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Chicken with Mushrooms, Bacon, Garlic & Spinach

A flavour-packed, easy dinner of chicken thighs in a garlicky, buttery broth flavoured with smoky bacon and earthy mushrooms plus spinach.

Serve with potatoes, grains or try cauliflower 'rice'.

Course Main Course
Cuisine World
Keyword chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2
Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 3 rashers smoked streaky bacon, rind removed cut into small strips
  • 4 chicken thighs, skin on bone-in or boneless
  • salt & black pepper
  • 200 g mushrooms cut into bite sized pieces
  • 20 g butter
  • 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 350 ml chicken stock low salt if possible as you'll be reducing it
  • 2 large handfuls spinach any tough stems removed

Instructions

  1. Put 1 tsp of olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and heat to moderate.

    Add the smoked bacon pieces and cook until browned and starting to crisp (5-10 min).

    Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a plate, leaving the melted fat in the pan.

  2. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

    Place skin side down in the pan and cook, turning as necessary, until browned all over and most of the fat has rendered out of the skin so it's golden and crispy. (10-12 min)

    Remove the chicken and put it on the plate with the bacon. Leave the cooking fat in the pan.

    The thighs will be cooked further in the pan later, but if your chicken thighs are particularly large or thick, you may wish to put them on a baking tray in a moderate oven at this point so that they cook a little more while you carry out the next steps.

  3. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until nicely browned. (5-8 min)

    Remove and put on the plate with the bacon and chicken.

  4. Turn the heat to low and add the butter to the pan.

    When it has melted, add the garlic and gently cook until all raw garlic flavour has gone. (5 min)

  5. Add the chicken stock to the garlic, making sure you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.

  6. Return the chicken thighs to the pan and turn the heat to a gentle simmer.

    Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked all the way through with no pink juices running out when a skewer is inserted. (10-15 min)

  7. Return the bacon and mushrooms to the pan and simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn up the heat a little if you wish to reduce the sauce further.

    Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

    If the chicken skin has lost some of its crispness, put the pan under a hot grill for a few minutes to re-crisp it.

  8. Stir in the spinach and cook for a minute or two until just wilted or done to your liking.

  9. Serve with potatoes, grains or cauliflower 'rice'.