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Creamy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Creamy oven baked chicken thighs with crisp, golden skin and a garlic parmesan cream sauce baked right in the same pan. Bone-in, skin-on searing first locks in flavor, then the thighs finish at 400°F with bubbling sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper
  • 1 salt and black pepper to taste
paprika
  • 1 tsp paprika
unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
chicken broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
grated Parmesan
  • 0.5 cup grated Parmesan
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and season
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Sear chicken
  1. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chicken skin-side down for 5–6 minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy (visual cue: deep golden color).
  2. Flip the chicken and sear for 3 more minutes. Remove and set aside the thighs (visual cue: skin stays browned and crisp).
Make garlic parmesan cream sauce
  1. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant for about 1 minute (visual cue: aroma releases and garlic looks slightly softened).
  2. Whisk in the chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened (visual cue: sauce coats the back of a spoon).
Bake
  1. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin-side up, nestling them into the sauce. Make sure some sauce reaches the sides of the thighs.
  2. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Bake until the chicken reaches 165°F internally and the sauce is bubbling (visual cue: vigorous bubbling around the pan edges).
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving. Rest in the skillet for 2 minutes to let the sauce settle (visual cue: sauce thickens slightly).

Notes

For the crispiest skin, thoroughly pat the thighs dry before seasoning and sear without moving them too much. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered skillet at low heat until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can break after thawing. Dietary swap: use half-and-half plus an extra 1–2 tbsp Parmesan to help thicken while keeping it lighter.