One of my favorite one-pan recipes is this country-style boneless chicken thighs in creamy garlic mushroom sauce. It’s cheap and easy to make on a budget. The recipe includes boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cream, herbs, mushrooms, and garlic cooked in just one pan.
For BBQ lovers, try my spicy grilled chicken thighs or my delicious garlic and basil grilled chicken thighs.
This recipe is part of our chicken thigh recipe collection, where you’ll find our delicious and easy chicken curry and our mouthwatering butter chicken recipe, all made with boneless chicken thighs.
Why this dish is so good
- Quick and easy. Everything is cooked in one pan and ready to eat in under 20 minutes.
- Affordable. Chicken thighs are one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can buy; the rest of the ingredients are kitchen staples.
- Versatile. You can mix up the ingredients, experiment with different herbs, or add vegetables such as spinach or broccoli to your liking.
- Healthy. This recipe is super low-carb, loaded with healthy fats, and has a good serving of protein, making it perfect for keto and paleo diet lovers.
- Meal prep. One-pan chicken thighs are ideal for meal prep as they store and reheat well, so you can take them to work or have them ready for a quick meal on the run.
Recipe ingredients
- Seasoning. Rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cracked pepper and salt.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Where available, try and buy organic free-range chicken. They’re a touch more expensive, but the chickens live a better life. Some people like to trim the thighs of fat. I don’t bother because I eat keto, but you can.
- Olive oil. A mild extra virgin olive oil is perfect.
- Butter. Salted grass-fed organic butter is best, but regular butter will work.
- Garlic cloves. Fresh garlic cloves roughly chopped make all the difference in this recipe, though you can use minced garlic as a replacement.
- Mushrooms. I use small button mushrooms sliced, but you can experiment with any mushroom of your preference.
- Liquid chicken stock. I have used chicken stock in this recipe, but you can also use white wine; the alcohol will burn off.
- Heavy Cream. It is also known as thickened cream, depending on where you are from.
How to make one pan chicken thighs with creamy garlic mushroom sauce.
I have included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. The full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities are on the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Important: What sets this recipe apart is charring the chicken over high heat and rough chopping the garlic. I want that woody, slightly burnt flavor. It’s not overwhelming but just right. Cooking on high is important to get that outside of the chicken thigh just how you want it, fast, without drying out the center.
Step 1 – Prep. Pat down the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove moisture. Mix the rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken thighs on both sides with the seasoning. Press the seasoning onto the chicken. Don’t rub.
Step 2 – Sear. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over high heat and cook in two batches of 3 chicken thighs each. I like the highest heat possible as I’m trying to get little bits of the chicken charred for that extra flavor. Once cooked on the outside to your liking, which will be 5 to 8 minutes on each side, remove the chicken thighs and set aside. Don’t worry if the thighs are not completely cooked through, as they will continue to cook in a later step.
Note: Chicken thigh is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F or 74°C or no longer pink in the center.
Step 3 – Sauce. At this point, some people like to clean their pans, but not me. I like that charred flavor, so I add my butter straight to the used pan, still hot. Then, I add the chopped garlic so it gets a little crunch. After 1 minute of continuously moving it around the pan, I add the mushrooms and cook them until brown and slightly shrunk.
Once the mushrooms are brown, add the chicken stock and leave the heat high for 30 seconds to lift the flavors and bits off the pan, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the thickened cream, stir through, followed by the parmesan cheese, and simmer on low heat, constantly stirring the sauce.
Note: If you want a thicker sauce, you can halve the amount of chicken stock and replace it with the same amount of heavy cream. Alternatively, add more chicken stock (a little at a time) if you like a thinner sauce.
Step 4 – Simmer. Once the parmesan cheese has fully melted, return the chicken to the pan and simmer until the chicken thighs are hot and have cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley or chives and serve.
Flavor variations
This recipe is very adaptable to taste. It is delicious as it is, but for some variety, why not try some of these variations?
- Add a little mustard or curry powder for a bit of bite.
- Try adding spinach for color, flavor, and texture.
- Want a sweeter taste? Try white wine in place of chicken stock.
Tips & tricks for perfect chicken thigh fillets
- Try air-frying them before adding them to the sauce for extra crispy chicken thighs.
- You can also bake the chicken thighs in the oven at 400°F for about 20-25 minutes for a crispy baked chicken thighs variation.
- If you don’t have heavy cream, substitute it with full-fat coconut or unsweetened almond milk.
- Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices to create unique flavor combinations.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to store
Refrigerator: This dish can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, sealed in an airtight container.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating in a pot, pan, oven, or microwave.
Watch me make it
Frequently asked questions
Chicken thigh cutlets still have the bone in, while chicken thigh fillets have the bone removed. Both can be skinless or still have the skin on.
Chicken thighs are a fattier, more tender, and more juicy cut of meat than chicken breasts. Chicken breasts are more challenging to cook as there is little room for error to prevent them from becoming dry and hard to eat.
Yes, you can! Just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Bone-in chicken thighs will take longer to cook through.
More recipes using chicken thighs
One Pan Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs In Creamy Garlic Mushroom Sauce
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Ingredients
Chicken and seasoning
- 750 g boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets 6 fillets
- 1/2 tsp thyme dried
- 1/2 tsp rosemary dried
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 30 g salted butter two tablespoons
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 250 g button mushrooms sliced choose small sized mushrooms if you can.
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pat down the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove moisture. Mix the rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken thighs on both sides with the seasoning. Press the seasoning onto the chicken. Don’t rub.750 g boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cracked pepper, 1 tsp salt
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over high heat and cook in two batches of 3 chicken thighs each. I like the highest heat possible as I’m trying to get little bits of the chicken charred for that extra flavor. Once cooked on the outside to your liking, which will be 5 to 8 minutes on each side, remove the chicken thighs and set aside. Don’t worry if the thighs are not completely cooked through, as they will continue to cook in a later step.4 tbsp olive oil
- At this point, some people like to clean their pans, but not me. I like that charred flavor, so I add my butter straight to the used pan, still hot. Then, I add the chopped garlic so it gets a little crunch. After 1 minute of continuously moving it around the pan, I add the mushrooms and cook them until brown and slightly shrunk.30 g salted butter, 4 cloves garlic, 250 g button mushrooms
- Once the mushrooms are brown, add the chicken stock and leave the heat high for 30 seconds to lift the flavors and bits off the pan, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the cream, stir through, followed by the parmesan cheese, and simmer on low heat, constantly stirring the sauce.1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Once the parmesan cheese has fully melted, return the chicken to the pan and simmer until the chicken thighs are hot and have cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley or chives and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
soooo good
Thank you Kim. Glad you like it.
Made this tonight for my husband and myself. He absolutely raved about it so I will be making it again!! Rich, but full of flavor, paired with a crisp garden salad and a nice Sauvignon Blanc. Makes a super delicious meal!!
Hey Bobbie, I’m happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed it. I make it all of the time. Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
I’m in the process of making this, and my only comment so far is that it would be great if you could add a “cook mode” button on your site.
Recipe looks great though. Will comment after making it!!
Thank You!!
Hello again Bobbie, I’m going to look at that today and see if I can implement it.
Hi Matt – any reason for not using skin-on thigh fillets?
Hi Ian, only that chicken thigh fillets with the skin on aren’t readily available where I’am, all boneless thighs are skinless as well. If they sell them where you are with the skin on by all means use them. Id prefer the skin on. You could debone whole chicken thighs also if you’re super keen.
Cheers, Matt.
Thank you! Just what I’ve been looking for.
I hope you enjoy it Jane.