Rustic Roasted Garlic Chicken with Asiago Gravy
This Rustic Roasted Garlic Chicken with Asiago Gravy is a flavorful one-pot dish featuring golden-browned chicken thighs roasted alongside whole garlic cloves, fresh thyme, and a rich cheesy asiago sauce. The savory gravy is infused with garlic and onions, making it a comforting meal perfect for any dinner. The recipe offers versatile cooking options including oven roasting, stovetop simmering, and slow cooking, as well as helpful variations for a complete one-pan meal.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Courses
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4–6 thighs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Gravy and Aromatics
- 1 onion, diced
- 20 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese (or Parmesan), grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the Chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown them about 3-5 minutes per side until they develop a golden crust. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add diced onion and peeled garlic cloves. Sauté until the onions soften and the garlic and onions turn lightly browned, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Add Thyme and Flour: Sprinkle the chopped thyme and flour over the aromatics. Cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste and to incorporate the herbs.
- Deglaze the Pan: Pour in the chicken broth while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a spoon. Let the broth sizzle and mix into the gravy base.
- Incorporate Cheese and Season: Stir the grated Asiago cheese into the sauce until melted and combined. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the Chicken with Gravy: Return the browned chicken thighs to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil. Either place the skillet in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven and roast for 15 minutes, or reduce stove heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Option: After completing steps 1-5, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-10 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. If skipping browning, whisk flour into the broth before adding to the slow cooker.
- Bacon Variation: Cook 4 strips of bacon first, set aside, and sauté onion in the bacon grease. Add crumbled bacon to the sauce after roasting for extra flavor.
- One-Pan Meal: Add 8 ounces of pasta and 2 1/4 cups broth or water (or 1 cup of rice and 2 cups broth or water) to the sauce in step 5. Simmer covered until cooked, about 12 minutes for pasta (or 20 minutes for rice). Alternatively, roast covered with these additions until done: 15 minutes for pasta or 25 minutes for rice.
- Additional Flavor Boosts: Add 1 tablespoon white miso paste, a splash of lemon juice, or 1/2 cup cream to the sauce for different flavor profiles.
- Vegetable Additions: Add 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms with onions or add diced potatoes and carrots to the pan before placing chicken on top and roasting until veggies are tender, about 20-30 minutes, for a hearty one-pot meal.