Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs

I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate spinach artichoke dip to as many dishes as possible. These tarts, from the archive, are a prime example. Or maybe savory cinnamon rolls are more your cup of tea. Either way, I don’t really need an excuse to enjoy a good spinach artichoke dip but I can always use one. These Spinach Artichoke Chicken Thighs are the answer to the weeknight dinner conundrum. It’s a quick and easy dish that you can whip up in no time at all. Leftovers are even better than the first day. I can keep trying to convince you, or you can just make it for yourself!

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with a large pinch of salt and pepper and the granulated onion, granulated garlic, oregano, and paprika.

Once the pot is hot, drizzle in the olive oil and add the chicken in a single layer. Cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

**Note: We’re not looking to cook the chicken the entire way here, just looking to brown and get some great flavor. They’ll continue to cook later on.**

Add the shallot and garlic to the same pot and cook until softened. Stir in the spinach and cook until just starting to wilt.

**Tip: You can also use frozen thawed spinach here if you’d prefer. Just make sure to really squeeze out the excess liquid so as to not add too much moisture.**

Then add the drained artichoke hearts. I grabbed the quartered pieces and left them whole. It saves a step on chopped. But if you want smaller pieces or if all you have are whole artichoke hearts, feel free to give them a rough chop.

**Tip: Frozen artichoke hearts would be good here too, if you can find them!**

Sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds or so. We’re just looking to cook off that raw flour taste, so the sauce doesn’t have a paste-y taste, if that makes sense.

Slowly stir in the chicken stock and half and half along with the juice of half a lemon.

Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper and stir in the parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes.

Return the chicken to the pot, lower the flame and simmer over low heat until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Sprinkle with a bit more parmesan cheese on top right before serving and then it’s good to go.

You can serve this over rice or some pasta oh or even mashed potatoes. A simple salad on the side would be good too. I wanted this to be as easy and stress-free as possible.

If you want to add another layer of flavor, you can crisp up some bacon first then proceed with the recipe as written (browning the chicken in the bacon fat) and then just crumble the crispy bacon on top before serving. I hope you give this one a try because I know you’ll love it. If you do decide to make it, be sure to let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!