• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Julia's Album
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Subscribe
  • Save Recipes!
  • About
  • Salads
  • Pasta
  • Chicken
  • Seafood
  • All Main Courses
  • Latest Recipes
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Subscribe
    • Save Recipes!
    • About
    • Salads
    • Pasta
    • Chicken
    • Seafood
    • All Main Courses
    • Latest Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Garlic Thyme Chicken Thighs

    By Julia | Updated: Jun 05, 2023 | Published: Nov 25, 2015 | 20 Comments

    17.6K shares
    • Facebook598
    Jump to Recipe Print SaveSaved!
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Disclosure: Nordic Ware sent me the free product (the beautiful 10 inch braiser pan you see on the photos) to try out - I'm loving my new pan and providing a brief review of this pan in this post. I was not compensated for this post other than receiving the 10 inch braiser pan for free! All opinions are my own.

    RECIPE: Garlic Thyme Chicken Thighs with a flavorful gravy - this chicken is baked in the oven, is super easy to make and takes only 35 minutes from start to finish, with just a few simple ingredients.  I use 20 garlic cloves and fresh thyme.  Your whole family will love this dish!

    Garlic Thyme Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs in red pan

     

    These BAKED chicken thighs are so GOOD!  I use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.  You're basically roasting whole garlic cloves together with the chicken thighs, and the chicken gets infused with the garlic flavor! In the end, you have about 20 delicious cloves of roasted garlic - just enough to go with the each bite of chicken. And adding fresh thyme to the garlic chicken gravy just makes everything even better and even more flavorful!  Comfort food made completely from scratch at its very best!

    Ingredients you need for garlic thyme chicken

    • olive oil
    • chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
    • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
    • 20 cloves of garlic (2 full heads), separated and peeled
    • 2 tablespoons flour (for gluten free, use gluten free multi-purpose flour)
    • chicken broth
    • fresh thyme leaves

    Garlic Thyme Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs

    Cooking pan I used to make this dish

    To make this dish you'll need to use an oven-proof pan, such as cast-iron pan or an oven-proof braiser pan.   I've used 10 inch braiser pan from Nordic Ware - it cooks just like cast iron, but is much lighter in weight (it's cast aluminum) and much easier to handle. It's also non-stick and is very easy to clean!  10 inch braiser pan makes just enough food for 2-3 people - excellent choice if you're cooking for a small family or a small company.

    Nordic Ware was very kind to send me this pan for free to use and to review, and I love this pan!  I've already used it to make several dishes.   You can use this pan on the stove top, and in the oven (up to 500 F).  It's very pretty, too:

    Garlic Thyme Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs in red pan

    Garlic Thyme Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs in red pan

    How to cook garlic thyme chicken

    1. Heat the oven to 400° F.
    2. First you need to pan sear the chicken to give that nice golden crust:
    3. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
    4. In an oven-safe braiser pan or big, oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. 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.
    5. Then, cook the garlic cloves:
    6. Reduce the heat to medium, add 20 garlic cloves to the same pan, and cook garlic for about 3 minutes, occasionally turning, until garlic starts to soften and brown.
    7. Finally, bake the chicken:
    8. Return chicken thighs to the braiser pan, cover with the lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven at 400 F.
    9. 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. Remove the chicken thighs and garlic from the pan to a plate.
    10. Make the gravy:
    11. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan. Over medium heat, whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour in the 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Over medium-high heat, gradually whisk in the chicken broth and fresh thyme leaves for 1 or 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the roasted garlic and chicken thighs back to the pan to reheat the chicken.

    I hope you'll try this delicious BAKED CHICKEN RECIPE:

    Garlic Thyme Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs in red pan

    Garlic Thyme Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs in red pan

    garlic thyme chicken thighs with gravy
    4.91 from 21 votes

    Garlic Thyme Chicken Thighs

    Garlic Thyme Chicken Thighs with a flavorful gravy - baked chicken recipe.  Takes only 35 minutes from start to finish.   Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and 20 garlic cloves. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories per serving 696 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
    • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
    • 20 cloves garlic (2 full heads, separated and peeled)
    • 2 tablespoons flour (for gluten free, use gluten free multi-purpose flour)
    • 1 cup chicken broth
    • 10 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves

    Instructions 

    • Heat the oven to 400° F.

    Brown chicken thighs to golden crust

    • In an oven-safe braiser pan 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.

    Cook garlic

    • Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic to the same skillet, and cook, occasionally turning, until garlic starts to brown, 3 or 4 minutes. 

    Bake chicken thighs

    • Return the chicken to the braiser pan, cover with the lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven at 400 F.

    Make the gravy

    • 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. 
    • Remove the chicken thighs and garlic from the pan to a plate. 
    • Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan. 
    • Over medium heat, whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour in the 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. 
    • Over medium-high heat, gradually whisk in the chicken broth and fresh thyme leaves for 1 or 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. 
    • Remove the pan from the heat, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. 
    • Add the roasted garlic and chicken thighs back to the pan to reheat the chicken.

    Notes

    Adapted from Seasons and Suppers

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Garlic Thyme Chicken Thighs
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    696
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    52
    g
    80
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    12
    g
    75
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    221
    mg
    74
    %
    Sodium
     
    609
    mg
    26
    %
    Potassium
     
    677
    mg
    19
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    16
    g
    5
    %
    Protein
     
    39
    g
    78
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    175
    IU
    4
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    17.6
    mg
    21
    %
    Calcium
     
    79
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    2.6
    mg
    14
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword garlic chicken, thyme chicken
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!

    Disclosure: Nordic Ware sent me the free product (the beautiful 10 inch braiser pan you see on the photos) to try out - I'm loving my new pan and providing a brief review of this pan in this post. I was not compensated for this post other than receiving the 10 inch braiser pan for free! All opinions are my own.

    « Southwestern Chopped Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
    Cranberry Apple Pecan Bundt Cake »
    17.6K shares
    • Facebook598

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Submit your question or provide a review of the recipe + star rating RIGHT HERE. Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Mary

      August 02, 2024 at 2:33 pm

      Love this recipe; so easy! We didn't have fresh thyme on hand so used dried; the fresh thyme will be much more flavorful, but it was good even with the dried. Next time I may use half broth and half white wine for the liquid. Overall, this was delicious; my son devoured it (so did I). Thank you!

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 04, 2024 at 6:13 pm

        Yay, Mary, glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Bev

      September 16, 2023 at 4:05 pm

      This is a frequent go-to recipe. It’s delicious.

      Reply
    3. Cheyenne

      March 10, 2021 at 4:00 pm

      I loved this recipe! I might add some mushrooms to my gravy next time, but other than that, it was a hit! 🙂 Looked, smelled, AND tasted delicious.

      Reply
    4. Meri Schroeder

      May 17, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      This is the second or third recipe of yours I've made and it's another winner. Your spaghetti, chicken, spinach recipe is on a rotation in our house. I have thyme I need to use up and Googled recipes, and this one popped up. Since I love the spaghetti recipe, I was excited try another of your dishes. This was so good! My husband really liked it a lot. I didn't have bone-in thighs, but boneless skinless, and this turned out great. I actually used the same cook time as the directions and it all worked out. Keep up the great work!

      Reply
    5. Rebecca

      August 26, 2019 at 11:03 pm

      Hi! So I made this recipe with big boneless skinless chicken breast! Baked for the 15 minutes . And it came out wonderfully! I’ve never made roasted garlic like that before and it’s quite simple and delicious. The only thing is in the picture you post the is so light looking like it has more oil in the pan while mine was thick and darker looking. Nonetheless it was still great. Just wish it looked like the picture.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 28, 2019 at 5:47 pm

        I am glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your comment.

        Reply
    6. Dee

      March 30, 2019 at 9:20 am

      This recipe was super good and easy. I followed just as written and turned out delicious. I made mashed potatoes to go along with for the gravy. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 03, 2019 at 6:16 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it! Mashed potatoes sound delicious as a side dish!

        Reply
      • Julia McDonnell

        May 17, 2021 at 8:59 pm

        Excellent! I made the recipe as written and it was so savory. I served with fingerling potatoes, roasted with red onions and a crusty baguette. A nice Pinot noir compliments the dish.

        Reply
    7. Kathleen

      January 24, 2019 at 9:13 am

      Could I use thin boneless breasts instead of thighs? If so, do you think I could skip the oven?

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 31, 2019 at 8:33 pm

        Yes, you can use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs. You might have to reduce the cooking times. Skip the oven and maybe cook a bit longer on the stove top, until the chicken breasts are cooked through.

        Reply
    8. Sheila

      July 12, 2018 at 2:22 pm

      This was a big winner for my family! Making it for the second time tonight! It is fun using thyme from my garden!

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 16, 2018 at 12:27 pm

        Lucky you - using thyme from your own garden! I am glad you've been enjoying this recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Julie

      October 16, 2017 at 3:15 pm

      I made this last night and it was so good and easy! Hubby gave it a "two thumbs up" and asked that we add it to our rotation of recipes. He even got to take a leftover chicken thigh for lunch today which did not disappoint. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 31, 2017 at 6:21 pm

        Hi Julie! So glad you liked it! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Dolores

      December 26, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      Was wondering about the last ingredient in the recipe....2 Tbsp butter. Is it used only if you need to thicken the sauce a bit more? There's nothing listed in the recipe (that I see anyway) showing it's use at all. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Jennifer K

        June 11, 2016 at 8:47 pm

        I noticed that, too. Disappointing that you haven't received a response since your post in December 🙁

        Reply
        • Julia

          June 28, 2016 at 11:10 pm

          I haven't used 2 tablespoons of butter in this recipe at all - I have updated the recipe, so now it should read correctly.

          Reply
    11. cheri

      December 02, 2015 at 8:05 pm

      Hi Julia, what an amazing way to enjoy chicken. Looks delicious!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

    Connect with Julia on Social Media:

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    Get Julia's new recipes by e-mail:
    Subscribe by E-mail

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy and Disclosure

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Affiliate Disclosure

    About

    • About
    • Featured On
    • Contact Me

    Connect on Social Media

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram

    Copyright © 2012-2025 JuliasAlbum.com

    Site Design: Foodie Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required