Creamy Baked Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Onions Recipe
This recipe features irresistibly creamy baked chicken thighs paired with tender Yukon Gold potatoes and caramelized onions, all simmered in a rich heavy cream and chicken stock sauce enhanced with fresh thyme. The chicken is first seared to achieve crispy skin before baking to juicy perfection, making it a comforting and flavorful one-pan meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetables
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional, for extra richness)
Instructions
- Preheat and Season: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Sauté Onions: Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes until translucent and beginning to caramelize.
- Cook Potatoes: Add the diced potatoes to the skillet and stir to coat them in the oil and onion mixture. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare Sauce: In a measuring cup, whisk together chicken stock, heavy cream, cornstarch, fresh thyme leaves, and salt until smooth.
- Simmer Sauce with Vegetables: Pour the sauce mixture over the potatoes and onions. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly. If using, add the butter now for extra richness and stir to combine.
- Arrange Chicken: Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, placing them skin-side up on top of the potato mixture to ensure even cooking and crispy skin.
- Bake: Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the potatoes are fork-tender.
Notes
- Use an oven-safe skillet or transfer to a baking dish before baking if your skillet is not oven-proof.
- For added flavor, fresh thyme is preferred but dried thyme works well too.
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can substitute with an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
- Let the chicken rest a few minutes after baking for juicier meat.
- To make this dish lower fat, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a lighter cream alternative.
Keywords: creamy baked chicken thighs, chicken thighs with potatoes, baked chicken with onions, one-pan chicken dinner, creamy chicken and potatoes
