This easy one pan dinner of creamy lemon chicken thighs is baked in the oven after we get the thighs nice and crispy in the skillet. The creamy lemon sauce with spinach is amazing!
Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.
I love making these easy one skillet meals. This Creamy Lemon Chicken Thighs Recipe combines the juiciest chicken thighs with an amazing creamy lemon butter sauce. The sauce also has spinach for a greens boost!
I love to cook with chicken thighs because they are economical, and they are the most delicious part of the chicken.
Some other chicken thigh recipes you may like include my No Mess Crispy Chicken Thighs, Chicken Thighs with Creamed Spinach, and Instant Pot Chicken Thighs.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN THIGHS
This recipe starts off by seasoning our chicken thighs with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Smoked paprika is one of my favorite seasonings so you will find it in several of my recipes. You can find it in most major grocery stores.
Now we heat avocado oil in the largest skillet you own. If you do not have a large enough skillet for 6 chicken thighs, you can cook them in batches then transfer everything to a casserole dish before baking in the oven.
Sear both sides of the chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Once they are nice and golden brown, remove the chicken thighs from the skillet onto a plate and set aside. Drain the excess fat from the skillet as well.
Now we can make our sauce for the creamy lemon chicken thighs!
This sauce is like a flavor punch to your mouth. It is so delicious!
Reduce the heat to medium low and melt the butter in the pan. Add in the garlic, cream cheese, and parmesan. Stir for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Now add in the lemon juice, thyme, and chicken broth. Whisk to combine all of these ingredients and let simmer for a few minutes.
Now we stir in the frozen chopped spinach.
Add the chicken thighs back to the skillet and bake in the oven until an internal meat thermometer reads 165F...about 20 minutes.
When you remove from the oven, you will see this deliciousness...
And when you cut into one of the chicken thighs, you will be greeted with the most amazing juicy chicken
Watch the video below where Jennifer will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Thighs
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil (Click here for my favorite brand on Amazon)
- 6 Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken Thighs
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ Cup Grated Parmesan
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Cup Frozen chopped spinach
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Season skin side of the chicken thighs with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place each chicken thigh in the skillet skin side down. Season the other side of the chicken with smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Sear both sides of the chicken thighs, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside. Drain excess fat from the pan.
- Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium and add the butter. Add in the minced garlic, cream cheese, and parmesan. Stir until the cheeses are almost melted and add in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and thyme.
- Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes to let reduce a bit. Stir in the spinach and add the chicken back to the pan.
- Place the skillet in the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check for a temperature of 165F. This should take about 20 minutes.
- Serve chicken thighs with spoonfuls of sauce.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
JENNIFER'S TIPS
- If you do not have a large enough skillet for 6 chicken thighs, you can cook them in batches then transfer everything to a casserole dish before baking in the oven.
Ricky says
Love your channel as your recipes are always straightforward and taste great. Making this today it looks so tasty, does it freeze well?
Annette Bermack says
Made this but had to change it up a bit. I pan fried thighs in pan and then moved them into oven to continue cooking while I cooked sauce and veggies. Added diced onions and fresh green beans as I didn't have spinach. Then put chicken back in sauce and cooked for additional 15 monutes. Doubled lemon and garlic. Was so good. Will make again but want to use spinach this time
Stephanie W says
This was so delicious and pretty easy to make. The whole family enjoyed it which is a hard feat in a house with picky eaters! The only thing that I will do different is cook the sauce in a separate pot and add the sauce the last 10 minutes or so. My thighs were thick and required 25 minutes to cook and the sauce was burnt a little. It was still great though!
Jennifer says
Super good...I tripled the recipe and added extra lemon. My whole family loved it.
Julianne says
I made this recipe for the third time this weekend. It is fantastic! Flavors are bold and tangy.
Christine says
Insanely good! Definitely a keeper that everyone can enjoy. Thanks for making keto and low carb do-able. Your recipes are fantastic!
MaryJane says
Can I do this in my Instant Pot?
jenniferbanz says
Cream really gets yucky in the instant pot. I wouldn't recommend it.
Christine says
I made the thighs in the instant pot by using sauté function, then cook on manual for 8 min, rest 5 min, then release pressure. I moved to stovetop to make the spinach and sauce and then just nestled the cooked thighs in the skillet and served. Chicken was perfect-not at all dry and I didn’t have to heat the oven in the hot summer.
Patricia Collins says
Oh my goodness yummy! Made it tonight for dinner!!!
Krisanne says
I made this and thanks it was delicious will do again as that sauce is just so good.
Cheers
Pam McIlroy says
My husband and I LOVED this recipe! I think we'll be making this weekly it was so good! I happen to love tangy foods and with a whole lemon in this recipe it is yummy for my taste buds. Thanks Jennifer!
jenniferbanz says
Tangy foods are my favorite too! So glad you liked the recipe!
Kelly S. says
Wow, I can't believe how much I loved this sauce! I used breasts because my daughter refuses to eat thighs.. And substituted basil for the thyme. Oh also added kale because I was low on spinach and it was delicious. I'll double the sauce next time so I have extra for veggies!! This is my new fave chicken recipe. Thank you Jennifer!
Suzy says
Can't get enough of the lemon sauce on the chicken! Adds so much flavor!
Aimee Shugarman says
These look amazing. Can't wait to try them soon.
Julianna says
What can I use in place of avocado oil?
jenniferbanz says
You could use any oil that you prefer or just more butter
Eleni says
This was delicious, will become a staple in my keto lifestyle rotation. I didn’t change a thing. Thank you so much!
jenniferbanz says
So glad you liked the recipe!