This one dish recipe has a wonderful balance of flavours with crispy, roast chicken thighs nestled on top of creamy, garlicky, lemony swiss chard.
I am always looking for new ways to use chicken thighs and this recipe combines many of my favourite flavours and ingredients. Roasting chicken thighs with the skin on and bone in results in an incredibly tender piece of meat with a deliciously crispy skin. Despite roasting in the cream sauce, the chicken skins here will retain all of that wonderful crispiness. Swiss chard is a favourite of mine and it grows so well that we always make sure to have some in our garden each year. Cooked long in a creamy, lemony sauce the chard becomes extremely tender and picks up all of those wonderful flavours. This is definitely a dish I come back to over and over.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken thighs: Use bone in and skin on chicken thighs for this recipe. The long cooking time will ensure the chicken stays tender and the skin becomes crispy.
Swiss Chard: Use any type of chard that you like. I always use the stems as well as the leaves. Strip the leaves off of the stems and then chop the stems into small, uniform pieces. Slice the leaves into ribbons. Keep the stems and leaves separate as they will be added at different times. The chard will cook down quite a bit so make sure to use a large bunch or use 2 bunches.
Garlic: Use fresh and lots of it!
Lemons: I add the lemon zest of 2 lemons and the juice of 1 lemon when I begin the cream sauce – save the juice from the second lemon to add right at the end. I find this gives that pop of fresh flavour that can sometimes be lost after cooking fresh citrus.
White wine: I like to add some white wine to deglaze the pan but if you don’t want to use wine then just use more chicken broth.
Cream: For the base of the sauce, use a heavy, whipping cream. The great thing about this cream-based sauce is that it can be reduced to your desired thickness once the chicken is done.
Chicken broth: It goes without saying that homemade chicken broth is always best but if you don’t have any on hand then it’s perfectly ok to use a good quality store bought broth. I usually look for a good quality organic broth with reduced salt.
How to Make Chicken Thighs with Creamy Lemon Swiss Chard
Start by prepping your ingredients and vegetables. Wash and chop the swiss chard stems and leaves, keeping them separate. Chop the garlic and set aside. Grate the zest off the lemon.
Season the chicken thighs with kosher salt and pepper. Heat a wide, deep skillet or brazier over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and the chicken thighs skin side down. Sear the chicken thighs until the skin is well browned – don’t rush this step, really let the skin crisp up and brown. When browned, flip the thighs over and briefly sear the bottom.
Turn down the heat on the pan and remove the chicken thighs to a plate. Check the level of fat in the pan – if there is a lot, then scoop some out (you only want about 1 tablespoon). Add the chopped chard stems and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute and then add the chopped chard leaves along with the zest and sauté until the leaves are wilted.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the juice of 1 lemon. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the chicken broth and 1 cup of cream. Bring the cream mixture to a simmer and then nestle the chicken thighs on top of the chard.
Transfer the whole pan to the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the pan from the oven and place on the stove top. Be careful of the handle which is now hot; I like to wrap a tea towel around the handle to remind myself that it is hot from the oven. Remove the chicken to a platter and use a slotted spoon to scoop out the chard. Add the remaining cream and lemon juice to the sauce then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue to cook until the sauce has reduced by about half and is a nice sauce consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary and it’s ready to serve!
Pairing & Serving Suggestions:
To serve this dish you can either plate each serving with some of the chard, a chicken thigh or two and top with the sauce, or you can serve family style with the chard in a bowl, the chicken on a platter and the sauce on the side. I usually serve this recipe with roast potatoes, but mashed or steamed potatoes would work well too.
For wine suggestions, the dominant flavours of chicken with lemon and cream traditionally go exceptionally well with Chardonnay. I recently enjoyed it with a bottle of 2018 Tribute Series Chardonnay from Meyer Family Vineyards in Okanagan Falls, BC. Another suggestion would be to try a Viognier, which I feel is a great food white wine and would hold up well with a rich dish like this. A favourite of ours is the Viognier from Moraine Estate Vineyards in Penticton BC.
Further Recipe Suggestions:
I serve this chicken recipe with a side of my Duck Fat Roast Potatoes – recipe coming soon to my blog!
