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Creamy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Creamy oven baked chicken thighs with a garlicky mushroom cream sauce that turns rich and thick in the oven. Bone-in, skin-on chicken is seared until golden, then baked until tender and cooked through with bubbling sauce at the edges.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 5 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Cream sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 0.5 onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 cup parmesan, grated
Serving
  • 1 Fresh parsley for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and season
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
  2. Keep the chicken at room temperature while the oven fully heats so the sear starts immediately.
Sear chicken
  1. Heat the butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the chicken skin-side down for 5-6 minutes until golden.
  2. Flip the chicken briefly, then remove it from the skillet to prevent overbrowning before baking.
Cook aromatics and mushrooms
  1. Sauté the diced onion in the same pan for 3 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms, then cook for 4 minutes until the mushrooms reduce and the garlic is fragrant.
Build cream sauce
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, then stir in Italian seasoning and dried thyme.
  2. Add the grated parmesan and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring until it thickens slightly.
Bake
  1. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in the sauce, then transfer the skillet to the oven.
  2. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400°F until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and is bubbling around the edges.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh parsley, then serve hot with the creamy mushroom sauce.

Notes

For the thickest sauce, simmer it briefly before baking so the parmesan starts melting and binding. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3-4 days; reheat gently in a covered skillet or microwave to avoid separating. Freezing is not recommended for best cream texture. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, knowing the sauce may be slightly less thick.