Creamy Garlic Chicken Skillet
A weeknight chicken skillet with a pan sauce that stays glossy instead of breaking.
- Cuisine: American
- Dietary: Gluten Free
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
Method
- Pat the chicken dry, season it with salt and pepper, and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so it cooks evenly.
- Heat the skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, and sear the chicken until deeply browned on both sides.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the butter and garlic, and cook just until the garlic smells sweet instead of sharp.
- Pour in the stock and scrape the skillet to release the browned bits, then stir in the cream and thyme.
- Return the chicken to the pan, simmer until the sauce lightly thickens, and cook until the chicken reaches 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the parmesan, and rest the skillet for 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe is built for repeatability, not speed gimmicks. Chicken thighs give you a wider margin before drying out, and the sauce is intentionally finished off the heat so the parmesan thickens without turning grainy.
Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles. If you want a lighter finish, replace 1/4 cup of the cream with extra stock and reduce the sauce a little longer before adding the cheese.