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Crispy, crunchy chicken thighs that are tender and juicy and slathered in a rich, comforting garlic cream sauce – this dish is a family favorite that will make you want to lick the pan!
If you’re intimidated by cooking chicken thighs, you’ll love my valuable insights – I’ve packed in tons of information on why this recipe works – so you can make it right, the first time.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of contents
One Pot Creamy Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
This one pot creamy garlic chicken thighs and mushrooms recipe is simple, quick, naturally low carb – and a huge family favorite!
If you love rich and delicious garlic cream sauce flavor, with perfect crispy chicken thighs and delicious sautéed mushrooms – this one pot chicken recipe is great for you!
If you’re following a keto diet, this one pot keto chicken dinner will become a fast favorite – it’s even great for family members who are eating carbs, spooned over rice or pasta.
This creamy garlic chicken thighs and mushrooms recipe is a simple one pot dish you’ll be adding into your weekly menu rotation in no time!
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms Recipe
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Butter: Used for frying the chicken and sautéing the garlic and mushrooms, it adds a rich, buttery flavor to the dish and helps in developing a delicious fond on the pan, which contributes to the depth of flavor in the sauce.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. The amount needed may vary based on the sodium content of your butter and chicken stock.
- Chicken Thighs: This is the protein of the dish. Thighs are used for their juicy, tender meat and their ability to stay moist even after cooking.
- Garlic: Adds a potent, aromatic flavor that is both sweet and savory. It’s a crucial ingredient in this dish, lending it its ‘garlic’ title.
- Cremini Mushrooms: They provide a hearty, earthy flavor that complements the chicken and garlic. They also add a meaty texture to the dish.
- Chicken Stock: This adds depth to the sauce, and its savory flavor complements the chicken, garlic, and mushrooms.
- Red Pepper Flakes: These add a hint of spiciness to the dish, which contrasts nicely with the creamy sauce. The amount can be adjusted based on personal preference.
- Parsley: An optional ingredient, it can provide a bright, slightly bitter note to balance the dish, and it adds a pop of color.
- Heavy Cream: It adds richness to the sauce, making it creamy and luxurious. It also helps balance the spice from the red pepper flakes.
- Parmesan Cheese: This contributes a salty, nutty flavor, and helps thicken the sauce slightly, making it even more creamy and delicious.
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, you will use this process:
- Brown chicken. Heat a heavy pan on medium high until very hot. Add 2 tbsp butter, swirl around pan, and let melt. When butter is foamy and melted, add chicken thighs.Very lightly salt chicken thighs (ONE pinch for all things – don’t overdo it!)Cook chicken thighs 5 minutes on each side, until lovely golden brown. When chicken thighs are well browned, remove from pan – do not drain pan grease.
- Brown mushrooms. Add garlic to pan, stir well. Add mushrooms to pan, stirring occasionally to keep mushrooms and garlic from burning. Add second half of butter (2 tbsp) to pan, let melt. Let garlic and mushrooms brown – about 4-6 minutes. Do not let garlic burn, reduce heat if needed. Add red pepper flakes (add slowly according to your taste) and parsley when chicken and mushrooms are lovely golden browned.
- Make sauce & cook chicken to 165. Add stock and cheese. Stir well, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Turn heat off. Whisk in cream until well mixed. Return heat and let cream sauce slowly boil and reduce to get creamy and thick. Add chicken thighs back to pan, let sauce reduce another 5-8 minutes, flipping chicken occasionally, until thick and chicken thighs are 165 internal temp.
- Enjoy! Remove from pan and serve immediately!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
Brown chicken well. To get the most delicious chicken thighs, it helps to give them a crispy crunch so they keep a great texture.
Brown chicken first. It can be difficult to get the perfect crunchy chicken thighs, it is best to let them crisp before making your creamy garlic sauce – cooking them almost all the way to temperature so that they can go back into the sauce to finish up, without getting soggy.
Don’t overcrowd pan. Adding too much chicken to the pan will reduce the surface temperature and will prevent the chicken thighs from crisping properly. Space out chicken in pan so it is not overcrowded.
Don’t flip too fast. Don’t flip chicken thighs before they have a chance to crisp up, or your chicken could be soft and flabby later when adding the sauce.
Unroll chicken thighs. For chicken thighs to get the best crunchy skin, unroll the chicken thighs. I don’t photograph chicken with the thighs unrolled often (because they can look a bit funny) – but unrolling chicken thighs will help them crisp up and cook faster so they don’t dry out.
Remove chicken while browning mushrooms. Let your chicken sit outside of the pan on a plate with paper towels to let them set while cooking the sauce.
Go by chicken temperature. Ignore the time on this recipe – add chicken back to pan when sauce has come together but not reduced, so chicken can finish cooking to 175 internal temperature when inserted with a digital meat thermometer. Always go by temperature, not time. Think of time as a guideline.
Turn off heat when whisking in cream. Whenever I add cream to a dish, I turn the heat completely off, and whisk it in to prevent the sauce from breaking before I turn the heat back on. It is always a good idea to turn heat off of your stove before adding in the heavy cream and then whisk vigorously when adding – that is the best way how to prevent cream sauce from separating!
What to Serve With Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
Rice: Whether it’s plain white, brown, rice pilaf, or wild rice, the grains will soak up the creamy sauce and complement the chicken and mushrooms.
Pasta: Noodles like fettuccine or spaghetti can turn this dish into a kind of chicken stroganoff. Or serve it over short pasta like penne or farfalle.
Crusty Bread: A piece of crusty bread like a baguette or no knead bread is perfect for sopping up any leftover cream sauce.
Mashed Potatoes: Mashed potatoes are a classic pairing with any creamy chicken dish, providing a comforting and hearty side.
Steamed Vegetables: To balance the rich cream sauce, you can serve the dish with steamed vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, or green beans.
Roasted Vegetables: Roasted root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, or potatoes would also make a nice contrast to the creamy dish.
Salad: A light, refreshing salad like crunchy parmesan salad can also balance the richness of the creamy chicken and mushrooms. Consider a simple green salad or a tangy coleslaw.
Quinoa or Couscous: These grains can provide a slightly healthier alternative to rice or pasta, and they pair well with creamy dishes.
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Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- 4 chicken thighs, bones removed (skinless or with skin OK)
- 6-10 cloves garlic, sliced in half or finely diced (I like big chunks of garlic but realize most don’t)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed and wiped clean
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 pinch to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on your desired spicy level
- ½ cup diced parsley, optional
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a heavy pan on medium high until very hot.
- Add 2 tbsp butter, swirl around pan, and let melt.
- When butter is foamy and melted, add chicken thighs.
- Very lightly salt chicken thighs (ONE pinch for all things – don't overdo it!)
- Cook chicken thighs 5 minutes on each side, until lovely golden brown.
- When chicken thighs are well browned, remove from pan – do not drain pan grease.
- Add garlic to pan, stir well.
- Add mushrooms to pan, stirring occasionally to keep mushrooms and garlic from burning.
- Add second half of butter (2 tbsp) to pan, let melt.
- Let garlic and mushrooms brown – about 4-6 minutes. Do not let garlic burn, reduce heat if needed.
- Add red pepper flakes (add slowly according to your taste) and parsley when chicken and mushrooms are lovely golden browned.
- Add stock and cheese.
- Stir well, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan.
- Turn heat off. Whisk in cream until well mixed.
- Return heat and let cream sauce slowly boil and reduce to get creamy and thick.
- Add chicken thighs back to pan, let sauce reduce another 5-8 minutes, flipping chicken occasionally, until thick and chicken thighs are 165 internal temp.
- Remove from pan and serve immediately!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What could you use instead of Heavy whipping cream? Could coconut milk/ cream b used instead? Or even almond milk.. I know the consistency would b more watery if Almond milk was used.. loved your Best Baked pork tenderloin recipe ever!
Do you have some plain yogurt? Sometimes if I don’t have heavy whipping cream I will mix some plain yogurt with milk to get that creaminess. You can use coconut milk or almond milk if you want. A can of whole fat coconut milk would be best if you want to go dairy free. Good luck!
I added spinach to the recipe toward the end for more greens but overall can’t wait for the husband to taste it with pasta
excellent dish so easy too ! I am going to make this again for a family dinner. I did serve it with rice.
I was hesitate not to use too much garlic but next time I will go for more. Great flavor it a no brainer, love it !