Creamy Bacon Rosemary Mushroom Chicken Thighs
on Oct 14, 2016, Updated Sep 04, 2023
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This Creamy Bacon Rosemary Mushroom Chicken Thighs recipe is for all the bacon and mushroom lovers out there! It is creamy, smoky in flavor and the rosemary does wonders to it! Dig in on a weeknight with some rice and you have a soul filling meal!
This creamy bacon rosemary mushroom chicken thighs is my new favorite recipe for all the right reasons – The sauce is creamy, smoky and so fragrant with rosemary and bacon, and it gets made entirely in one pan which is definitely win win when I’m thinking weeknight dinner. It gets that super crispy chicken skin from cooking in all that bacon fat and you get looooots of mushrooms in every bite.
Table of contents
Top Tips To Make The Best Creamy Bacon Rosemary Chicken Thighs
- I would highly recommend using only chicken thigh pieces for this recipe. That’s because thigh pieces can withstand the high cooking temperatures and remain tender until the very end. Unlike breast pieces that tend to dry out and become chewy.
- I have used fresh rosemary for this recipe, but you can use dried or frozen as well if that’s more easily available to you.
What to serve this with
All we need is some steamed rice on the side. Yes, we are doing steamed rice instead of warm crusty bread although if you are a bread lover then this creamy bacon rosemary mushroom chicken can be a real winner with bread too. But I just love pouring all that sauce over rice and letting it all soak down to the bottom. Every bite is rice + creamy bacon rosemary mushroom sauce + chicken = heaven.
And while I’m looking forward to all the biking and the chilly air hitting my face in the morning, I think I’m looking forward even more to some of this super creamy bacon rosemary mushroom chicken. Every weeknight dinner should involve some bacon, don’t you think? Dinner goals peeps.
Creamy Bacon Rosemary Mushroom Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Thighs, skin on, bone-in
- 6-8 Bacon Strips, diced
- 6-7 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 cups Button Mushrooms, quartered
- 2 Rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- Salt and Pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, add chicken thighs and season them with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add diced bacon to a skillet or pan and cook till golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving bacon fat in the pan. Slide in the chicken thighs and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes till they are golden brown and the skin is crispy. Remove the chicken on a plate and set aside.
- To the same pan add garlic and mushrooms and cook on medium high heat till the mushrooms are nice and golden. Cooking mushrooms on high heat keeps them nice and juicy.
- Add the finely chopped rosemary to the pan along with butter and flour. Cook the flour for a minute and add milk slowly while whisking continuously. Bring this to a simmer while whisking till the sauce is thick and smooth.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add chicken and bacon to the pan. Cover and cook on a low flame for 25-30 minutes till the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a little more milk. Sprinkle with more bacon and serve.
Notes
- Bacon fat: Remember to reserve the bacon fat as it contains a lot of flavour. Directly cook the chicken thighs in the bacon fat as mentioned in the recipe.
- Chicken Thighs vs. Breasts: I highly recommend using chicken thighs but if you are using chicken breasts, you will need to adjust the timings. Chicken breast cooks much faster than thighs and should be cooked in 18-20 minutes.
- Knowing when the chicken is cooked: The internal temperature of cooked chicken should read 165F/73C. The most handy way to tell would be using a meat thermometer. If you do not own one, you can cut and check the juices. If the meat is white in colour and the juices run clear that means the chicken is cooked. The meat or the juices should not have a red/pinkish hue.
Hi! I am excited to try this recipe for my family of 7 with two small kids. I was wondering if I could make this in the crockpot? And also wondering if I should sear the chicken before I put it in the crockpot. I’m looking forward to trying your other dishes! They all look so good! Thank you for sharing!
Hey Sue, this should work in the crockpot. However I’m not sure of the cooking times since I’ve never tried it myself. You should definitely sear the chicken before adding it.
Hey can I substitute the milk for coconut milk/almond milk. We’re trying to not have dairy.
Sure that should definitely work!
Hi.. Can you suggest a substitute for rosemary since its not available in my place.. Thank you
Hi Janani, you can use dried rosemary in place of fresh rosemary, or use any other herbs that are easily available – basil, oregano, sagy, thyme – anything works with this recipe 🙂