Easy Garlic Chicken

Chicken thighs are seared until golden and then finished in a creamy white wine garlic sauce. Serve alongside mashed or roasted potatoes, buttered orzo, or rice for a delicious dinner.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 5

Total Time 55

Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

1 large head garlic
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided use
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon stone ground mustard
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Separate the garlic cloves, then peel and roughly chop the cloves. Set aside.
1 large head garlic
Season the chicken on all sides with 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt.
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Place a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, carefully place the chicken in the pan. Allow to cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes, or until golden. Flip the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes on the second side. The chicken will not be cooked through.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Remove the chicken to a plate. Do not wipe out the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned.
2 tablespoons salted butter
Add the flour to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, then add the wine, both mustards, and the herbs. Whisk to combine, making sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ¾ cup dry white wine, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ tablespoon stone ground mustard, 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Whisk in the chicken stock, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Once the sauce is well combined, return the chicken to the pan, nestling the pieces into the sauce.
½ teaspoons fine sea salt, 1 ½ cups chicken stock, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat.
Stir the sauce and taste, adding additional salt and/or pepper if desired. Allow the chicken and sauce to rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to tighten up. In addition to being delicious on top of the chicken, the sauce is excellent with roasted or mashed potatoes, rice, orzo, etc.

Notes

Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used in place of thighs. Since white meat generally cooks faster than dark meat, the chicken may not need to bake as long, so start checking for doneness after about 15 minutes.
If you only have dry herbs on hand, use about 1/3 the amount in place of the fresh herbs since dry herbs are much more potent.
The wine can be omitted if necessary. If omitting, add the chicken stock along with the mustard and herbs.

Nutrition