It’s not overly surprising when one of my cousins drops by on a weekend. After all, weekends are the best time to reconnect with family and enjoy a nice chat over a good meal. While impromptu visits are absolutely welcome (I’m the type who loves surprises!), I do sometimes find myself pressed for time to prepare a hearty dish that we can share over lunch or dinner.

The good news is that there are many quick and easy recipes out there that you can cook up in no time at all. This is especially true if you have some chicken thighs in the fridge! With these, you can make garlic thyme chicken thighs that are bound to make your lunch or dinner date extra special.

For this recipe, keep the bones and skin on the chicken thighs to retain their juicy, tender flavor. You’re going to need a lot — and I mean a lot — of garlic, but don’t fuss about it too much as the garlic will mellow out by the time the chicken is done cooking.

What gives this recipe its delightful twist is thyme. As you might already know, there are different varieties of thyme that can flourish in your home garden, but for this dish, I highly recommend using French thyme. French thyme has a strong, minty essence that can seep wonderfully into meat, like chicken. Having this on your garlic thyme chicken thighs will take your taste buds on a trip to the Provincial countryside! A baguette or a simple green salad on the side will certainly make this an even more satisfying meal.

Cooking your garlic thyme chicken thighs only takes about half an hour, and the serving is perfect for two. If you find yourself sharing with more guests, it’s easy to double the portions so you can all have a delightful chat over an equally delightful meal.

Garlic Thyme Chicken Thighs

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Thyme, chicken, and garlic are a classic combination. For that impromptu dinner or lunch date with friends or family, these garlic thyme chicken thighs are sure to be a hit!

• Author: Norann Oleson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2
• Category: Entrées

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 20 cloves garlic (two heads), separated and peeled
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a dutch oven or big, oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken thighs skin side down on medium-high heat until well browned, for about 5 minutes, then flip the chicken thighs skin side up and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, stirring occasionally until garlic starts to brown, 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, cover with the lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and put it on a stove top—the pan will be very hot, be sure not to touch it, including the lid.
6. Remove the chicken thighs and garlic from the pan and arrange on a serving platter. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan.
7. Over medium heat, whisk the 2 tablespoons of flour into the 2 tablespoons of oil left in the pan.
8. Over medium-high heat, gradually whisk in the chicken broth and fresh thyme leaves for 1 or 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garlic and serve.

Notes

You can use any kind of culinary thyme in this recipe, but French thyme will take your taste buds to the Provincial countryside. And don’t be afraid of all the garlic—it will mellow as the chicken cooks. Served with a simple green salad and a baguette, this makes a perfect meal for two.

If you’ve never grown thyme, or have only grown one kind, you’re missing out on one of the most versatile and easy-to-grow herbs in the garden. With our It’s About Thyme Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile herb.

Have you tried this recipe? It’s easy to double it if you’re cooking for more than two. Please tell us how it turned out for you.