Creamy Garlic Spinach Chicken Thighs

I know I have talked about chicken thighs before but I remain amazed that I was so blind to how economical and delicious that they could be.  This recipe is my daughter’s absolute favorite.  I think if she had her way we would have this every week.  The sauce is so good we serve this with mashed potatoes and pour it over them like gravy. 

I think that what I like most about this recipe is the fact that it is a really satisfying meal.  It is pretty healthy too.  Chicken thighs don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts do and the fact that you can get them boneless and skinless is a total bonus for me.  If you have bone in, skin on chicken thighs they can be used as well. 

The first step is to preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Generously sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken thighs in a skillet.  Once browned, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and move them into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes to finish cooking.

The brown bits in left over after browning the chicken thighs add a depth of flavor to the sauce.  Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and saute the garlic just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the chicken broth into the skillet and scrape up all of those delicious brown bits while the chicken broth heats up.  Slowly add the cream, whisking as you add it and bring it up to a simmer.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan,  Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour so that you get a thick paste.  This step takes less than two minutes and totally transforms the sauce.  If you are following a Ketogenic diet, almond flour may be substituted. Once it comes together, transfer it to the skillet and whisk it in to the chicken broth and cream. 

The sauce will thicken almost immediately with the addition of the flour and butter mixture.  Whisk it until it is all thickened to your liking.  The longer it stays on the heat, the thicker it will become.

When the sauce is the desired consistency, reduce the heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste and then add the chopped spinach.  Give it a few stirs and the spinach will wilt down.  The sauce is now complete. 

Leave the sauce on low until the chicken is cooked through and ready to serve.  Spoon over the chicken prior to serving.  We serve this with mashed potatoes and the sauce is very good on those too.  Enjoy!

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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Garlic Spinach Chicken Thighs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken, Chicken Thighs, Dinner, garlic, Keto, Sauce, Spinach

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken thighs boneless, skinless or bone in, skin on
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil divided
• 2 tsp minced garlic 3 medium cloves
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups spinach chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour use almond flour for Keto version

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Generously sprinkle salt and pepper all over chicken thighs.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then brown chicken thighs in oil, about 3-4 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from skillet and place onto a lightly greased baking sheet and then place into preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
• In the meantime, add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet and saute garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add chicken stock to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up all of the brown bits. Slowly whisk in cream and allow to simmer.
• In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter and add the flour, whisking until combined. This makes a thick paste.
• Whisk butter and flour mixture into the skillet to thicken the sauce.
• Once thickened, add chopped spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until chicken is finished in the oven.
• Pour sauce over chicken to serve. We serve this with mashed potatoes and pour the sauce on that too. Enjoy!