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Creamy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Creamy oven baked chicken thighs with golden, crispy skin and a silky garlic cream sauce that bubbles thickly around the chicken as it bakes. This easy chicken thighs recipe uses a quick sear, then finishes in the oven for a weeknight-ready chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs Use evenly sized thighs so they finish at the same time.
Seasoning
  • Salt Season generously on all sides.
  • pepper Season generously on all sides.
  • garlic powder Season generously on all sides.
  • smoked paprika Season generously on all sides.
  • Italian seasoning Season generously on all sides.
Searing and sauce base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Herbs
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Fresh parsley for garnish Scatter just before serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and season
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the chicken skin-side down for 6-7 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crispy.
  2. Flip the chicken and sear for 3 more minutes, then remove the thighs to a plate.
Make the garlic cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Add the chicken broth and deglaze, stirring to lift the browned bits from the pan.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, dried Italian seasoning, and dried thyme until the mixture looks smooth and evenly combined.
Bake
  1. Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up into the cream sauce so the sauce pools around them.
  2. Bake uncovered for 25-28 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the sauce is thickened and bubbly.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Notes

For the thickest sauce, let the cream mixture be fully blended before baking, and keep the dish uncovered so it reduces and bubbles around the thighs. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently at 300°F just until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can break when thawed. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, expecting a slightly thinner sauce.