Paprika Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Braised chicken thighs in a delicious lemony garlic cream sauce.
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Servings: people
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet other oven-safe skillet will work, but I love this in a cast iron
- 1 rice cooker optional. I always serve this with rice and love the convenience of a rice cooker
- 1 citrus juicer
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 tongs
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp salt to taste/depends on size of thighs, I usually don't measure
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper to taste/depends on size of thighs, I usually don't measure
- 2 tbsp paprika to taste/depends on size of thighs, I usually don't measure
- 4 pieces bone-in skin-on thighs
Sauce
- 5 cloves minced garlic measure with your heart!
- 1.5-2 cups chicken broth depends on how much sauce you want! use ratio 2:1 broth-cream
- ¾-1 cups heavy cream depends on how much sauce you want! use ratio 2:1 broth-cream
- ¼-½ cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice (the juice of 2 medium-large lemons) to your taste preference
- ½ cups fresh grated parmesan cheese the pre-grated "shake" cheese doesn't work as well as fresh stuff, but will suffice in a pinch
- 1-2 tsp dry thyme depends on how much sauce you make, I use 2tsp thyme if I use 2c broth/1cup cream
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
Rice
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice serving suggestion
Instructions
Rice
- Set Rice to cook in rice cooker. Easy-peasy. Brown rice will finish cooking at just about the same time as the chicken finishes cooking!
Braise chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Preheat the cast iron skillet on medium heat until hot. Meanwhile, pat dry chicken thighs, and sprinkle on both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Add EVOO and butter to hot pan until butter melts, swirl to coat.
- Place chicken thighs in pan skin side down (they should sizzle immediately) until brown to your preference (about 5 minutes), flip and brown on other side. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Make Sauce
- Pan should still have a considerable amount of oil/butter, add another 1tbsp if desired/needed. Get garlic and chicken broth ready and nearby the pan.
- Add minced garlic and sauté for 30s-1min until fragrant. Be careful to not burn it! Add chicken broth and deglaze pan.
- Add cream, lemon juice, grated parmesan, dry thyme, and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, stirring regularly until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add a few handfuls of spinach and fold in until wilted. Add another couple handfuls until wilted but don't stir - I like to make a "bed" of spinach for the chicken to sit atop.
- Place chicken thighs on top of the spinach/sauce, add in any accumulated juices from plate. Move pan to preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.
Plating Suggestion
- Spread rice over bottom of plate, top with chicken and spinach, spoon sauce over all, and enjoy!