This Lemon Butter Chicken is my absolute favorite recipe. It is a quick, one-pan dish full of flavor. It’s fabulous for a weekday meal, impress the in-laws or just having friends over. Anyone that appreciates flavors will want to jump knee-deep into this lemon garlic sauce.
I have made this a million times and it never disappoints! I’ve been cooking this recipe since it was posted on Damn Delicious in 2014. I prefer to use my cast iron skillet for this dish so I can handle business on the stovetop and go straight to the oven!
Pro Tip: When it comes to the sauce, you will want to drink it up with a straw. WAIT! I have decided to thicken it up into a more creamier sauce. It pairs perfectly over pasta or cauliflower rice. That is what I enjoy about this recipe – it is keto-friendly when I want it to be! I’ll place the added tips at the end of the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs with paprika, salt, and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; drain excess fat and set aside.
- Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, lemon juice and thyme.*
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat, stir in spinach, and simmer until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has slightly thickened about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
*THICKY CREAMY SAUCE: Between 4 & 5, scoop a cup of sauce into a cup. Add a tsp of cornstarch. Whisk together and return it so the pan. Leave it alone on medium-high heat. Watch it thicken! Then continue to Step 5!
