Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs in Creamy White Wine Sauce rely on humble ingredients and just a single pan to bring out the most delicious flavors. Juicy roasted chicken is deliciously tender addition to your family dinner table. What an easy comfort food recipe!
Tender and juicy chicken with crispy golden skin in amazing herb flavor! We roast chicken thighs at 400 F in the creamy white wine sauce. The silky sauce is so smooth & addictive – perfect for weeknight dinner or weekend dinner party.
Tips on baking your chicken thighs
- First things first, pat the skin of the chicken thighs dry with paper towels in order to prepare the chicken skin.
- Use a cast iron skillet as we are going to roast the chicken in a very hot cast iron skillet.
- Once again, the chicken skin needs to be very dry and the pan needs to be very hot to get the best color and texture.
- Next, use tongs to handle the chicken so you don’t have to touch it.
- Make sure to brown chicken skin side first on medium high heat and brown it well. Resist the urge to move the chicken thighs while it’s being browned.
- How long does it take to roast chicken thighs in the oven? About 35 minutes at 400 F.
What kind of wine to use
I love cooking with wine. It has to be one of the best cooking ingredients out there, providing so much flavor with so little effort. And herb roasted chicken thighs are no exception. They are full of flavor and taste as a restaurant dish, yet the preparation is so simple and basic.
For wine I used a regular drinking dry white wine. The good choices are Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Riesling. But for this particular recipe I used Pinot Grigio.
So with a bottle of wine in one hand and a bunch of herbs in the other, these herb roasted chicken thighs can become the most decadent item on your weekly menu! But how about if you are unable to tolerate alcohol, can you still enjoy it?
Wine substitutions
- Chicken or vegetable stock. Substitute stock for white wine entirely if not a fan of vinegar or sensitive to sulfites in vinegar. For extra flavor, try mixing a tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of stock.
- Lemon. Squeeze 2 wedges of lemon (½ a lemon) into the sauce.
How to lighten up this recipe
Half-and-half. Use half-n-half instead of heavy cream, or omit it altogether and replace with chicken broth.
What skillet to use for herb roasted chicken thighs
Cast iron skillet. It’s important to use a good heavy skillet to brown chicken thighs, such as cast iron and a large one too. I used 12 inch Lodge Pro-Logic Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet in this recipe – it’s well designed, has a helper handle and sloped sides – very sleek looking for cast iron!
I have other cast iron skillets, but prefer this one due to its size (it’s very large with even more space due to its sloped sides), it also never sticks or leaves weird black dots on meat like other cast iron skillets do. And it’s one of my most used kitchen tools!
Can I use boneless chicken thighs instead?
WE NEED THE BONE! This recipe is designed for juicy chicken thighs that do need a bone to bring out the extra juices and flavor.
How to make creamy sauce
- BUTTER ONION BASE: Start by adding butter and chopped onions and sauté until the onion is browned, 3-4 minutes. Next add chopped garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for another minute.
- ITALIAN SEASONING: I almost always use Thyme, Oregano and Rosemary combination, also known as Italian seasoning for this baked chicken recipe.
- SICILIAN SEASONING: The alternative is to use Sicilian seasoning in this dish. It has all the usual mixed spices of Italian seasoning (fennel, oregano, thyme and basil), but also includes red pepper flakes, roasted garlic and sea salt. This is the base of the Creamy White Wine Sauce, that will give it such a wonderful flavor.
- ADD FLOUR: Now add flour and cook it in the oil of the pan for only a minute, until it’s no longer white.
- POUR WINE: Next pour the wine slowly to the hot pan, increasing heat from medium-high to high and cook for a few minutes.
- Add chicken stock and heavy cream. And you know what? Creamy white wine sauce is almost ready! Stir to combine and let everything cook until it reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and add fresh thyme, salt and pepper, to taste.
More Chicken Recipes with Wine to Enjoy
Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs in Creamy White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- Salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning, (divided)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3-4 thyme sprigs (leaves only)
- 1 tablespoon flour, for thickening the sauce
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.Cook chicken thighs on medium-high skin side down first to brown it for 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the next side for about 4 minutes, for a total of 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken from the skillet.
- Add 2 tablespoon butter, onion and sauté until the onion is browned, 3-4 minutes. Add chopped garlic, thyme and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and cook for another minute.Next add 1 tablespoon flour and cook it in the oil of the pan for only a minute, until it’s no longer white. Add the wine slowly to the hot pan, increasing heat from medium-high to high and cook for a few minutes.Now add chicken stock and heavy cream. Stir to combine and let everything cook until it reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Make sure to taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Return chicken thighs back into the pan with sauce. Put in the oven uncovered and cook at 400 for 35 minutes. Once time is up, take the pan out of the oven, check if chicken thighs are done. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes or rice.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
This is a wonderful recipe. Elegant enough for company but a great surprise when it’s just you and your hubby. I made it with a potato, carrot and parsnip whip. Lovely sauce. This one is a keeper!
Great trio there, Kathie
Can I leave the wine out?
It will affect the flavor.