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This is one of those dinners that makes people suspicious of how easy it was. Juicy chicken, crispy bacon, mushrooms swimming in a creamy garlic parmesan sauce that you absolutely will spoon over everything on your plate. It feels indulgent, comforting, and just the right amount of extra for a weeknight.
This creamy garlic parmesan chicken was born out of one simple goal. I wanted something that felt restaurant worthy but still realistic when you are tired, hungry, and standing in your kitchen wondering why you did not order takeaway. This one delivers every single time.
Why This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Is A Winner
This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken works because it layers flavour without making you jump through hoops. The chicken stays juicy, the bacon brings smoky richness, and the mushrooms soak up all that garlicky goodness like they were made for this sauce.
What really makes it special is how the sauce comes together. Cream, broth, and parmesan melt into something rich but not heavy, which is exactly why this creamy mushroom chicken never feels overwhelming. It is comfort food that knows when to stop.
Ingredients That Make It Happen
This creamy parmesan chicken is built on simple ingredients most home cooks This creamy mushroom chicken recipe uses everyday ingredients, but each one earns its place in the pan. Nothing is here just for decoration.
- Chicken Thighs: Thighs stay juicy and forgiving, especially when baked, which makes them perfect for soaking up the sauce without drying out.
- Garlic: This is not the time to be shy. Fresh garlic gives the sauce its backbone and makes the whole kitchen smell incredible.
- Bacon: Crispy bacon adds smoky depth and little pops of texture that cut through the creaminess beautifully.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms bring earthiness and body, and they love creamy sauces almost as much as we do.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
Fun Add Ins If You Feel Like Showing Off
These add ins are totally optional, but very welcome if you want to play around a bit.
- Splash Of White Wine: Adds brightness and a little edge before the cream goes in.
- Extra Herbs: Parsley or thyme sprinkled over the top freshens everything up and makes it look fancy with zero effort.
- Thicker Sauce Moment: A small cornstarch slurry at the end helps if you want the sauce extra clingy.
How To Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Prep the Chicken: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange chicken thighs on a plate. In a jug, mix olive oil, crushed garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the chicken to coat evenly.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear until golden and crispy, about 2–3 minutes per side.
- Bake: Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 25–30 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Once done, remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Start the Sauce Base: In the same skillet with reserved juices, sauté the remaining garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add bacon and cook until just beginning to crisp.
- Cook the Mushrooms: Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they soften and release their juices, stirring occasionally to coat them in the bacon and garlic mixture.
- Make the Cream Sauce: Pour in the cream, chicken broth, and Parmesan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce starts to thicken slightly.
- Season and Finish: Season with ground pepper and taste before adding salt. Return the chicken to the pan and let it simmer in the sauce for 1–2 minutes to absorb the flavor.
- Garnish and Serve: Top with extra chopped parsley and shaved or grated Parmesan if desired. Serve hot over rice, pasta, or steamed vegetables for a complete meal.
This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken is rich and flavorful, so pairing it with the right sides brings balance and variety to your plate. Try it with Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi—the soft gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes complement the garlicky cream sauce beautifully for an ultra-comforting combo.
For something lighter, go with One Pot Orzo Primavera for a fresh pop of lemon and veggies, or Sheet Pan Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli & Green Beans for an easy roasted side with crispy edges and bold flavor. All three make this creamy mushroom chicken feel like a complete meal.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! Half and half creates a lighter sauce while still keeping things creamy. The sauce may be slightly thinner, but still rich and flavorful.
Cremini mushrooms are ideal for their earthy flavor and meaty texture, but white button mushrooms or even sliced portobellos can be used.
Searing the chicken first locks in moisture, and finishing in the oven ensures it cooks through evenly. Be careful not to overbake—use a meat thermometer if needed.
Watch Me Make This On Video
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Creamy Baked Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms & Bacon
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on or off
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 pinch Kosher salt to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE CREAM SAUCE:
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 7 ounces diced bacon
- 14 ounces brown mushrooms Cremini, sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup parmesan freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground to taste
- 1 pinch salt only if needed to your taste
- 1 pinch fresh parsley extra chopped, to garnish
- 1 pinch parmesan fresh shaved or grated, to garnish
Instructions
BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Arrange chicken on a plate. Combine together the olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a jug. Rub the oil mixture over the chicken to completely coat.
- Heat a large oevn proof pan or skillet over medium high heat. Sear the chicken, skin-side down first, until skin is crisp and golden brown. Rotate and sear the other side (about 2-3 minutes per side).
- Transfer to oven and roast until completely cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.
- Once chicken is done, remove from skillet; set aside. Pour out HALF of the chicken juices left in the pan.
SAUCE
- Using the same skillet the chicken was in, fry the garlic in the reserved chicken juices over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bacon and fry until just beginning to crisp. Add in the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to soften.
- Pour in the cream, chicken broth and Parmesan. Let simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Season with pepper. Taste first before adding in any extra salt, as the bacon will add the salt.
- Add the chicken back into the pan; allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes in the cream to take on the flavours.
- Garnish with parsley and shaved or grated parmesan, if desired. Serve over rice, pasta, or steamed/grilled vegetables.
Notes
TIPS
- If using cream: Thickened cream, heavy cream, light or reduced fat cooking cream are all fine to use. If you prefer a thicker sauce, whisk together 1 level teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cream until lump free and well blended. Add the mixture into the cream sauce, while stirring continuously, until thickened.
- If using half and half: Bring to a gentle simmer; whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into 1-2 tablespoons of *extra* half and half; pour cornstarch mixture into the centre of the pan; stir continuously until the sauce thickens and becomes a ‘cream’. Nutrition facts are calculated based on skin-on, bone in thighs, and heavy cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a delicious recipe! I ended up cooking some bacon before adding the chicken and then just added the chicken (seasoned with Lawry’s seasoning salt instead of salt and pepper) parsley, and garlic all together in the pan with the bacon grease following the recipe from there. Served it over penne pasta. I only used 4 thighs as we’re a family of 3 and I wanted more sauce for the pasta and I think it was a good amount of extra sauce to cover our pasta too. Overall got a thumbs up from my husband and kiddo and will be cooking this again!
Made this tonight with a few adjustments. No parsley as I’m allergic. Next I had 10 thighs so I double the cream, broth and cheese. I also used Hardwood smoked bacon. We ate over an hour ago and my ole man had not stopped talking about and we’ve shared the recipe to 2 different people so far. He asked you still have the recipe right so we can eat this all the time! We don’t cuss but he looked at me and said please forgive me and used so many colorfull words blew my mind lol. Thank you so very much for an amazingly awesome recipe. So rich smoky and flavorful. Hard to believe all the flavor and only using salt, pepper and garlic
I added feta cheese when done. Was delicious. Highly recommend.
I have now made this recipe many times for many members of my family, occasionally with some changes.
My personal favorite is to use lobster ravioli instead of the tortellini. So good!
I’ve also omitted the chicken, used different kinds of tortellini, and tonight, I’m subbing crab meat for the chicken.
PS the cream sauce is the closest thing to Alfredo sauce my husband will eat.
This recipe is a hit at my house!
Love, love and loved it!
I saw this recipe and thought that it would be good. However, it was better than I imagined. I cut the amount of mushrooms in half. The sauce itself is over the top.
Excellent. I used pre-cooked bacon and added with the mushrooms.
I made this a few weeks ago for my family. There were no leftovers. I made it again tonight and doubled the recipe so I could have it for lunch tomorrow…..There were no leftovers.
This looks really delicious. Will definitely try this soon! Thank you so much! 🙂
Wow! My husband and daughter is usually a very picky eater and dinner ideas gets hard and always want to try new recipes. Husband and daughter absolutely loved it and said it was one of my best!