• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
    • Cheryl’s Favorites
    • 30-Minute Recipes
    • Creamy Soups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Casseroles
    • One-Dish Wonders
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Course Main Course

Creamy Whole30 Bacon Mushroom Chicken Thighs with Thyme (Paleo)

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 12/30/21 Updated: 01/03/22
4.99
/5
78 Comments
Jump to Recipe
DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free K Keto LC Low Carb P Paleo 30 Whole30

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs
Pin graphic for Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs

These creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs are absolutely delicious. Crispy skin and tender inside, chicken thighs are coated in a creamy sauce with salty, crispy bacon, earthy mushrooms, and fresh thyme. These creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs might become your favorite quick Whole30 dinner recipe! But for a quick Whole30 dinner recipe, these creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs are totally dinner party worthy.

Whole30 Mushroom bacon chicken thighs in a skillet

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • As soon as I tasted the very first bite of these creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs, I knew it was love. The salty, crispy bacon; the earthy mushrooms with their perfect sear; the garlicky, creamy sauce; the heady herbs; and the tender chicken thighs with their crispy skin? True love, plain and simple.
  • This recipe is easy enough for a quick Whole30 dinner on a weeknight when you don’t really have a ton of time for something extravagant, but it’s also elegant enough for those nights when you have company to impress. And don’t worry about whether or not your non-Whole-30 friends will enjoy it – they absolutely will.
  • Clean-up is a BREEZE because this bacon mushroom chicken dish is a ONE-PAN MEAL. Yup! All the cooking happens in just one large oven-safe skillet. No sink full of dirty dishes looming over you while you eat.

More Delicious Chicken Thigh Recipes

Paleo Cranberry Apple Chicken Thighs with Rosemary (Whole30)

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs

Chicken Vesuvio

Key Ingredients

Chicken Thighs – Opt for bone-in, skin-on thighs here. The skin crisps up beautifully, and the bone keeps the chicken thighs tender and juicy. You could use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts if you’d prefer, but the cooking time will change slightly since they contain less fat than the chicken thighs.

Coconut Milk – Keeping this recipe totally Whole30-compliant, coconut milk forms the base of this cream sauce. It’s totally dairy free, but it still gives you a rich, creamy sauce, and it won’t overwhelm your dish with coconut flavor.

Chef’s Tips

  • To get a really nice, browned skin on the chicken thighs, it’s important that you put them in the skillet and leave them alone. Don’t move them around or pick them up to check them or flip them over constantly. Put them in the skillet and leave them alone for 7 minutes or so. After that, gently pick them up – if the skin sticks at all, set them back down and let them cook a little longer.
  • If you’re NOT on a Whole30 round and/or you’re NOT paleo, you can make the cream sauce with heavy cream instead of coconut cream. Add in a little freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra richness and depth. But ONLY IF you’re not following Whole30/paleo ways of eating. No dairy allowed on those!
  • All of the cooking in this Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thigh recipe takes place in just one skillet. Just one! Make sure you’ve got a good oven mitt handy, though. The skillet will be super hot and you’ll need to handle it quite a bit.
Close up of Whole30 mushroom bacon chicken in a skillet

Try These Whole30 Recipes Next

  • Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (Paleo)
  • Whole30 Chicken Burrito Bowls (Keto, Paleo)
  • Egg Roll in a Bowl Meal Prep (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
  • Whole30 Fried Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl with Gravy
  • Whole30 Chicken Cacciatore

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Whole30 Mushroom bacon chicken thighs in a skillet
4.99 from 57 votes

Creamy Whole30 Bacon Mushroom Chicken Thighs (Paleo)

Prep:15 minutes
Cook:30 minutes
Total:45 minutes
These creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs are absolutely delicious. Crispy skin and tender inside, chicken thighs are coated in a creamy sauce with salty, crispy bacon, earthy mushrooms, and fresh thyme. These creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs might become your favorite quick Whole30 dinner recipe! But for a quick Whole30 dinner recipe, these creamy Whole30 bacon mushroom chicken thighs are totally dinner party worthy.
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
4 servings

Ingredients

  • 5 slices Whole30-compliant bacon diced
  • 4 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs approximately 1 ½ pounds
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms about 3 cups, sliced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme

Equipment

  • Large oven-safe skillet
  • Plates (2)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. In large oven-safe skillet, cook diced bacon over medium heat until bacon is crisp and fat is rendered. Transfer cooked bacon to plate. Pour out bacon grease, leaving 1-2 tablespoons grease in skillet. Raise heat to medium-high.
    Diced bacon in large silver skillet
  • Liberally season both sides of each chicken thigh with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place seasoned chicken thighs in skillet, skin-side down. Place them carefully in such a way that they will cook evenly without needing to be moved. Let chicken thighs cook approximately 7 minutes or until skin is evenly browned and releases easily from skillet. Note: if skin sticks to skillet, continue cooking until skin releases easily.
    Chicken thighs in large skillet
  • Flip chicken thighs over so skin-side faces up. Transfer skillet to preheated oven and cook 13 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160º Fahrenheit.
  • Remove skillet from oven and carefully transfer chicken thighs to another plate. Place skillet on the stovetop and turn heat to medium-high. Take special care to always, always use a pot holder from this step forward; the handle will stay very hot.
  • Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of fat from skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and cook approximately 4 minutes, stirring only once, or until mushrooms are golden brown and slightly softened.
    Sliced mushrooms in large silver skillet
  • Add garlic cloves and sauté, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Pour coconut milk into skillet and add salt and fresh thyme. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer mixture approximately 2 to 4 minutes, until flavors have blended and sauce has reduced slightly.
  • Add bacon to sauce and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Return chicken thighs to skillet and coat with sauce. Serve warm with mashed potatoes or cauliflower rice and some leafy greens.

Notes

  • To get a really nice, browned skin on the chicken thighs, it’s important that you put them in the skillet and leave them alone. Don’t move them around or pick them up to check them or flip them over constantly. Put them in the skillet and leave them alone for 7 minutes or so. After that, gently pick them up – if the skin sticks at all, set them back down and let them cook a little longer.
  • If you’re NOT on a Whole30 round and/or you’re NOT paleo, you can make the cream sauce with heavy cream instead of coconut cream. Add in a little freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra richness and depth. But ONLY IF you’re not following Whole30/paleo ways of eating. No dairy allowed on those!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 561kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 47g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 160mg, Sodium: 460mg, Potassium: 756mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 200IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 4mg, Net Carbs: 5g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram
Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • Whole30 chicken bacon ranch poppers with Whole30 dump ranch dressing
    Whole30 Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers (Paleo)
  • This Whole30 cranberry chicken is a simple but flavorful Whole30 dinner recipe that you'll love in the fall and winter! With just a few recipes, this Whole30 cranberry chicken is so good when you need a fruity flavor but want to keep it quick and easy. Bound to become a favorite Whole30 dinner recipe!
    Whole30 Cranberry Chicken (Paleo)
  • Chicken Piccata (Paleo, Gluten Free)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Jean says

    Posted on 11/20/22 at 9:27 am

    This looks great and I plan to make it tonight! Can you tell me what type of coconut milk you use? I have Whole30 compliant coconut milk in a carton in the fridge, but do you mean the canned type with more fat? TIA!5 stars

    Reply
    • Molly | 40 Aprons TeamMolly | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 11/21/22 at 2:48 pm

      Out of the carton or can should work fine for this. Let us know what you ended up using! Thanks so much for the review!

      Reply
  2. Reese says

    Posted on 10/23/22 at 9:35 pm

    AGAIN!!!! This recipe is AWESOME!!!! And easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And fun!!!!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Molly | 40 Aprons TeamMolly | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 10/26/22 at 4:18 pm

      All the things it was created to be! Thanks so much for all the love, Reese! YOU’RE awesome!

      Reply
  3. Reese says

    Posted on 10/9/22 at 9:28 am

    Super amazing, super easy, and super delicious recipe!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 10/9/22 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks so much, Reese! So happy this was a hit for you!

      Reply
      • Reese says

        Posted on 10/23/22 at 9:37 pm

        I just started my WHOLE30 reset and of course, I’ve chosen this recipe to kick it off!!!5 stars

      • Molly | 40 Aprons TeamMolly | 40 Aprons Team says

        Posted on 10/26/22 at 4:16 pm

        You picked a great recipe to kick it off with! Hope your reset continues to go well!

  4. Angela says

    Posted on 5/10/22 at 7:11 pm

    This was soooo good! I had boneless skinless thighs and pork belly on hand and the layers of flavor were incredible! It was devoured by the non-WHOLE30 family members too 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 5/18/22 at 12:49 pm

      LOVE when we can please everyone in one go! Thanks for your review, Angela!

      Reply
  5. Jessica says

    Posted on 4/30/22 at 7:23 pm

    I call this Crack Chicken. It’s been awhile since I made it and don’t know why I stopped. So tasty!5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 5/1/22 at 3:39 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it!5 stars

      Reply
  6. Nancy Diaz says

    Posted on 2/5/22 at 6:46 pm

    I used boneless skinless thighs since that’s what I had. Just delicious.5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 2/16/22 at 6:23 pm

      Yum! So glad you enjoyed it!5 stars

      Reply
  7. Tonia Parker says

    Posted on 2/4/22 at 6:14 pm

    Made this twice and it’s absolutely delicious!! I used a can of coconut cream the second time (what I had) and it was extra good 😀. This is now in our regular rotation.5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 2/16/22 at 6:25 pm

      Wonderful1 So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂5 stars

      Reply
  8. Pam says

    Posted on 10/25/21 at 5:04 pm

    This is our favorite. We made it the first time during quarantine and it’s been a go to ever since. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 10/27/21 at 8:33 pm

      Thank you for the review, Pam! So glad y’all enjoyed it.:)5 stars

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

Reusable meal prep trays with sweet potato, scrambled eggs, and sausage for a whole30 breakfast

Whole30 Breakfast Meal Prep

Crispy, golden air fryer tater tots in a large white serving bowl next to a small ramekin of bright red ketchup.

Air Fryer Tater Tots

Overhead view of marry me chicken in a cast iron skillet

Marry Me Chicken (Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)

Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl

Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

In Season

Whole30 In-n-Out burgers close up

Whole30 Burgers – Burger Joint Style (Paleo, Low Carb)

Overhead photo of keto chicken tortilla soup in a rustic bowl

Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup (Low Carb, Gluten Free)

Air fryer chicken wings on a platter with sauce

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings in Buffalo Sauce

Instant pot frozen chicken breast - easy chicken recipes for dinners with few ingredients

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
66542 shares