Garlic Sauce Chicken Thighs

4.66 from 26 votes
Pin RecipeJump to RecipeComments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Bone-in chicken thighs, pan-seared to perfection and served with a great garlic and wine sauce.

spooning garlic sauce over pan-seared chicken thighs.


 

Pan-Seared Bone-In Chicken Thighs

As passionate food lovers, we adore a good chicken dish, but the Pan-Seared Bone-in Chicken holds a special place in our hearts. It has rightly earned its title as our most cherished chicken recipe, now and for eternity. Indeed, it’s a culinary blessing worthy of an ‘Amen.’ 🙏

This magnificent dish represents an exquisite blend of juicy, bone-in chicken thighs and a rich, fragrant garlic sauce, perfectly seared on the stovetop to create a dang delicious dinner. If you’ve been searching for the ideal stovetop chicken recipe, search no more – this is the one for you!

Overhead shot of three bone-in skin-on chicken thighs cooking in a garlic sauce with a rosemary sprig on top of the chicken.

Why do we hold such a confident promise for this recipe? Just take a glance at the glowing reviews in the comments section below. They provide a testament to the deliciousness of this recipe, filled with satisfied home cooks who’ve experienced the wonderful flavors this bone-in chicken recipe has to offer. 😉 OR, serve them this Garlic Yogurt Baked Chicken, which is also ah.may.zing!

I also served some of those Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza, aaaaand Lemon Cheesecake Crescent Rolls. We LOVED all of it!

Cooking whole garlic cloves in a skillet with vegetable oil.

How To Cook Bone-in Chicken Thighs

  • Heat up the vegetable oil and melt the butter in a deep, large skillet.
  • Meanwhile, season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and them to the skillet; cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, and remove from the pan.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, frequently stirring, trying not to burn the garlic.
  • Pour in the wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add in the rosemary and parsley, then return the chicken to the skillet.
  • Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove from heat, spoon the garlic sauce over the chicken, and serve.
Cooking bone in skin on chicken thighs in a large skillet.
close up shot of chicken thighs cooking in a skillet.

Tips and Tricks for Garlic Sauce Chicken Thighs

  • Feel free to use more garlic if you want, but not less than what I’ve recommended. 🙃
  • Also, bring out the best white wine that you got because this chicken is all about the garlic and the wine. They go hand in hand. It’s like garlic-infused-wine-chicken-something. It’s delicious.
  • Use a deep skillet large enough to fit 4 chicken thighs without crowding the pan.
  • You always want to start cooking the skin first, then flip over and brown the other side.
  • Please do not move the chicken around while it’s cooking; flip it when there isn’t much resistance. If you feel like the chicken is stuck to the pan, don’t force it. Give it a minute or two, and then flip it over.
Overhead shot of four chicken thighs in garlic sauce, with a garnish of a rosemary sprig and chopped parsley.

So, if you’re ready to try out a dish that’s got an army of food lovers behind it, why not give this Pan-Seared Garlic Sauce Bone-in Chicken recipe a whirl? With every bite, you’ll understand why it has taken a permanent place at the top of our favorite chicken recipes list. Happy cooking!

ENJOY!

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It
4.66 from 26 votes

Garlic Sauce Chicken Thighs

Pan-seared chicken thighs prepared with an incredible wine and garlic sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
  • 1 whole bulb garlic,, peeled, cloves separated
  • 1 cup dry white wine,, use a wine that you like
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Heat oil and butter in a large skillet.
  • Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and transfer them to the skillet.
  • Cooking over medium heat, brown the chicken on both sides; about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
  • Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  • Add garlic cloves to the skillet and cook, frequently stirring, until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not burn the garlic.
  • Carefully add wine to the skillet.
  • Stir in the parsley and add a sprig of rosemary; continue to stir and scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Add the chicken back to the skillet.
  • Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through cooking. Add a couple of tablespoons of wine – you can also use chicken broth – if it looks too dry when you turn over the chicken.
  • Remove from heat; transfer the chicken to a serving dish, and spoon the garlic sauce over the chicken.
  • Serve.

Notes

  • Feel free to add extra garlic, but not less than suggested. This dish hinges on garlic and good white wine, a match made in culinary heaven.
  • Use a skillet that comfortably holds four chicken thighs. Start by cooking the skin-side first, then flip to brown the other side. Avoid moving the chicken while cooking; flip it only when it releases easily from the pan. If it sticks, wait a minute or two, then try flipping again.
  • Serve this chicken with a side of vegetables and/or pasta.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5pounds | Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating

More Recipes for Company

4.66 from 26 votes (13 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating:




65 Comments

  1. Lisa @ Panning The Globe says:

    This is such a wow of a recipe! I’m not waiting for company to make this – making it asap! Thanks for the great recipe!

  2. Vee says:

    Hi
    The garlic cloves … Do you slice them or throw in whole? And if you add mushrooms whe would you add these? Could I also add onions to this? Thanks

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      Hi Vee!

      Use whole cloves, but you can also slice them in half, if you want to.
      You can add the onions together with the garlic, maybe even a minute before adding in the garlic. (see step 5 in the recipe)
      I would add the mushrooms when returning the browned chicken to the skillet. (see step 8 in the recipe)
      Hope that helps!

  3. Renee @ Tortillas and Honey says:

    I made this chicken last week and it was amazing! It loved that it was simple and didn’t have a lot of ingredients but there was such a great depth of flavor. I will be making this time and time again!

  4. Josephine says:

    Would love to make this, but kids do not like chicken pieces.. Only Breasts!
    Can I use chicken breasts and how would I cook?
    Thank you!

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      Hi Josephine! You can definitely use chicken breasts and just follow the recipe as is.
      So to avoid overcooking, I would start checking the chicken breasts around the 15-minute mark, after you’ve put the lid on the pan. If you have a meat thermometer, use that to see if chicken is done. Thermometer should read about 170F. I hope this helps!

  5. Jill says:

    So are they boneless or bone-in thighs? In one comment it says you bought boneless, and in another it says you used bone-in (because your mom said ๐Ÿ™‚ ). Just wondering which is better to use, and the cook time usually varies. Thanks!!

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      Hi Jill! I am pretty sure this was with boneless thighs, but I may have answered otherwise because I get the same question repeatedly on another recipe where I did use bone-in… I may have answered it thinking it was the other recipe. Big OOPS! My apologies, please!
      I think bone-in is always tastier, but boneless is easier to eat. ๐Ÿ™‚ I use Perdue’s suggestions on how long to cook chicken and chicken parts. With bone-in, they suggest about 2 to 3 minutes longer.

  6. Madeline says:

    I made this today and it was delicious! Loved the sauce! I added a red bell pepper, mushrooms and Casareccia pasta to finish it off. Oh, and some chili fakes to give it a bit more flavour.

  7. Ellie says:

    This looks absolutely wonderful! Just a few questions though. If you bought skinless boneless thighs, did you cut the bones out? The picture almost looks like you de-boned the chicken and cut it up into large pieces. Also, Do you think I could add button mushrooms in the last few minutes of cooking? Finally, what would you recommend serving it with? I think green beans would be delicious but I can’t decide between mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or rice!

    Again, thank you so much for this recipe. I LOVE garlic, cooking with wine, rosemary, and chicken thighs (it’s like this recipe was meant for me). Can’t wait to try it!

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      Hi Ellie!!

      I bought and used boneless thighs for the recipe. They come 6 in a package, usually. You can absolutely add some mushrooms. In fact, my husband likes this with mushrooms so I can definitely tell you that it tastes great with them. I would serve it with roasted potatoes! YUM! Let me know how it all turns out! ๐Ÿ™‚ Have a great weekend!

  8. Patty says:

    Katerina, from the picture, it looks as if you cooked the chicken with the skins on. Yes? I’m trying this tomorrow night. Thanks!!!

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      Hi Patty!! Yes, I did leave the skins on. It’s delicious! Enjoy! :))

  9. Ann P says:

    So Yummy. I had to change a few ingredients due to a snow storm. I used tarragon instead of the Rosemary. Also added 2 tablespoons of butter and half a lemon. Butter made a silky sauce. Such a good recipe. Thanks

  10. KRISTEN says:

    WOWZA!! THIS LOOKS DELICIOUS! CAN’T WAIT TO TRY ๐Ÿ™‚