On any given weeknight, a simple chicken recipe like my creamy garlic chicken skillet is my go-to choice. For some reason, even with all of my picky family members’ different tastes, they all love this dish. I make it with chicken thighs so you know they stay juicy without getting dry from the bake. I also throw in some bacon, tomatoes, spinach and a bomb cream sauce. I sometimes can’t even believe how easy this recipe is given how dang on good it tastes. Serve over my garlic mashed potatoes and double up the delish garlic flavor.
How to Make this Garlic Chicken Skillet
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Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the bacon down on the pan in a single layer. Cook, flipping once, until fully cooked and crisp.
Step 3: Lower the heat to medium, removing the pan from heat for a minute or so if it’s smoking. Add the chicken thighs to the pan skin side down and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5-8 more minutes, or until fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan. Set aside.
Step 4: Add the onion and tomatoes and cook until the onions are tender and translucent and the tomatoes are slightly blistered, about 4-7minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, constantly stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the cream of chicken, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and spinach to the pan. Mix to combine and continue to cook until the spinach is wilted and tender. Add in the parmesan cheese. Allow the sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce.
Step 6: Add the crumbled bacon and cooked chicken back into the pan; sprinkle with chili pepper flakes (if using), and spoon the sauce over each chicken thigh. Add the skillet to the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through
Creamy Garlic Chicken Skillet Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone in and skin on
- kosher salt and fresh cracker pepper
- 4 thick-cut bacon slices
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves minced or finely sliced
- 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 3 cup baby spinach
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
- red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the bacon down on the pan in a single layer. Cook, flipping once, until fully cooked and crisp.
- Lower the heat to medium, removing the pan from heat for a minute or so if it’s smoking. Add the chicken thighs to the pan skin side down and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 5-8 more minutes, or until fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan. Set aside.
- Add the onion and tomatoes and cook until the onions are tender and translucent and the tomatoes are slightly blistered, about 4-7minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, constantly stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream of chicken, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and spinach to the pan. Mix to combine and continue to cook until the spinach is wilted and tender. Add in the parmesan cheese. Allow the sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce.
- Add the crumbled bacon and cooked chicken back into the pan; sprinkle with chili pepper flakes (if using), and spoon the sauce over each chicken thigh.
- Add the skillet to the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through then serve over pasta, rice or steamed veggies and enjoy.
Notes
HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER CHICKEN THIGHS
Reheating creamy garlic chicken is pretty simple. Honestly, most of the time I just zap it in the microwave until nice and hot. This method will alter the texture of the chicken a bit though. You can also preheat the oven to 350 and place the chicken in an oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Dry Really Well: A great sear and brown color on your chicken depends on your drying the chicken with paper towels really well. If the chicken is still wet, it will steam and not get that nice color and flavor. And start skin down.
- Chicken Thighs without skin and bone: If you want to keep that juiciness intact, I would suggest not going boneless or skinless.
- Taste Before Bake: Give your sauce a good taste before you put the skillet in the oven. Adjust it for flavor how you like it.
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More Easy Chicken Recipes!
- Lemon Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Blackened Chicken Enchiladas
- Curry Chicken
- Southern Baked Chicken
- Chicken Parmesan
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This recipe was so good. Everyone loved it and wants it repeated.
YAY! So happy to hear that!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!! It came out perfectly as written! We enjoyed it this evening, had it with Jamine Rice and fresh steamed green beans. Perfect in every way. Lot of leftovers for us!!! Neither of us can wait for tomorrow, lol!
I am going to bake a nice artisan bread tomorrow to go with it.
This recipe is OUTSTANDING! I made it with tagliatelle pasta for my husband and he LOVED it! I had mine as it is since I’m doing keto and it was fantastic! Definitely adding this to my recipe collection.
This chicken recipe was delicious and easy to make. I paired it with ziti pasta. My husband loved it. Thank you for a great weeknight recipe!!
This is such a simple recipe but packed full of flavour. Perfect for busy weeknights.
The chicken indeed was super creamy and paired wonderfully with my basmati rice! Thanks
This looks really good, woah! Will try this tomorrow night with my mommah!
This was delicious! We really enjoyed both making and eating it!
We love this skillet garlic chicken. It’s so easy and my kids love it!