Description
A warm, comforting, and easy one-pot dinner featuring tender chicken thighs smothered in a luscious creamy sauce served over fluffy white rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced (about 150g / 5.3 oz)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (24g)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (480ml / 2 cups)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240ml / 1 cup)
- 1.5 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (285g / 1.5 cups)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Bring 3 cups salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice, stir once, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-18 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let steam covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 4-5 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet. Add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, avoiding browning.
- Sprinkle flour over onions and garlic, stirring constantly to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, ensuring no lumps. Add dried thyme and simmer gently for 3 minutes until thickened.
- Pour in heavy cream and stir well. Simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce is thick and silky. Add a splash of broth or cream if sauce is too thick.
- Nestle browned chicken thighs back into sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken, cover skillet, and simmer gently for 5 minutes to meld flavors and finish cooking.
- Serve chicken and sauce over a generous scoop of fluffy rice. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and optional black pepper or lemon juice.
Notes
Do not skip browning the chicken for best flavor and texture. Use chicken thighs for juiciness. Cook flour with butter before adding liquids to avoid grainy sauce. Simmer sauce gently to prevent curdling. Season in layers for depth. Store chicken and sauce separately from rice for best leftovers. Reheat sauce gently with broth or cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1 chicken
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 1.5
- Protein: 30
Keywords: creamy chicken, smothered chicken, chicken and rice, comfort food, one-pot meal, easy dinner, creamy sauce