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Because sometimes you want something creamy and peppery, but your brain’s not up for complicated.
So look, this started because I had chicken thighs and nothing resembling a plan. I’d been scrolling past “steak au poivre” recipes for years — they always looked delicious, but also kinda like something a person in a silk robe would make. Not me. I’m more of a messy bun and butter-splattered tea towel type.
Anyway, I didn’t have steak, but I did have chicken. And peppercorns. And cream. And let me tell you — this ended up being one of those “oops, I made something amazing” nights.
Here’s What You Need
(Or, what I had lying around when this magic happened)
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Chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless, around 2 pounds. I think I used 7?
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A handful of whole black peppercorns. Not ground. You’ll be smashing them later. Very therapeutic.
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Olive oil. A couple tablespoons.
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Butter. A little bit more than you think is probably fine. I used 2 tablespoons.
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Shallot. Just one. Or use a bit of red onion if that’s what’s in the drawer.
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Chicken broth. I poured a cup straight from one of those boxes.
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Heavy cream. ¾ cup. Use the real stuff. No regrets here.
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A few sprigs of thyme (or shake in some dried stuff and call it a day).
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Juice from half a lemon. Optional but honestly so good.
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Salt. Kosher, if you’ve got it.
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Parsley. I chopped some because it was in the fridge. Totally optional.
How It Came Together
(Warning: Not a chef. Just winging it, like always.)
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Smashed some peppercorns.
Threw them in a zip-top bag and whacked them with a heavy jar. You don’t want dust — just broken pieces. You’ll know when it feels right. -
Seared the chicken.
Heated olive oil in a big skillet, salted the chicken, then browned them on both sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan — I did two batches because they were getting grumpy and steaming instead of browning. -
Set the chicken aside.
Just on a plate. They weren’t done yet, just getting some color. -
Started the sauce.
Melted butter in the same skillet, tossed in minced shallot, stirred for a minute. Then added broth, cream, thyme, and all those cracked pepper bits. Scraped up the stuck-on bits (aka flavor). -
Put the chicken back in.
Nestled it all down in the sauce, turned the heat to a low simmer, and let it bubble for 7ish minutes. I spooned the sauce over the top now and then, mostly because it smelled so good I had to do something. -
Finished the sauce.
Once the chicken was done (165°F if you’re a thermometer person), I pulled it out, tossed the thyme, and stirred in lemon juice. Let it cook a minute more. Threw in parsley at the very end.
What I Served It With
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Leftover mashed potatoes that were somehow better the second time around
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A green salad I almost forgot about
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Bread from the freezer I reheated and pretended was fresh
No one asked for dessert. We were full and happy.
Leftovers?
Put it in a container and eat it the next day. It reheats beautifully in a skillet with a splash of broth or cream. Microwave works too. I had mine standing over the stove with a fork and no plate. Zero shame.
One Last Thing
If you’re looking for something easy but fancy enough — like, “impress your partner but still be in sweatpants” energy — this chicken is it. It’s cozy, peppery, rich without being heavy, and just different enough to feel like you tried.
Chicken au Poivre
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns roughly cracked
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 6-8 thighs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons shallot minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 lemon juice only
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Roughly crack the peppercorns using a mortar and pestle, or place them in a zip-top bag and crush with a mallet or pan bottom.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add butter and shallots to the same skillet. Sauté until shallots are soft, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, thyme sprigs, and cracked peppercorns. Scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Simmer 1-2 minutes.
- Return chicken to the skillet with its juices. Simmer, basting occasionally, until chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature, about 6–8 minutes.
- Remove cooked chicken to serving plates. Discard thyme sprigs.
- Stir lemon juice into the skillet and let the sauce reduce slightly, about 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and stir in fresh parsley.
- Spoon the creamy pepper sauce over the chicken and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition