Pan seared chicken thighs with garlic gravy are the solution to all your ho hum chicken and gravy problems. Perfectly seasoned, seared chicken simmered in a garlic herb gravy makes all your dinner dreams come true- especially since it’s easy enough for any level of home cook to accomplish!
Are you craving chicken and gravy?
Do you shy away from it because it seems hard, or at least out of your comfort zone?
Don’t walk, run toward the light I’m shining in your chicken and gravy darkness because this recipe is quite possibly the best thing that’s ever happened with poultry in your kitchen.
We’re talking a simple comfort food dinner seasoned chicken swimming in a rich, thick gravy with savory bulbs of golden garlic and notes of thyme.
It’s a meal fit for a king or at the very least elegant enough to entertain with, and easy enough to grace any supper table.
Even if you are a total kitchen beginner.
I’m going to break down everything you need to get and do to make this simple, cozy meal.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Canola oil– You can use another light colored oil if you prefer.
- Chicken thighs– Boneless, skinless and sheared of most fat
- Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
- Garlic– Use fresh garlic bulbs and separate and peel all the cloves.
- Flour– To thicken the gravy
- White wine– You can use your favorite white wine that you drink or even white cooking wine.
- Chicken broth– Don’t substitute for another kind of broth.
- Thyme– Use the dried stuff.
- Butter– Stir it in at the end to make the gravy super silky.
How to Make
This chicken dinner is the perfect beginner friendly chicken recipe.
To make it, rinse the pieces of chicken and use paper towels to dry them completely.
Put the dried thighs onto a plate or platter and liberally salt and pepper both sides of each piece.
Then, add the oil to a dutch oven or cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat.
When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook about 8 minutes, turning often to prevent both burning and sticking, until all the pieces have been nicely seared on each side.
Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pan and transfer it to another clean plate or platter.
Set aside.
Turn the heat down to just under medium, and add in the garlic.
Cook, stirring often, just until the garlic’s begun to brown.
Once the garlic has started to brown, whisk in the flour until evenly combined and the gravy’s smooth.
Transfer the chicken back to the pan, cover, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, place on a burner over medium high heat, and remove the chicken to another clean plate or platter.
Stir the wine into the gravy and let the gravy simmer for about a minute.
Then, stir in the broth, thyme, and salt and pepper until everything is evenly incorporated.
Reduce the heat so the gravy is just at a simmer and continue cooking until it thickens.
Once the gravy is thick, stir in the butter.
When the butter has melted, return the chicken to the pot to heat back up.
Serve chicken over a bed or warm white rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Spoon the gravy and garlic over top.
Enjoy!
What can I use instead of chicken thighs?
Don’t like chicken thighs or don’t have them on hand?
Substitute drumsticks! They taste very similar and cook in about the same amount of time.
You could substitute chicken breasts if you prefer but keep in mind the end result may not be quite as juicy since the chicken breasts are leaner than thighs.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheat in an oven safe dish in a warm oven until heated through. Thin the gravy with more broth if needed.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you use an oven safe pan. Do not use a nonstick pan! You won’t be able to transfer it to the oven.
- When cooking the garlic, make sure you stir it pretty frequently so it doesn’t burn. If it burns, it will turn bitter.
- Don’t skip patting the chicken dry. It helps it get a nice, golden sear on the outside that you won’t get if you don’t dry it.
Other Chicken Thigh Recipes
This pan seared chicken thighs with garlic gravy is my favorite way to enjoy a classic combination. Make it the next time you want easy, elegant comfort food.
Looking for other chicken thigh recipes? Try these:
- Southern Smothered Chicken
- Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Easy Herb & Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Pan Fried Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy
If you’ve tried these PAN SEARED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GARLIC GRAVY, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Pan Seared Chicken Thighs with Garlic Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs sheared of most fat
- freshly ground sea salt & black pepper
- 3 garlic bulbs separated and all cloves peeled
- 2 tbsp flour
- 3/4 cup white cooking wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- scant teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Rinse the pieces of chicken, use paper towels to dry them completely, and transfer them to a plate or platter. Liberally salt & pepper each piece.
- Add the oil to a dutch oven, or cast iron skillet, and heat over medium high heat. When hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook about 8 minutes, turning often to prevent both burning and sticking, until all the pieces have been nicely seared on each side.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pan and transfer it to another clean plate or platter. Set aside.
- Turn the heat down to just a hair under medium, and add in the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the garlic's begun to brown- about 2-4 minutes. Whisk in the flour until evenly combined and the gravy's smooth.
- Transfer the chicken back to the pan, cover, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, place on a burner over medium high heat, and remove the chicken to another clean plate or platter (last time, I promise).
- Add the wine, and stirring often, let the gravy simmer for about a minute. Add the broth, thyme, and salt & pepper, to taste. Stirring, so that everything's evenly incorporated, reduce the gravy to a simmer and continue cooking until thickened.
- Stir in the butter. Once completely melted and the gravy's smooth, return the chicken to the pot to heat back up.
- Serve chicken over a bed or warm white rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Spoon the gravy and garlic over top
Notes
- Make sure you use an oven safe pan. Do not use a nonstick pan! You won't be able to transfer it to the oven.
- When cooking the garlic, make sure you stir it pretty frequently so it doesn't burn. If it burns, it will turn bitter.
- Don't skip patting the chicken dry. It helps it get a nice, golden sear on the outside that you won't get if you don't dry it.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Seasons and Suppers
Leave a Reply