Baked chicken thighs with pan sauce
Baked chicken thighs in a rich white wine sauce flavored with garlic and herbs is a perfect easy weeknight recipe.
Ingredients needed
- Chicken thighs. I used bone-in skin-on chicken thighs but this recipe can be made with boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks as well. The cooking time will need to be adapted as boneless chicken cooks much faster.
- Extra-virgin olive oil.
- Butter. I used salted butter but unsalted butter works too.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- Fresh herbs: I used a combination of sage, fresh parsley, thyme and rosemary. Spices like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and dried herbs like oregano can also be used.
- White wine. Chicken broth/chicken stock with a squeeze of lemon juice can be substituted.
- Heavy cream/whipping cream.
- Salt and black pepper.
How to bake chicken
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels then season generously with salt and pepper. Sear chicken thighs in an oven-proof pan or large skillet until golden brown then remove and set aside. In the same pan add the garlic, herbs, wine and cream. Allow to come to a simmer then add the chicken back in the pan and place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on size) or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
How long to bake bone-in chicken thighs
Depending on the size of the chicken thighs, they should take between 20 and 35 minutes when baked at 200ºC/390ºF. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/75°C on a meat thermometer.
Can I make this ahead?
The crispy chicken skin won’t stay as crisp made ahead but any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave oven. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe as the cream sauce will split once reheated.
What to serve with baked chicken thighs
This chicken thigh recipe is a great protein to serve for dinner with almost any side dish. For a gluten-free meal serve the chicken with garlic butter rice, mashed potatoes and vegetables like steamed broccoli. If you want a keto/low carb meal, sautéed green beans are a delicious side. Crusty bread would be delicious dipped into that creamy sauce.
- Crispy salt and pepper smashed potatoes
- Easy side salad with lemon dressing
- Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- 10-minute sautéed broccolini
Chicken thigh recipes
- Rosemary lemon chicken thighs
- Easy honey garlic chicken thighs
- Chicken Piccata Thighs
- Crispy chicken thighs on cheesy broccoli rice
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skin on and bone in
- olive oil/butter for frying
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- large handful mixed fresh herbs chopped (I used sage, parsley, thyme and rosemary)
- ½ cup heavy/whipping cream
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- In a large, oven-proof frying pan, melt the butter/heat the oil and fry the chicken until golden brown all over.
- Remove from the pan then add the garlic and allow to fry for a few seconds then pour in the wine, herbs and cream.
- Add the chicken back to the pan then season to taste and place in the oven.
- Allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through but still juicy.
- Serve with rice/bread to mop up the juices.
Fantastic great flavor my daughter doesn’t like Sage so I substituted fresh Basil
Absolutely delicious. Easy, affordable, and fast. Thank you!
Need 35-40 min baking vs 20-25
I never leave reviews on recipes but this was DELICIOUS and it will be a new staple on our house! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs (what I had on hand), but it still came out awesome! The sauce was so good, next time I’m going to make extra. The taste actually really reminded me of when I make chicken adobo even though the ingredients are different, the flavor was pretty similar and way less time-consuming. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This recipe looks delicious. What can I substitute for the heavy cream?
Thank you.
Randi Plotkin
Coconut cream or half and half.
This was delicious, nice and easy to throw together when you’re trying to wrangle a toddler. Used dried herbs, and no butter, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Great recipe that looks impressive, we served with steamed veg and a dinner roll. *Chefs kiss*
Do you cook the rice separately? Does the wine have to be white or is red a no no?
Yes, the rice is cooked separately. Red wine would change the recipe into more of a Coq au Vin. Delicious, but different.
I’m excited to try this but I don’t necessarily want to spend the money for all fresh herbs, can I substitute dried ones (in my spice rack) for one or two of them?
Yes, of course!
This recipe sounds so delicious – just up my alley! But could I use Chardonnay instead of Sauv Blanc do you think? Sauv Blanc is not kosher so my choices are a little limited when it comes to wine in dishes. The cream is also an issues (again with the kosher) but I will use a dash of Orley Whip in it.
Absolutely!
Kosher Sauv.blanc is certainly available here. I don’t know where you’re located bikur check carefully before you rule it out. I BTW, am inn Israel where almost anything can bee found inn its kosher form.
Looks delicious. Going to make this dish in the next upcoming days. Thanks for the recipe.
I hope you love it, it’s a classic!
My husband recently had foot surgery and I have been grasping to find new dishes to make. This was absolutely delicious and will be a go to recipe for us. I used the Greek yogurt and the sauce was velvety and hearty without becoming too rich. Excellent!
I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Hope your husband recovers soon!
I never write reviews but I have to on this recipe. It is DElicious! Thank you for this recipe. It will be one that I use over and over. Even my five-year-old was licking the plate ! I can’t wait to invite family over for this dish. I did not have heavy cream so I substituted fat-free Greek yogurt and it came out awesome . I stirred in some room temperature fat-free Greek yogurt after I took the dish out of the oven so it would not curdle. 🙂
I’m so pleased you liked this recipe. And love your substitution of Greek yoghurt!!
Wow! Great recipe for grilled chicken. It was juicy and tender. I used the chicken this time to make chicken pesto sandwiches and will used the leftovers on my salad for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yum! So glad you liked this recipe.
Wonderful recipe. One of our favorites .
Thanks Mary!
Love your recipe! I always serve it with this Mushroom Pasta dish http://www.marthastewart.com/355801/mushroom-pasta
It goes together beautifully!
This is now my go-to recipe for chicken thighs…and we love it! Sometimes I’ll add shallots and mushrooms and cook them a bit before I add the wine and cream.
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you like it Samantha. Love the addition of shallots and mushrooms!
looks delicious! thanks for the recipe
Just when I was looking for chicken dish. This sounds stunning and so simple. The kind of dish I like to prepare 🙂
Thanks so much Kankana!
i made this recipe with a few of my own twists… (used cocunut cream and dried herbs) but the result was still amazing.. the chicken was so tender it actually fell off the bone… i made mine with basmati rice and roast potatoes (such a bad starch combination.. i know!!).. but the results were the same… not a drop was left…
Yum! Love those variations!
Looks so easy and so delicious Alida! Once again, you’re killing it with the video! Can’t wait to try these!
Thanks so much Mary Ann!
thank you for this, have been cooking with thighs over skinless breasts lately for the much better flavor that thighs deliver, so love to have another thigh recipe, like the wine and cream too!
Thighs are just so delish aren’t they? So glad you have another recipe to add to your repertoire.
do you bake it with the lid on? Or off?
I bake it without the lid so that the sauce can reduce a little but if you want you can definitely bake it covered.
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try this for dinner! (:
LOVED THIS! Great for a new/limited cook and my husband insisted on eating the leftovers that I packed for the next day 🙂
I’m so glad you and your husband loved it. 🙂
I was wanting to make this with a whole chicken….would u add the cream in the beginning or at the end? And u wouldn’t Brown it first would you?
I would add the cream at the end just to add lusciousness to the sauce. And yep, you could brown it beforehand but it’s not necessary.
This is delicious! I had to cook longer in oven, but i think that’s maybe from not browning longer on stove top. Family loved it, thank you!
So glad you liked it Sheri!
Can you use another part of the chicken to get the same results – boneless breast, I’m thinking? I don’t like dark meat.
Of course!
what wine do you use?
I used some leftover Sauvignon Blanc but Chardonnay or Chenin blanc would be great too.
how much of each herb do you add to make up the hand full ?
I used equal quantities but if you prefer one herb more than another, feel free to put more in.
It was very good, thanks!
I’m so pleased to hear that Sheena. Thanks for letting me know!
I’d like to make this for dinner tonight but I don’t have any heavy cream. Can you recommend a suitable substitution?
Mari, any cream would do. You could use yoghurt but take care not to allow it to boil as that will cause it to curdle.
You could but the end result won’t be as delicious without it.
I do not have cream…Can I make it with out it
I used Heavy cream.
What kind of cream do you
use?
This was deeeelish!!! Added some fresh basil as well and sopped the juices with crusty french bread…divine!
Wow… this was fantastic. Rich and creamy, but not too much so. The freshly chopped herbs really elevated the dish to another level. I served it with sugar snap peas sautéed in olive oil, garlic, fresh black peppercorn, and sea salt, with a butter leftover multigrain boule for grains. This one is certainly a keeper in my book! 🙂
It absolutely it! Thanks for the share!
Sounds like such a simple yet delicious recipe! Love it and just shared it on my blog in a post where I share my favorite recipe finds from the week : ))
I made this dish last night, it was really lovely! I put the chicken in the oven for a full hour though, as I thought the specified cooking time was maybe a bit short.
The sauce was FABULOUS with a crusty French loaf.
So glad you liked it Mari.
This looks really good. How much wine should I use with a whole chicken?
Adele, you could use the same amount but of course if you want more sauce, you could use more.