Garlic Butter Chicken with Spinach and Bacon

Comfort food is heavenly and I bet all of us love some good comfort food! Snow flakes may be flurrying outside and a fire going inside… how cozy and delightful it is to smell the most incredible aroma through the home. I stumbled across this garlic butter chicken with spinach and bacon recipe and my family fell in love! Even my pickiest eaters love it. It has an amazing flavor because of sautéed garlic, bacon, and parmesan that cut through the cream and spinach. Wheww! It makes your taste buds jump for joy. This is definitely one for the books!

You can use the bacon grease to cook the chicken in for extra flavor! Once cooked, remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

Melt the butter in the remaining cooking juices leftover in the pan. Add in the onion and garlic and fry until fragrant (about one minute).

RECIPE

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs, boneless and skin off (Or chicken breast)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup chicken broth (or dry white wine)
1/2 cup crispy bacon, chopped
1 3/4 cups half and half
3 cups baby spinach leaves
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Crushed chili pepper flakes, optional (I leave out for the sensitive kiddos)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 1 tablespoon of water (optional, if you like a thicker sauce)

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the garlic butter chicken thighs with creamy spinach and bacon: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper, and sear in the pan for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Once cooked, remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in the remaining cooking juices leftover in the pan. Add in the onion and garlic and fry until fragrant (about one minute). Pour in the chicken stock (or white wine, if using), and allow to reduce down slightly. Add the crispy bacon and fry for 1-2 minutes to release the flavors.

3. Reduce heat to low heat, add the half and half (or heavy cream), and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Make sure to lower the heat to avoid the sauce to separate. Add Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

4. Add in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce, and add in the parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce. For a thicker sauce, add the cornstarch mixture (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water, see the ingredients list) to the skillet, and continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture through until the sauce thickens.

5. Add the cooked chicken back into the pan; sprinkle with chili pepper flakes (if using), and spoon the sauce over each chicken thigh. Serve the Garlic Butter Chicken with Spinach and Bacon over mashed potatoes, rice, or a low-carb favorite like zoodles, cauliflower rice, or steamed veggies. Enjoy!