One-Pan Artichoke Chicken with White Wine Sauce

This artichoke chicken with white wine sauce is light and fresh (no heavy cream here!), and so simple to make at home with chicken thighs and canned artichokes. A one-pan dinner, it’s ready within 45 minutes. Zero fuss, and still jam-packed with flavor.

Jump to:

• What’s the Best Way to Cook Chicken Thighs?
• Can I Use Chicken Breasts?
• Artichoke Chicken Ingredients
• How to Make Artichoke Chicken
• Chef’s Tips!
• I Don’t Drink Wine – What Can I Substitute?
• What to Serve with Artichoke Chicken Thighs
• More Skillet Chicken Recipes
• Recipe
•  

Artichoke chicken can be deceptive. What you think you’re getting – tender, sweet artichoke hearts nestled with juicy chicken – can often be masked with heavy cream sauces. 

Not this recipe. Simple preparation and a short list of ingredients let the stars of the show shine deliciously. No fuss, no pretension, just real good food, made simply. This chicken is one of our favorite restaurant-quality meals that you can make at home:

• crispy crackly skin
• tender juicy chicken meat
• sweet silky artichokes
• and a to-die for pan sauce that’s perfectly balanced between tart and sweet and garlickly goodness

This is, as the kids say, darn fine chicken that you can cook from the comfort of your own home in your fave yoga pants while the kids tear the house apart. But it’s all good, because you know you’ll be shoving this chicken into your face in less than 45 minutes.

What’s the Best Way to Cook Chicken Thighs?

We love chicken thighs for their affordability and flavor, and there are three great ways to cook them: if you’re a beginner, consider a simple treatment like air fryer chicken thighs; if you’re on a time-crunch, you can’t go wrong with sheet pan chicken thighs; but if you enjoy a bit more of the process, skillet chicken thigh recipes are a great way to expand your skill set.

We like a three-step approach when cooking chicken thighs in a skillet – sear, deglaze, bake. The ideal tool? A cast iron skillet – it easily goes from stovetop to oven and heats fairly evenly. This process for skillet chicken works best with bone-in chicken pieces, but can be tweaked for a variety of different dishes.

• First, sear the skin to create a crackling crust. This browning process will infuse the sauce, and the actual chicken meat, with flavor.
• Next, deglaze the pan. This means you’ll pour a liquid (usually something slightly acidic like wine or broth with lemon juice) into the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Those bits (created by the searing process) will get absorbed into the deglazing liquid, creating a pan sauce that’s infused with flavor.
• Last, bake until tender. Return the chicken to the skillet with the pan sauce, then transfer to the oven until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.

Can I Use Chicken Breasts?

If we’re talking about bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (aka “airline chicken”) then yes, absolutely! Chicken breasts are larger and will need a longer cook time, so be sure to check the internal temperature using and instant read thermometer.

Boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs for that matter) require a slightly different technique and can be cooked entirely on the stovetop. If you’re in the mood to experiment, or experienced with adapting different techniques, the process for our one-pan creamy pesto chicken or tomato basil skillet chicken can be applied.

Artichoke Chicken Ingredients

This recipe is so simple, and the best part? You don’t need a bunch of ingredients for incredible flavor:

• Chicken Thighs: bone-in, skin-on, pastured and locally sourced when possible for the freshest flavor
• Garlic: coarsely chopped
• Artichoke Hearts: canned; quartered or whole (slice whole artichoke hearts in half first)
• Dry White Wine: something good enough to drink on its own
• Chicken Broth: homemade bone broth will yield a sauce with more body, but store-bought is just fine; purchase low sodium chicken broth so you can season to taste or if you’re salt sensitive.
• Lemon: a whole fresh lemon, thinly sliced
• Tarragon: fresh tarragon is very slightly licorice-y and peppery; it’s a great flavor compliment to chicken.
• Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
• Ground Pepper

How to Make Artichoke Chicken

As much as I love fresh artichokes, canned artichokes have their place in my kitchen, and this artichoke chicken recipe is one reason why. Zero fuss, way less work, but still jam-packed with flavor. My take on artichoke chicken is light and fresh (no cream here!) and emerges from the oven crispy and tender, with a perfect pan sauce in just 45 minutes (and half of that time is completely hands-off!).

1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
2. Sautee the chicken skin-side down in 12″ cast iron skillet (or other oven safe skillet) until it’s golden brown and crispy. Flip it over and sautee the underside for about a minute, then remove the chicken and transfer to a plate. 
3. Add the garlic to the skillet and sautee until it’s soft and golden brown. Stir it frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn. Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the garlic. 
4. Add the artichokes to the garlic; saute for 1 minute, tossing frequently. 
5. Pour in the white wine and chicken broth and cook until the liquid stops bubbling (about a minute). 
6. Tuck the lemons slices throughout the artichokes, then nestle the chicken thighs into the pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
7. Transfer the skillet to a 375°F oven and braise until the chicken is cooked through – anywhere from 20-25 minutes, depending on size, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a thermometer friends – it’s your poultry BFF. 
8. Sprinkle the chicken with fresh chopped tarragon just before serving.

Chef’s Tips!

• A 12″ cast iron skillet is perfect for this recipe, and easily transfers from stove-top to oven. If you don’t have cast iron, be sure to use a heavy bottomed oven-safe skillet.
• Season the chicken liberally, both the skin and underside, before browning; the seasoning will help infuse the chicken with flavor throughout, and will also season the finished sauce.
• Generously brown the chicken for super crispy skin and best flavor in the pan sauce. Don’t flip until the chicken easily releases from the pan, and be sure the skin is nice and golden brown. 
• Drain the artichokes well, and allow them to further drain over a bowl while you brown the chicken. Drier artichoke hearts will brown a bit more, adding more flavor. 
• Be sure to crush the sautéed garlic. This will help the garlic achieve the sweet flavor of roasted garlic while the chicken braises.
• Use a crisp dry white wine for best flavor, like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or an unoaked Chardonnay. Avoid overly sweet wines like Riesling or Moscato. Use a wine that you’d happily drink. 

I Don’t Drink Wine – What Can I Substitute?

If you prefer not to cook with wine, or you’re following a diet that doesn’t allow it (like a Whole30), you can easily customize this recipe. Instead of ¾ cup of white wine, using 1 ¾ cups chicken broth along with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. 

What to Serve with Artichoke Chicken Thighs

I use 6 chicken thighs to serve my family of four (my kids eat one apiece, and my husband and I like two each). We like to serve it with at least 2 vegetables to really round out our plates, and sometimes we’ll add a starchy bed to sop up all that pan sauce!

• With your favorite seasonal vegetable, like roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts, garlic green beans, roasted broccolini, steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach or kale, or braised swiss chard. 
• With your favorite starchy side, like roasted potatoes, rice, quinoa or thin pasta like spaghetti or angel hair. 

More Skillet Chicken Recipes

• Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Apple Chicken with Cider Sauce
• Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
• Creamy Garlic Chicken
• Mushroom Bacon Chicken Breasts

Did you make this Artichoke Chicken? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

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Recipe