Pan fried chicken thighs are coated in a rich garlic mushroom cream sauce with the right amount of seasoning and herbs.
This is a budget-friendly recipe is ready in 30 minutes!
This chicken thighs recipe is one of our family’s favorites. Try our chicken drumsticks, air fryer fried chicken next.
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Ingredients
- Chicken thighs - with skin on and bone-in. This part of the chicken is well, very forgiving! Even if you don't eat the skin, I highly recommend cooking the chicken with the skin on in this recipe. The skin protects the chicken from drying out.
- Mushrooms - cremini mushrooms, also called baby Bella or baby portobello are what I used. Or you use Portobello, Shiitake, Crimini, White or Chanterelle, Morel, Oyster, and Porcini.
- Cream - for the richest and thickest sauce use heavy cream of at least 35% fat.
- Dried Italian seasoning/herbs - we like Italian herbs as they give a good twist and match the creamy garlic mushroom sauce to a T.
- Garlic - don’t skip this! Browned garlic cooked with mushrooms adds the needed richness and complexity to the sauce and helps the mushrooms become flavorful.
- Parmesan cheese - feel free to double up the parmesan cheese or add a generous pinch or two when serving individual portions of the chicken thighs.
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
How To Make Pan Fried Chicken Thighs
STEP 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs well.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on all sides.
STEP 2: Coat chicken thighs in cornstarch in a large bowl or plate, shaking off any excess to enhance crispiness and reduce mess during searing in a hot skillet.
Look for thighs that are uniform in size so they all cook the same.
STEP 3: In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and sear chicken thighs for 6 minutes on each side until the exterior crisps up and turns golden brown.
STEP 4: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid and cook the chicken for an additional 12 minutes or until a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 F.
Set the chicken aside on a plate.
STEP 5: Make the sauce. In the same skillet melt the butter, and add the sliced mushrooms.
Cook constantly stirring for about 4 minutes and add Italian herbs and garlic.
Make sure the garlic gets lightly browned.
Cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and simmer for 3 minutes.
Make sure the heat is on medium-low and slowly pour in the cream.
Let the cream simmer for a minute or so before adding the parmesan. Stir the sauce until the parmesan is melted and the sauce thickens.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and black pepper accordingly.
STEP 6: Return the cooked chicken thighs and coat them in the sauce.
Let them simmer on low for 3-5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and more parmesan.
- Related: Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Tips
- Heavy cream can be substituted with evaporated milk, but the sauce may be thinner. To thicken it, add a water-cornstarch slurry (about 2 tablespoons each) at the end, stirring on medium heat to avoid curdling.
- Searing the chicken is necessary for not only keeping the chicken inside juicy and not dried out but also adding rich and caramelized buttery flavor.
- I also recommend adding only a little salt as you go along, once you add the cheese to the creamy sauce taste for seasoning again and adjust where necessary.
What To Serve With Pan Fried Chicken Thighs
- Grains & starches: pasta, rice, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
- Veggies: roasted asparagus, air fryer broccoli and air fryer cauliflower.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Keep the chicken thighs in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze. For up to 3 months. Let chicken thighs thaw fully in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- For reheating, do it over the stovetop (my go-to method) or microwave.
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Recipe
Pan Fried Chicken Thighs With Mushrooms
INGREDIENTS
- 6 chicken thighs skin on, bone-in
- 9 oz. cremini mushrooms or any brown mushrooms of choice, sliced medium thick
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, avocado, or canola
- 1 tablespoon butter, salted
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian herbs blend
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Fresh parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs well.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on all sides.
- On a large plate coat the chicken thighs in cornstarch. Shake off/discard any leftover cornstarch on the plate.
- In a large nonstick skillet heat cooking oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot sear the chicken thighs for 6 minutes on both sides. The exterior should crisp up and become golden brown.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid and cook the chicken for an additional 12 minutes or until a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 F. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet melt the butter, and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook constantly stirring for about 4 minutes and add Italian herbs and garlic. Cook for additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and simmer for 3 minutes. Make sure the heat is on medium-low and slowly pour in the cream. Let the cream simmer for a minute or so before adding the parmesan. Stir the sauce until the parmesan is melted and the sauce thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and black pepper accordingly.
- Return the cooked chicken thighs and coat in the sauce. Let them simmer in the sauce for 3-5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and more parmesan.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
FAQs
We like to cook the mushrooms down with butter and oil and browned garlic until mushrooms become nicely golden brown. For the most flavor, cook off all water that mushrooms release.
To know when your chicken thighs are done cooking is simple. Insert a kitchen thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and wait until it registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Avoid washing or soaking mushrooms before cooking, as they release excess water during the cooking process. Instead, quickly rinse and gently wipe them to remove dirt. If some areas remain dirty, use a small sharp knife to peel off the affected parts.
Chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks are considered dark chicken meat. This meat is usually more tender and juicy than the white chicken meat.
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Julia
Incredibly creamy and juicy chicken thighs smothered in garlicky mushroom sauce.
Debra Baker
Thank You So Very Much, for sharing this awesome recipe! I can’t wait to make this for my family! We Love chicken thighs and mushrooms too! I just know that I’ll have rave reviews after serving this wonderful meal! Thanks again, Debbe’
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Debra, I hope your family loves it as much as we do!
Edie
I would love to try this I wonder if it can be made with boneless skinless or at least boneless thighs or chicken breast
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Yes you can use that, just don't overcook the chicken
Vivian Cannon
in hospital so hungry !!!!! lol can't wait to make this soon !!!!! love me some mushrooms!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
mushrooms are so good right!
BETTI
What can I sub for the corn starch as I am on Keto. Would Almond flour or Coconut flour do the trick? Sounds yummy and everything else works for keto.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
I'm not sure with those two flours, and for this recipe you can leave the cornstarch out. Cook the chicken as it is, you just won't have that crisp exterior cornstarch helps to achieve.