the skillet from the chicken fat, then add one tablespoon of olive oil and saute the garlic for 30 seconds.
Four: Return the chicken into the pan and add chicken broth, heavy cream and rosemary. Lower the heat and let it simmer (for about 9-10 minutes) until the sauce reduces a little.
Tip: A meat thermometer is a great way to check if the chicken is done. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165degrees.
Five: Garnish with some chopped basil and serve.
Top Tips
- If you want this dish spicy, you can add extra paprika to amp up the flavour.
- Be sure not to burn the garlic as it would give a bitter taste.
- I like to cook the chicken skin side down first as the fat from the skin will coat the pan, which will prevent the other side from sticking.
- You may garnish with grated parmesan cheese right before serving.
- If the sauce isn’t thickening up, you can add some corn starch to the sauce; it will thicken the sauce. And, if you like your sauce a little thinner, add milk instead of heavy cream.
Recipe variations
- You can add some veggies to the creamy garlic sauce if you like.
- Swap the chicken with shrimp, chicken tenders, steaks or salmon. The creamy garlic sauce will pair perfectly with all of them. Make sure to adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Mushrooms: Adding mushrooms while cooking the chicken or add them to your sauce.
- Spinach: Add fresh spinach in the last 3-5 minutes of cooking the chicken, giving the dish a fantastic flavour.
- Substitute chicken thighs with boneless and skinless chicken breasts.
Serving suggestions
This creamy garlic chicken thighs recipe is so versatile that it goes with all kinds of sides. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes, veggie salad or roasted veggies. You may also serve them with:
- Taco pasta - one-pot recipe
- Pesto pasta - with homemade pesto sauce
- Mashed potato and onion pie
- Pasta al forno (italian baked pasta)
- Cheese pie
Storage
To store: You can store this dish for about 2-3 days in an air-tight container in the fridge. Leftover creamy garlic chicken thighs make a great filling for wraps or sandwiches.
To freeze: You can keep to in the freezer for 1-2 months. Make sure to freeze when it cools down, and use an air-tight container or Ziploc bag for freezing.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you want to bake it, make sure to reduce the liquid by ⅓rd. Bake until the chicken is cooked.
Yes, you can add garlic powder to the sauce. But the sauce tastes best when you add fresh garlic cloves.
More Chicken Recipes
Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Garlic press
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 750 g chicken thighs , bones and skin on
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 6 cloves garlic , crushed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and paprika.
- Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat, then pan-fry the chicken thighs until they become golden brown and crispy from both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Now, clean the skillet from the chicken fat, add one tablespoon of olive oil and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Return the chicken into the pan and add chicken broth, heavy cream and thyme.
- Lower the heat and let it simmer (for about 9-10 minutes) until the sauce reduces a little.
- Garnish with some chopped basil, and serve.
Notes
- A meat thermometer is a great way to check if the chicken is done. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165degrees.
- I like to cook the chicken skin side down first as the fat from the skin will coat the pan, which will prevent the other side from sticking.
Caroline says
This recipe was so easy and delicious! I will definitely make this chicken recipe again! My kids loved it! Thank you!
Wafa says
I loved this recipe! It is very adaptable. I made this recipe, and it was great. I served it with white rice and some roasted veggies. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
Olivia says
Thanks for this lovely recipe. I was looking for new chicken recipes everywhere.
Codi says
This recipe was so quick and easy. I used basil instead of rosemary, and I served it with mashed potatoes.