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Pasta Chicken

Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

Published: Feb 01, 2018 | 174 Comments

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Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce – great idea for a quick weeknight meal!    Boneless skinless chicken thighs are seared to perfection and served in a creamy tomato basil sauce with spinach, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.   Easy dinner that a whole family will love!

Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

As I’ve been shopping at my local grocery store, I realized that I hardly have any recipes with boneless skinless chicken thighs.  Instead, I do have lots of recipes with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.  I decided to fix that small problem immediately, so I bought them right away and made these delicious skillet chicken thighs the next day. So glad I did! It’s such a great cut of chicken meat and it cooks so quickly, this chicken dish took me only 30 minutes to make.  Everything is cooked in a skillet on the stove top – no extra pans, just one skillet.   So easy to make, minimal clean-up!

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Creamy tomato basil sauce with fresh spinach is perfect for these skillet chicken thighs.  So much flavor in one dish!

Ingredients you need to make these easy skillet chicken thighs:

olive oil
1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
garlic
fresh spinach
fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

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How long does it take to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs?

They cook easy and fast.  First, I seared the chicken thighs for 5 minutes on one side in the skillet on medium heat.  Then, I flipped them and seared for 5 more minutes on the other side on medium heat.  Next,  I cooked them in the creamy tomato basil sauce for about 5 or 10 more minutes and they were done!  Make sure the chicken is completely cooked through.

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How to make skillet chicken thighs (step-by-step photos):

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet, and cook boneless skinless chicken thighs (seasoned with salt and pepper) on one side for 5 minutes:
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

Flip the chicken thighs to the other side and cook for 5 more minutes:
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

Remove the chicken, add tomato sauce, minced garlic, and heavy cream.  Stir to combine.  Add spinach and basil.
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

Cook the sauce until the spinach wilts.  Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

Add the cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs back to the skillet, reheat the sauce with the chicken in it.  Make sure the chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

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Spoon the sauce over the cooked chicken.
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What is a good side dish for chicken thighs?

These will go great over simple pasta. Or, serve with roasted potatoes, or creamy mashed potatoes.  Other great side dish ideas are steamed asparagus, cooked spinach, or cooked Swiss chard.

If you enjoyed this skillet chicken thighs, you might like these recipes:

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce

Bacon Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

4.98 from 85 votes
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Print
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Boneless skinless chicken thighs smothered in an easy-to-make creamy tomato basil and spinach sauce.  The whole recipe takes 30 minutes from start to finish!  

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 553 kcal
Author: Julia
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs , boneless skinless
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz fresh spinach
  • 4 leaves fresh basil (or use 1/4 teaspoon dried basil)
For serving:
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
Instructions
How to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs in a skillet:
  1. In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium heat.  Season boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Add them top side down to the hot skillet.  Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, until the top side is nicely seared.  

  2. Flip over to the other side and sear for 5 more minutes on medium heat.

  3. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.

How to make creamy tomato basil sauce:
  1. To the same, now empty skillet, add tomato sauce, minced garlic, heavy cream.  Bring to boil and stir. 

  2. Reduce heat to low simmer.  Add fresh spinach and fresh basil.  Stir until spinach wilts and reduces in volume.  

  3. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

  4. Add back cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs, increase heat to medium.  Reheat the chicken thighs in the skillet with the sauce and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink in the center.  

  5. To serve, spoon the sauce over the boneless skinless chicken thighs and top with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Nutrition Facts
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 553 Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 211mg70%
Sodium 852mg37%
Potassium 716mg20%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 3550IU71%
Vitamin C 12.4mg15%
Calcium 145mg15%
Iron 2.5mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Basil, Cheese, Chicken, Dinner, Gluten Free, Parmesan, Recipe, Spinach, Vegetables Published: Feb 01, 2018 174 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth

    Feb 11, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    Incredibly easy recipe that taste so good! Kudos!

    Reply
  2. Maneesha Jaswal

    Feb 04, 2021 at 2:31 pm

    Hello! This recipe looks delicious and I’m very excited to try it! I’m wondering if I can exclude the cream to make it lower calorie, or substitute it with something else. Any advice is welcome!

    Reply
  3. Chels

    Feb 03, 2021 at 5:11 pm

    Is it possible to use coconut milk instead of cream?

    Reply
  4. Johanna

    Jan 30, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    I am trying this tonight.. Planning to have it with white rice and fresh avocado. I cant wait to try it!

    Reply
  5. Audrey

    Jan 24, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    I made this for my family and it was a big hit!! It was delicious!! Thank you for the great recipe!! My kiddos are already asking when I’m making this again!

    Reply
  6. Josie

    Jan 15, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    I love this recipe, I used evaporated milk, it works better o my GI system.

    Reply
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