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Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Lord have mercy. I honestly cannot begin to express how crazy delicious these low-carb spinach and artichoke chicken thighs are. Spinach and artichoke go together like the moon and the stars. You toss in some thick, juicy, crispy-skinned chicken thighs to the party and you’ve got yourself a culinary moment worth pausing for. I highly recommend you serve this with cauliflower rice or regular rice. The way those lil morsels just soak up that insanely decadent sauce…just..*chefs kiss*

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs Feat1

Tips on Reheating

So, boom — I ate one piece initially. Then later that night, I went back for another serving. The skin wasn’t crispy anymore because it had been in the fridge, and yanno, condensation. Microwaving it would only get it hot, but it wouldn’t give me that same crispiness the oven gave me from jump. Insert the air fryer! I absolutely looooove reheating roasted chicken (and damn near everything else) in my air fryer. It just gets it right and doesn’t overcook it — so long as you keep an eye on it. Anyway, my chicken reheated p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y, and I sat it on top of some delicious cauliflower rice with more of that amazing sauce…I cussed, it was so good!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs Feat5

This meal is low carb and keto-friendly. We’re using high-quality fats and cheeses, and not skimping on flavor. I’m not able to provide net carbs for this, because there’s truly no way to calculate a serving size. It all depends on you. You may only want a little of the sauce, or you may want a lot. Your thighs may be bigger than mine (heh), or smaller. Overall, we’re using low-carb, keto-friendly ingredients. Just try to avoid eating all of it if you’re in a calorie deficit (and that goes for any diet).

 

But Resha, these ingredients…

Let me tell you, if you don’t have a particular ingredient for this dish, please do not freak out. A lot of times, I try to use up whatever I have lying around before it shrivels up and dies in my fridge — especially herbs. I also had a poblano pepper about 3 days from rotting into a green bean, so I chucked that in as well. Totally leave the poblano out if you don’t have it and don’t wanna have to go buy it. As long as you have the main players, this will turn out fantastic.

How to Make Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs 

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Season your chicken!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Gang’s all here.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Season the skin and add a very tiny drizzle of oil. Don’t saturate it with oil, chicken thighs are PLENTY fatty on their own.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Sear the skin until golden brown.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

See all that fat rendered? You’ll know the chicken is ready to flip when they stop resisting. This should take anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Perfection.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Drain all that burnt fat off and start with fresh olive oil and butter.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Make sure you’re doing this over medium heat. It’s nice and hot when the butter is foamy and sizzling.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Add the poblanos (if using), garlic, scallions, and season with flaky kosher salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Saute until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

When the garlic begins to toast along the edges, add the fresh thyme and rosemary. Cook until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Notice how the garlic has toasted along the edges? Time to move on to the next step.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Toss in the drained artichokes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Stir those babies around to deglaze any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. We just wanna heat these through.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Add the fresh dill, and keep cookin.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Lookin good.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Pour in the chicken stock and heavy cream.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Add the cream cheese, breaking it up to help it melt.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Add the lemon zest (mine sank).

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Season with garlic powder, black pepper, and more salt if needed.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

After simmering for a while, add the lemon juice.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs 23

Toss in the fresh spinach. You can use frozen if that’s all you have, just make sure it’s WELL drained.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Add in the freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese. Make sure you grate it yourself!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Don’t forget the nutmeg. Freshly grated is always best, but use what you have. SEE NOTE below in recipe for tips.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

While it’s simmering and thickening and getting all happy, add the fresh chives and parsley.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Continue to simmer until thickened to your liking. This can take anywhere from 8-15 minutes, depending

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Give it a taste. See what it needs.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Mine needed lots of onion powder, so I went there.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

It’s perfect, now all it needs is the yard bird.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

Arrange the chicken back in, making sure to keep the crispy skin exposed as much as you can. Pop this dish into your preheated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes to fully cook the chicken. 

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

All done. Let her rest for 10 minutes, she’s been working hard.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

You’re gonna love this, no matter what kind of diet you’re on. 

Check out more yummy recipes:

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Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs 33

Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Thighs


  • Author: Chef Resha
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Description

Crispy-skinned chicken thighs, swimming in a lusciously creamy, cheesy spinach and artichoke bath. So dang good. You don’t have to use every fresh herb listed here. I tend to use whatever I have lying around.


Ingredients

Units
  • 68 large chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin
  • Flaky kosher salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • herbs de provence, to taste
  • onion powder, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons poblano peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 8 ounces of cream cheese
  • 9 ounces of fresh spinach
  • 1 14ounce can quartered artichokes (SEE NOTE)
  • Zest from one lemon, plus juice from half a lemon
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (SEE NOTE)
  • 1 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions

Equipment used: Braiser dish

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Season the flesh side of the chicken thighs with flaky kosher salt, black pepper, herbs de provence, onion powder, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Massage the seasonings into the meat. Flip the chicken over and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Season the skin with flaky kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil total over all the chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are very fatty, so they do not need a crazy amount of added oil.
  3. Set a large oven-safe deep-sided skillet or braiser over medium heat. When the pan is nice and hot, gently place each chicken thigh skin-side down. Allow the skin to brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, then flip to cook the flesh side. The chicken will be ready to flip when it’s no longer sticking. There will be a lot of rendered fat in the bottom of the pan. Cook the chicken on the flesh side for about 6-8 minutes longer, then transfer the chicken to a plate to rest while you make the sauce. Do not cover the chicken, we don’t want the skin to get soggy. The chicken is not done at this point but will continue to cook in the oven later. 
  4. Drain all of the rendered fat from the skillet and return to medium heat. At this point, much of the rendered fat has lots of scorched bits, so let’s just start with fresh fat.
  5. Add in a nice drizzle of olive oil, and a pat of butter. When the butter begins to sizzle and foam, add the sliced garlic, scallions, and poblano peppers (if using). Season with kosher salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes or so. Add a good pinch of herbs de provence, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary. Stir to infuse, about 30 seconds.
  6. Next, add the drained artichokes and stir to scoop up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Heat the artichokes through, about 2 minutes, then stir in the fresh chives. Pour in the chicken stock and heavy cream. Add the cream cheese in small pieces so that it melts a little easier, the lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper if needed. 
  7. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat to fully melt the cream cheese and allow it to thicken up a bit. It won’t be gloopy, but it should be a nice gravy-like consistency. This will take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes or so. 
  8. Squeeze in the juice from half of a lemon. Toss in the fresh spinach and gently stir to submerge. Add the grated pecorino cheese, along with the freshly ground nutmeg. Stir to combine. Next, stir in the fresh parsley, fresh chives and allow the mixture to continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. At this point, I determined mine needed a good amount of onion powder, but do what you want with yours.
  9. When the mixture is thickened to your liking, gently arrange each chicken thigh inside, making sure to keep as much of the crispy skin exposed as you can. Place the entire dish in your preheated oven and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will allow the chicken to continue cooking through, as well as blend all of the flavors together. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked (an instant-read thermometer should register 170-175 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the chicken), remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with additional grated cheese and fresh herbs. 
  10. Serve with cauliflower rice, regular rice, or potatoes. Enjoy.

Notes

You can use frozen (thawed) artichokes. If using canned or jarred, make sure they’re packed in either brine or water, NOT an oil.

If using finely pre-ground nutmeg, use just half of what’s called for. It’s much more finely ground than if you were to grind it yourself, and you don’t want it to overpower the dish. If grating your own nutmeg fresh, use 1/8 teaspoon.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Low Carb, Keto
  • Method: Braising

Keywords: spinach artichoke chicken thighs, braised chicken thighs, chicken thighs, keto, keto-friendly, low carb

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Recipe rating

  1. Cathy says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
    Pretty good but way too much cream cheese ★★★
  2. Anne says:

    This was delicious!!! Don’t tell anyone but I’m treating my extra sauce like dip ?

  3. ChrissieK says:

    This dish was AMAZING!! Hands down one of my top 3 Chef Resha recipes, and its low-carb!! Next time I try cauliflower rice and keep it keto!

  4. Veronnica Gunn says:

    Amazing recipe! How would you recommend warming it up as leftovers?

    • Chef Resha says:

      If you have an air-fryer, I would highly recommend reheating the chicken in there. it will also help re-crisp the skin. As for the sauce, its best reheated in either a microwave on low-power to prevent separating (stirring every 20-30 seconds) or over the stove — with a little more moisture added to emulsify it.

  5. Craig says:

    Amazing dish, full of flavor! Very easy to make. Thank you! So good!

  6. Colette says:

    Yassssssssssss! So filling and delicious !!!

  7. Chelsea says:

    Loved it, however, I didn’t have fresh like anything except chives and spinach. Used McCormicks rosemary, thyme, parsley, dill, minced garlic, chopped onion, and ground nutmeg, oh and 1/2 n 1/2 instead of heavy cream. Even with my modifications I followed the recipe and it was amazing! Thanks for sharing

  8. Nik says:

    Thanks for these awesome recipes! Would you ever add onions before hand so you can skip the step of adding onion powder at the end?

  9. Trinity says:

    Oh my goodness.. I just started keto, a week ago and this is what I need in my life. ❤️

  10. Dana Powell says:

    I made this when my family came into town this weekend. Everyone loved it! So yummy. Definitely felt like a treat to eat.

  11. Bukky says:

    This was sooooo good! Followed the recipe to a tee and paired it with cauliflower rice. Everyone ate it up even the 4 year old with texture issues. Thank you for bringing the innanets some TASTY keto dishes.