Creamy Garlic Chicken Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces (680 g)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (27 g)
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (227 g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (9 g)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (2 g)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (4 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (1 g)
• 1 cup heavy cream (240 g)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (50 g)
• 5 ounces baby spinach (142 g)

Instructions

1. Prepare chicken. Pat chicken dry and cut into large, even pieces. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper on all sides. Set the chicken aside while you slice mushrooms, mince garlic, grate Parmesan, and measure the remaining ingredients.
2. Brown chicken. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in a single layer until deeply golden underneath. Turn, brown the second side briefly, and transfer chicken to a plate with any juices.
3. Cook mushrooms. Add remaining olive oil and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until their liquid has evaporated and their edges brown. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, then stir for thirty seconds until fragrant.
4. Make sauce. Reduce heat to medium and pour in the cream. Scrape browned bits from the skillet bottom. Add Parmesan gradually, stirring after each addition until it melts smoothly into the cream and the sauce looks uniform.
5. Finish chicken. Return chicken and plate juices to the skillet. Maintain a quiet simmer, turning chicken once, until it is opaque through the center and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon.
6. Wilt spinach. Add spinach in batches, folding each handful into the sauce until wilted. Remove from heat when the leaves are tender and bright. Rest for two minutes before dividing chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and sauce among bowls.

Notes

• Use a wide skillet so mushrooms release moisture and chicken browns instead of steams. In a smaller pan, brown chicken in batches and reserve all plate juices for the sauce.
• The sauce should simmer quietly. If it thickens before chicken is opaque, stir in water one spoonful at a time over medium-low heat.
• Rest two minutes after spinach wilts; the sauce settles and clings neatly to the chicken.

Nutrition Facts