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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
80 Comments
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DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free K Keto LC Low Carb P Paleo 30 Whole30

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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

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 58 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.
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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

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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.

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  1. Michael V says

    Posted on 6/21/21 at 4:22 pm

    Just looking at the macros, it says a serving is 4g? Is that supposed to be Oz?

    Either way I’m trying this tonight.

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

      Posted on 6/21/21 at 5:18 pm

      Oops, no – that’s a glitch on some of our older posts! Sorry about that. We’re working to get all of those fixed, so thank you for bringing this one to our attention! The macros shown are general guidelines for one serving out of 4, not including any sides. 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 4. The result will be the weight of one serving!

      Hope you love the recipe!!

      Reply
  2. Meg Thompson says

    Posted on 2/25/21 at 4:34 pm

    Made this last night and my boyfriend loved it! I’m so glad we doubled the recipe so we can eat it for leftovers!5 stars

    Reply
  3. Tanya says

    Posted on 9/19/20 at 10:27 pm

    This recipe was SUPERB!
    Loved it..and The preparation was so Simple😋5 stars

    Reply
    • Amelia Camurati says

      Posted on 9/23/20 at 8:59 am

      Glad you loved it Tanya!

      Reply
  4. Jean Black says

    Posted on 9/1/20 at 9:13 am

    Really good. I had a multiple spice mix that I used, because I didn’t have an Italian mix, but it had similar spices. Did not use 2 teaspoons because I was a bit unsure, but other than that made it the same. I love chicken thighs and this was a great combination. I put it on Basmati rice – delish!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Amelia Camurati says

      Posted on 9/10/20 at 12:45 pm

      Glad this was a hit Jean!5 stars

      Reply
  5. Coralie says

    Posted on 6/14/20 at 5:03 pm

    Excellent flavor – made exactly as directed!5 stars

    Reply
  6. Steve Biederman says

    Posted on 1/9/20 at 3:38 pm

    Have made this twice in the last week since stumbling on it. It is honestly one of the best tasting dishes I’ve ever eaten, period. Who’d a thunk it would be compliant with any diet, anytime, anywhere.5 stars

    Reply
  7. Nancy says

    Posted on 11/7/19 at 8:15 pm

    This was awesome! The flavor combinations in the sauce were amazingly delicious! And the Italian seasoning on the chicken was a pleasant compliment to it’s deliciousness! Followed the recipe to the “T” and would not change a thing. Used my cast iron skillet which worked out perfectly. Served the dish with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. This is a definite “go to” chicken dish and will be something I make often.

    Reply
  8. Jo says

    Posted on 6/25/19 at 5:36 pm

    Made this tonight and it was a hit with my crew. Husband said you can make this again anytime. HEALTHLY EATING SCORE!!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 7/11/19 at 12:47 pm

      It is a great thing when the husband approves.. score!

      Reply
  9. Sasha says

    Posted on 5/23/19 at 1:55 am

    Recipe overall is great. Unfortunately it took really long for my sauce to be sauce-like, rather than soup-like. I would recommend patting dry the cut mushrooms, draining some of the mushroom juices before adding the coconut milk, and perhaps doing coconut cream instead of coconut milk. Luckily I had some time to reduce down the sauce and some cassava flour on hand to add some thickening help, but it did really take significant time. SO yummy in the end though!4 stars

    Reply
  10. Bev says

    Posted on 7/17/18 at 8:25 pm

    I made this today and it was incredible! Will definitely make this again and again! Thank you for sharing this recipe!5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 7/18/18 at 11:02 am

      I am so so happy to hear that! Thank you Bev!5 stars

      Reply
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