Garlic and mushroom skillet chicken with a layer of creamy decadence. This skillet chicken recipe has been one of my favorite dishes to eat as of late. The best part: perfectly crispy skin and loads of flavor.
If you’re looking for the perfect pairing for this recipe, then try my Lemon Caper Roasted Cauliflower Steaks, recipe!
Creamy dreamy garlic and mushroom skillet chicken you’re going to love
This garlic and mushroom skillet chicken recipe is easy-to-make and great for weeknight eats. It starts by cooking chicken thighs in a cast iron; achieving an exceptional crisp on the skin and thoroughly cooking the chicken thighs, followed by a luscious mushroom, garlic, and thyme sauce. The result: terrifically flavored chicken bathing in a creamy, garlic-forward sauce–it’s absolutely delicious.
Why you’ll love this skillet chicken recipe
- Crispy Skin That should be enough reason–who doesn’t like crispy chicken skin?
- Delicious Thyme and Garlic Flavor The balance of flavors from these two ingredients is robust and cannot be passed up.
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce That’s made of chicken broth, cream, garlic, thyme, and residual juices from tender chicken thighs.
Why should you use a cast-iron skillet for cooking meat?
Cast iron skillets are great conductors of heat and evenly distribute heat when cooking– making for the perfect pan for creating a beautiful and consistent crust on steaks and in this case, crispy chicken skin.
To achieve crispy skin, you must first heat the cast-iron pan until scorching hot. This can be done by heating the pan up in the oven or stovetop. A hot cast-iron pan will yield crispier skin.
How to cook chicken in a cast iron skillet:
- Heat the cast-iron over high heat for 3-4 minutes;
- Remove moisture from chicken skin using a paper towel, season chicken generously;
- Cook chicken, skin side first for 15 minutes, then flip and cook for another 15 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165°F;
- Remove chicken from cast-iron and place on plate;
- Proceed with making garlic thyme sauce.
Tips for making garlic and mushroom skillet chicken:
- Temper your meat Cooking chicken that’s straight from the fridge can result in drier chicken and uneven cooking. Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. This will temper the chicken, bringing its temperature closer to room temperature;
- Dry chicken skin = crispier chicken skin Pat chicken skin and rid it of any moisture. A drier surface will yield crispier skin;
- Do Not Disturb Try not to disrupt the chicken while cooking the skin side. If chicken seems stuck to the pan, this means the skin isn’t quite finished cooking yet;
- Mise en place is the French culinary phrase for setting up, or having all your ingredients cut, measured, and prepared before cooking, so as to make for an easier and organized cooking experience. Before you crank the stove on, make sure to have all of your ingredients ready so that it’s a simple add-stir-cook process for you;
- Healthy oils are your friend Add enough avocado oil so that the chicken doesn’t stick to the cast-iron pan;
- Scorch your cast-iron Get the cast iron pan really hot before adding chicken;
- Cook chicken a few degrees below ideal temp Cook chicken until you receive an internal thermometer reading of 155°F-160°F. 165°F is the ideal doneness temperature for chicken. If the thermometer reading is a few degrees lower, that’s okay, as the internal temperature will continue to increase by up to 10°F after cooking.
Tip:
- If you notice the skin side is begining to brown too quickly, adjust and lower heat. Golden brown skin is the goal.
What to serve with this skillet chicken?
Loving This garlic and mushroom skillet chicken recipe?
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Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thigh
- 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 7 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2½ cups cremini mushrooms, halved
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ¾ cup chicken bone broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
1. Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
2. Clean and pat dry chicken thighs. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and pepper.
3. Heat cast-iron over high heat for 3-4 minutes. You want the pan to be really hot before adding the chicken.
4. Add ghee or avocado oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a cast-iron skillet and lower to medium-heat. Carefully add chicken thighs, skin side down and cook for 15 minutes, do not move chicken around during this time. You want this side to be golden brown and skin nice and crispy. Flip and cook for another 15 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken internal temperature reading is 160°F. Once thoroughly cooked, remove from the pan and set aside to rest (the temperature will continue to rise at 165°F as it rests). If the skin begins to brown too quickly, lower heat.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add garlic cloves. Cook garlic for 1-2 mins stirring often until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 mins.
6. Add chicken broth, thyme, and garlic powder to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 mins or until the liquid has reduced.
7. Stir in cream and add adjust seasoning with kosher salt if necessary. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until sauce slightly reduces. Add chicken thighs back to the pan. Cook for 1 minute. Done! Serve hot.