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    Home » Recipes » Chicken

    Published: May 1, 2019 · Modified: Oct 15, 2023 by Jennifer Banz· 21 Comments

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Thighs

    Servings: 6
    |
    Cals: 341
    |
    Fat:
    |
    Carbs:
    |
    Fiber:
    |
    Protein:
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    Time: 50 minutes mins
    Jump to Recipe Pin for Later

    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!

    creamy lemon chicken thighs in a skillet

    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.

    chicken thighs seasoned with smoked paprika

    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.

    chicken thighs being seared in a large skillet

    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.

    frozen spinach in a creamy lemon butter sauce

    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...

    creamy lemon chicken thighs in a yellow skillet

    And when you cut into one of the chicken thighs, you will be greeted with the most amazing juicy chicken

    a piece of creamy lemon chicken cut open

    creamy lemon chicken thighs in a yellow skillet

    Creamy Lemon Chicken Thighs

    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!  
    2 Net Carbs 
    5 from 12 votes
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 341
    Author: Jennifer Banz

    This post may contain affiliate links

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
    • 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

    Equipment

    • Meat Thermometer (Click here for the one I like best on Amazon

    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.  

    Notes

    Nutrition for ⅙th of recipe: 341 calories / 28g fat / 9g sat fat / 2g carbs / 21g protein
     
    • 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.  
    Servings: 6

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 341

    Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.

    Keyword :easy chicken thigh recipe, gluten free, recipe for lemon chicken

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      Recipe Reviews




    1. Norma says

      November 16, 2023 at 7:45 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe! Wonderful flavors; balance of ingredients is perfect. I appreciated that the amount of cream cheese was enough to give great flavor but not so much as to make it super heavy as is often the case with many keto/low carb recipes. Husband said it was "excellent" and is still talking about it!

      Reply
    2. Ricky says

      February 21, 2022 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      Love your channel as your recipes are always straightforward and taste great. Making this today it looks so tasty, does it freeze well?

      Reply
    3. Annette Bermack says

      March 07, 2021 at 5:11 pm

      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

      Reply
    4. Stephanie W says

      February 02, 2021 at 11:01 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    5. Jennifer says

      January 25, 2021 at 9:24 pm

      5 stars
      Super good...I tripled the recipe and added extra lemon. My whole family loved it.

      Reply
    6. Julianne says

      September 07, 2020 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      I made this recipe for the third time this weekend. It is fantastic! Flavors are bold and tangy.

      Reply
    7. Christine says

      August 27, 2020 at 9:17 pm

      Insanely good! Definitely a keeper that everyone can enjoy. Thanks for making keto and low carb do-able. Your recipes are fantastic!

      Reply
    8. MaryJane says

      May 17, 2020 at 6:22 pm

      Can I do this in my Instant Pot?

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        May 20, 2020 at 10:02 am

        Cream really gets yucky in the instant pot. I wouldn't recommend it.

        Reply
      • Christine says

        August 27, 2020 at 9:19 pm

        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.

        Reply
    9. Patricia Collins says

      April 06, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness yummy! Made it tonight for dinner!!!

      Reply
    10. Krisanne says

      October 16, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      5 stars
      I made this and thanks it was delicious will do again as that sauce is just so good.

      Cheers

      Reply
    11. Pam McIlroy says

      May 24, 2019 at 10:14 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        May 24, 2019 at 10:23 am

        Tangy foods are my favorite too! So glad you liked the recipe!

        Reply
    12. Kelly S. says

      May 18, 2019 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    13. Suzy says

      May 14, 2019 at 7:51 am

      5 stars
      Can't get enough of the lemon sauce on the chicken! Adds so much flavor!

      Reply
    14. Aimee Shugarman says

      May 14, 2019 at 7:38 am

      5 stars
      These look amazing. Can't wait to try them soon.

      Reply
    15. Julianna says

      May 02, 2019 at 10:52 pm

      What can I use in place of avocado oil?

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        May 03, 2019 at 3:15 pm

        You could use any oil that you prefer or just more butter

        Reply
    16. Eleni says

      May 02, 2019 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious, will become a staple in my keto lifestyle rotation. I didn’t change a thing. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • jenniferbanz says

        May 03, 2019 at 3:15 pm

        So glad you liked the recipe!

        Reply

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    Hey there, I'm Jennifer Banz! I’m the creator behind Low Carb with Jennifer and author of the cookbook Live Life Keto.  

    I've been cooking and developing low carb and keto recipes for the past 13 years and it is my goal to bring you the best quality recipes and cooking tutorials possible.

    My recipes reflect my philosophy on cooking...everything needs to be easy, fast, exceptionally delicious, and use common ingredients.

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