This hearty and flavorful dish of chicken and mushrooms is perfect for hosting because it looks so festive, but it's also easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Set aside.
Season the chicken thighs with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat the ghee in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for 7 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and cook until cooked through (their internal temperature should reach 165ºF), about 7 more minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the same skillet with a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons). Gently stir the mushrooms while also scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove the tasty brown bits that have stuck to it.
After the mushrooms have started reducing a bit in volume, stir in the garlic.
Cook the mushrooms and garlic, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and browned, and the liquid that they have released has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.
Add the sauce to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until it melts.
Add the chicken thighs back to the skillet, turning them to coat in the sauce. Cook for a couple more minutes to heat through.
Divide the chicken and mushrooms between four plates. Drizzle or brush with the pan juices and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
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Notes
If using sugar-free honey, a serving has 349 calories and 7g carbs. Variations:
You can use butterflied chicken breasts, although I do highly recommend using chicken thighs in this recipe for the juiciest results.
You can vary the fat you use for frying. I tend to use ghee, but olive oil is delicious too.
When adding the mushrooms, you can also add about half a cup of chopped yellow onions.
Garlic slices are just as good as minced garlic. It's just that I'm lazy so I tend to use jarred minced garlic.
Instead of dried thyme, you could use dried oregano. Both are excellent, although thyme is definitely my favorite.
The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.