Season and Coat the Chicken: Chicken thighs get seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Each piece then gets lightly coated in flour. This helps build a thick sauce later.
Brown the Chicken: Vegetable oil heats in a wide skillet over medium heat. Chicken goes in and cooks until golden on both sides. The chicken does not need to cook fully here. Set it aside once browned.
Build the Flavor Base: Butter melts in the same skillet. Sliced onion goes in and cooks until soft and slightly golden. Garlic joins next and cooks just until fragrant.
Create the Sauce: Chicken broth gets poured in slowly while scraping the bottom of the pan. This lifts all the flavor left behind. Let it simmer for a few minutes until slightly reduced.
Add the Cream: Heavy cream goes into the pan and gets stirred gently. The sauce thickens as it warms and turns smooth and rich.
Smother the Chicken: Chicken returns to the skillet and gets nestled into the sauce. Spoon sauce over the top so everything stays coated.
Simmer Until Tender: Lower the heat and let everything simmer gently for about 25 minutes. The sauce thickens more and the chicken turns fork tender.
