Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Cream Sauce
Creamy, crunchy, golden, and deeply comforting. This is the kind of baked chicken that somehow tastes like you spent hours on it, but it comes together with very little effort. The custard bubbles around each piece of seared chicken, while the panko topping turns gorgeously crisp in the oven.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup white wine
Custard
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces gruyere (grated)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400º.
- Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and cook them in two tablespoons of butter over medium high heat until nearly done and browned on both side, about 20 minutes if using chicken pieces with bones, 10 minutes for boneless thighs. Transfer to an oven proof baking dish, arrange side by side.
- Add the bread crumbs to the skillet and cook until slightly crisp. Remove and set aside, don’t worry if some remain in the pan. Add white wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, cheese and salt and pepper. Then add lemon juice and the wine mixture. Pour evenly over the chicken. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is 160º and custard is firm.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is heated through. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as the breadcrumbs won't crisp up well.
- You can substitute chicken broth for the wine.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 864IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 0.4mg
