Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Spinach
Juicy, crispy-skinned chicken thighs pan-seared with garlic and served over a bed of wilted spinach for a quick and satisfying Whole30 dinner. This American-inspired Whole30 recipe (gluten free), ready in about 20 minutes, pairs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, sea salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 340 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a Whole30 week and pairs well with roasted sweet potato or a simple olive-oil salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (about 1.5 lbs) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3, thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook undisturbed for 7-8 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crisp.
- Step 3: Flip the chicken thighs and add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves to the pan. Cook for an additional 6-7 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and garlic is fragrant and slightly golden.
- Step 4: Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside, leaving the garlic and oil in the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 6 cups baby spinach to the skillet. Toss with the garlic and oil for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is just wilted.
- Step 5: Remove the skillet from heat and drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over the spinach. Serve the chicken thighs atop the garlic spinach immediately.









