Creamy Chicken Thigh Spinach Recipe with Potatoes

If you are preparing a delicious meal for your family or preparing something for the weekend, this chicken thigh spinach recipe can be a game changer for you. As you know, chicken thighs are known for their rich and juicy flavor and tender texture.

When we pair them with spinach which has a slightly earthy taste, the whole meal combination offers a balanced flavor profile.

Also, in this chicken thigh spinach recipe, we have added heavy cream, which gives it a luxurious creaminess that complements both the chicken and the spinach.

Not only the taste and other nutritional facts, I can personally say from my experience, that whenever I see chicken in a heavy cream, my inner self kind of pushes me to taste it.

This recipe which I am going to share with you, is my all-time favourite and I make them at least once a month. And I can assure you that if you try it once, you will not be able to give it up.

In this post, I will be sharing the whole recipe with all the tips (from my personal experience), and everything else. So, stick to it.

Which Chicken Thighs Should I Use?

Whenever, we’re cooking chicken thighs, the most common thing that comes to our mind is which type of chicken thighs should we use. Well, the answer is as you like. In this recipe, I have used bone-less skin-on chicken thighs.

Now, there are a few things to think about. First off, bone-in skin-on chicken thighs offer the most flavor due to it has bones and skins on. The skin also crisps up beautifully when seared which tastes EXCELLENT while eating. But the drawbacks are that these take slightly longer to cook but stay moisturized longer.

Now for boneless and skinless chicken thighs, they cook a lot faster and easier to eat because they don’t have the bones and skins. This is one of the only reasons why kids always like to eat boneless and skinless chicken thighs. This is why in my post Kid-friendly boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes, I have also used boneless skinless chicken thighs. They also absorb spices and flavors better. But to cook them properly, you will need extra oil or butter to compensate for the missing fat.

By thinking of all of these above things, to maintain everything from flavors to timing, I have used boneless and skin-on chicken thighs for this chicken thigh spinach recipe. I hope this helps.

Chicken Thigh Spinach Recipe – Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this recipe:

1. 6 Boneless Skin-on Chicken Thighs: The main ingredients needed for this recipe.
2. 1 tbsp Vinegar: It helps to tenderize the chicken thighs. It can also be used for enhancing flavor, and sometimes removing some unwanted odors or smells from the chicken before cooking.
3. 1 Tsp Chicken Seasoning
4. 1 tsp All purpose seasoning
5. 1 tsp Garlic powder
6. 1 tbsp Paprika
7. 3 tbsps of Butter
8. 270 ml Double Cream
9. 1 tbsp Garlic (grated)
10. 100g Fresh Spinach
11. 3 Bell Peppers (Sliced)
12. 1 Onion (Sliced)
13. 5 Medium potatoes

Make sure you have all of the mentioned ingredients. However, the potatoes are optional. We will use the potatoes to make Mashed potatoes for a side dish.

If you have everything mentioned in the above then let’s move on to the instructions part.

Instructions

Here are the instructions for this delicious chicken thigh spinach recipe:

1. First of all, keep the chicken thighs in a bowl pour around 1 tbsp of vinegar, and mix them well. After mixing well, take a tissue paper and pat on the chicken thighs to soak some vinegar from it.
2. Now take 1 tsp chicken seasoning, 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp of paprika in a bowl and mix them. Now pour all of them into the bowl of chicken thighs and mix them well. Make sure the thighs are well-coated with all the seasonings. This will make the thighs even more tasty.
3. Now, take a pan, add 3 tbsps of butter, and heat the pan. Let the butter melt completely but don’t burn them.
4. Now add the chicken pieces to the pan (skin side down). Sear on each side for 5 minutes.
5. After 10 minutes (5 mins for each side searing), remove the chicken thighs from the pan and put them aside.
6. Now, add some butter again if needed, and add bell peppers, onion, and garlic (grated). Saute them for 2 mins. After that add double cream or heavy cream, whatever you say, and season it with salt and pepper to your taste.
7. Once the sauce is thickened, add chicken thigh pieces and 100g spinach. Now cover them and allow them to cook for 5 mins.
8. Now, pierce the potatoes and boil them. After that, take a bowl and add the boiled potatoes and around 1 tbsp butter. Smash them properly until they get a perfect texture.
9. At last, you can serve your chicken thigh spinach recipe with mashed potatoes and enjoy. Remember I have used mashed potatoes as a side dish. You can choose something else as a side dish. If you are running out of ideas you can check serving suggestions to serve with these extremely delicious chicken thighs below.

Recipe Card

Serving Suggestions

As you can see, I have made mashed potatoes as a side dish, but you can choose anything. Here are some of the most appropriate ones, according to me:

1. Garlic butter rice: Fluffy rice with garlic and butter soaks up the delicious sauce.
2. Crusty bread or dinner rolls: These are perfect for mopping the creamy sauce.
3. Simple green salad: For a light and refreshing side dish, nothing can be greater than these. You can also use steamed or roasted veggies and grilled corn on the cob as well.
4. Parmesan-crusted Garlic Bread: For some extra flavor you can have these. It adds a crunchy, cheesy element to the meal.

You can also use cauliflower mash or zucchini noodles also known as zoodles, if you want low-carb and keto-friendly options.

FAQs

How can I ensure the chicken skin becomes crispy?

To ensure that the chicken skin becomes crispy, you have to ensure the following things:

First off pat the chicken dry with paper towels before cooking. Because moisture is a crisp killer.

Now don’t put the chicken thighs directly on a hot pan as it can burn the skin out rather than making it crispy. You should first add some butter or oil and let it heat up a bit. If you’re using butter then let them melt first because butter has a low smoke point. Which means that it can burn before the chicken skin has properly crisped.

I have told you to do so in my recipe above so that you can get the same crisp.

Also don’t use non-stick frying pans as they won’t get as hot as we need to crisp the chicken skin up. Instead, use a cast-iron or stainless steel pan for the best results.

Another thing to maintain is that don’t flip the chicken thighs too early or move them while cooking as this can potentially disturb the crispiness as well.

Can I substitute fresh spinach with frozen spinach?

Yes, you can use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach. But remember frozen spinach is more concentrated because it’s already wilted.

Here’s how to use it:
First off frozen spinach holds a lot of water. So, if you don’t dry it out properly, it can potentially thin out the creamy sauce of this recipe and destroy it.

To prevent it, thaw the spinach by leaving it at room temperature or microwaving it for 30-60 seconds. Now, soak out all excess water using a paper towel or fine mesh strainer before adding it to the pan.

This is how you can use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach.

What’s the best method to cook chicken thighs for this recipe?

Pan searing is the best method to cook this chicken thigh spinach recipe.

Can I add other vegetables to this dish?

Yes, why not? You can use mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower with this recipe. By the way, I have used bell peppers as vegetables.

Can I store and reheat leftovers?

Yes, you can store the leftovers, reheat and enjoy. You can do it in two ways. The first way is refrigeration. This process is best for keeping leftovers for up to 3 to 4 days. To do this, you have to let the chicken thighs cool completely before storing them. Place the whole preparation in an airtight container and store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

And, if you want to store it for around 2 to 3 months, then freezing is the best option. First, cool the chicken thighs, put them in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag, and then put them in the freezer.

Here’s how you can reheat them and use it:

Stovetop Method

First of all, heat a pan over low-medium heat and add a splash of water. Add the leftover chicken and sauce and stir gently. Cover the whole thing and simmer for 5-7 minutes until it is heated through. Stir occasionally to prevent the chicken thighs from sticking to the pan.

Oven Method

Firstly, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place leftovers in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil paper to prevent drying. Now bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t forget to stir the sauce before serving.

How can I ensure that the chicken thighs are cooked properly?

You can ensure this by checking the internal temperature of the thighs. Ensure the thighs’ internal temperature is above 165°F (75°C). You can use a meat thermometer to check it, for bone-in thighs aim for an even higher temperature around 175 to 185°F for the best results.

Some Other Recipes You Can Try

As you know it is a heavily creamed chicken thighs recipe. If you love creamy delicious recipes, then you can check out our cream of mushroom chicken thighs recipe. If you want something super fast, you can try out our kid-friendly boneless skinless chicken thighs recipe and Trader Joe’s shawarma chicken thighs recipe.

Also, you can try out our coconut chicken thigh recipe. I can personally say, those are also extremely delicious and flavorful.

Conclusion

So, now you know how to cook this “Chicken thigh spinach recipe”. I have covered almost everything in this post. If you want to know anything else you can question me in the comments, I check them every day. If you have tried it, then please let me know how it was. Don’t hesitate if you have any suggestions for this recipe. Tell me in the comments.

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!