Baked Chicken Thighs in White Wine Sauce

These baked chicken thighs are seared to golden perfection, deglazed with a white wine sauce, and baked right in the pan. This easy-to-make meal has just the right touch of gourmet and is perfect with a variety of sides!

I am a 33 years old and didn’t know that I liked chicken thighs. My husband is also 33, and didn’t know that he liked chicken thighs. Have we been living under a rock?!

If I wasn’t assigned to make a chicken thigh recipe for a photography assignment, I don’t know when I would have discovered how delicious these little gems are. (And when they go on sale at the store, look out. Those are some great deals I’ve been missing out on. Ouch.)

The key is 100% in the sear. The golden, crispy outside makes all the difference. So let’s get into it, this is important.

Sear the Chicken Thighs, then Bake:

–Searing chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet prior to baking is a great way to add color, taste, and texture to the chicken prior to baking it. Not only does it add flavor to the chicken itself, but it allows you to deglaze the pan with the wine, giving the sauce added flavor from the chicken remnants. You’re left with less baking time in the end, and will have a better tasting, more visually appealing meal.

White Wine Substitute:

-If you don’t have white wine or prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can substitute equal amounts of chicken broth instead of white wine.

Omitting the Mushrooms:

-You can absolutely omit the mushrooms in this meal if desired, simply follow the recipe as-is, leaving the mushrooms out.

Chicken Breast instead of Chicken Thighs:

-If cooking with chicken breast instead of thighs, it’s best to butterfly the chicken and sear 2-3 pieces at a time. If the chicken is fairly thin, you could choose to cook it completely on the stove-top, or simply cut the baking time in half.

Try these next!

• Olive Garden Stuffed Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Milanese
• Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
• Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Stew
• Bobby Flay’s Meatball Recipe

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Print

3.44 from 37 votes

Servings: 4

Baked Chicken Thighs in White Wine Sauce

Prep Time:

5 mins

Cook Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

 

Author: Stephanie

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked Chicken Thighs, White Wine Sauce

These baked chicken thighs are seared to golden perfection, deglazed with a white wine sauce, and baked right in the pan. This easy-to-make meal has just the right touch of gourmet and is perfect with roasted green beans! 

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 8 boneless skinless Chicken thighs
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 Tablespoons vegetable oil separated
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 8 oz. white button mushrooms washed and sliced
• ¼ cup heavy cream optional
• Parsley roughly chopped, to garnish

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken thighs, smooth-side down, and sear for 13 minutes. Don’t move the chicken around while it cooks, as it will disrupt the sear and may cause the chicken to stick to the pan.

3. Rotate the pan to move the oil around to help loosen the chicken from the pan. Use a thin spatula and carefully lift the chicken and transfer to a plate.

4. Reduce the heat to medium if oil begins to splatter. Repeat with remaining 4 chicken thighs, using the remaining tablespoon of oil as needed and transferring the remaining chicken to a plate once finished. 

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Add the butter and mushrooms to the pan and cook until they begin to brown and caramelize, about 8 minutes. 

7. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and use the metal spatula to scrape up the chicken remnants. This will give the sauce excellent flavor.

8. Add the garlic and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream. Add the chicken thighs, sear-side up, and heat for 5 additional minutes.

9. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
10. Garnish with parlsey, and serve with your favorite sides. Brown rice and roasted green beans are excellent with this meal.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes 4 servings at 2 chicken thighs/serving. Nutritional information is per serving. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 515, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 265mg, Sodium: 312mg, Potassium: 787mg, Carbohydrates: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Protein: 45g, Vitamin A: 12.5%, Vitamin C: 2.8%, Calcium: 4.2%, Iron: 12.5%