Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Mushroom Chicken

With only 5 minutes of prep time, this creamy Mushroom Chicken recipe is a perfect quick weeknight meal with restaurant vibes! Tender chicken breasts are smothered in creamy, garlicky mushroom sauce.

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Creamy mushroom chicken is the easy dinner recipe you need in your life.

We all have that rotation of low-effort dinners we reach for on the nights we’re bonkers busy. This Mushroom Chicken is ready to join the ranks!

The prep time is 5 minutes. And the cooking is about 25 minutes, which means you’ve got a scrumptious home-cooked dinner on the table in half an hour.
Rather than using cream of mushroom soup, we make the creamy mushroom sauce from scratch, so it’s not overly salty or gloppy like condensed soup sauces tend to be. (This Mushroom Pasta has similar vibes.)
Serve it with Mashed Potatoes, rice, or egg noodles and you’ve got the quintessential comfort food dinner.

This mushroom chicken is the kind of meal that satisfies your hunger for something filling and a little bit nostalgic too. (Because if you grew up in the Midwest like I did, you probably subsisted entirely on cheese, creamy sauces, and carbs growing up!)

Mushroom chicken in a creamy sauce garnished with herbs, cooking in a metal skillet on a wooden surface.

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

Chicken Breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts make it easy! If you’re on Team Chicken Thighs, those work too; just make sure they’re also boneless and skinless.
All-Purpose Flour. This creates a nicely browned crust when the chicken is pan-fried in a skillet.
Olive Oil and Butter. Oil for browning the chicken, and butter for adding richness when cooking the mushrooms and aromatics.
Sliced Mushrooms. I used a mix of cremini and shiitake, but a wild mushroom blend would be fabulous too. Just skip the bland white mushrooms, which are a womp womp in the flavor department.
Shallot and Garlic. These infuse the sauce with flavor.
Chicken Broth. Use low-sodium broth to keep the salt level in check.
Dijon Mustard. A simple addition that brings lots of depth to cream and cheese sauces.
Sherry Vinegar. Also found in Chicken Marsala, this adds a pop of brightness to cut through the rich sauce.
Heavy Cream. For a thick, creamy sauce. Lower fat dairy won’t yield the sauce results.
Thyme. One of my favorite pairings with mushrooms, thyme accentuates the mushrooms’ earthiness and adds an herbaceousness that makes this dish a standout.
Mashed Potatoes or Rice. Optional, but you need something to soak up that dreamy sauce, right?

How to Make Mushroom Chicken

Two seared chicken breasts cooking in a metal skillet on a wooden surface.

Sliced mushrooms and diced onions sautéing in a metal pan on a wooden surface, with visible steam rising.

Make Cutlets. Slice the chicken breasts horizontally to form cutlets. It can help to pop them in the freezer for a bit so they’re more solid. After cutting, place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and pound to a 1/2-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Dredge. Add the flour to a shallow dish and use tongs to dredge the chicken cutlets in it, coating both sides and shaking off the excess.

Brown the Chicken. Cook 2 pieces of chicken in half the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. The cutlets should reach 160°F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Cook the Mushrooms and Aromatics. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat with the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and salt. Cook until the mushrooms release their juices and those juices evaporate. Transfer to a bowl or the plate with the chicken.

Make the Sauce. Pour the broth into the pan and deglaze the brown bits. Whisk in the mustard and vinegar and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream.

Finish. Nestle the chicken into the sauce with the mushrooms. Cook until the chicken is warmed through, spooning the sauce over the cutlets. Garnish with thyme and serve the mushroom chicken over mashed potatoes, rice, or on its own. ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

Make It Dairy-Free. Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and plant-based butter instead of dairy butter.
Try a Different Herb. Fresh sage, parsley, or rosemary would all work and give this mushroom chicken a slightly different flavor.
Make It Gluten-Free. Swap in a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour. Or just skip the flour and pan-fry the chicken without it.

What to Serve with Mushroom Chicken

Other Grains. In addition to white rice or brown rice, you can serve this mushroom chicken over quinoa, farro, or wheat berries.
Other Mashed Potatoes. Like Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, or my Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe.
Veggies. Sautéed Green Beans would be perfect, as would Smashed Brussels Sprouts!

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Mushroom Chicken

This mushroom chicken is perfect for a weeknight with just 5 minutes of prep! Tender chicken is smothered in creamy mushroom sauce. Delish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 346kcal

Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated

Ingredients

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces sliced mushrooms I use 8 ounces cremini and 4 ounces shiitake
1 medium shallot finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme plus additional for serving
Mashed potatoes or rice optional for serving

Instructions

Split each chicken breast into cutlets: lay it on a cutting board and carefully slice it in half horizontally to create two thinner pieces of chicken. I like to place my hand on top so I can feel if I am cutting it evenly. To keep things tidy, cover the chicken with a large sheet of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet (or your fist), gently pound the chicken into an even thickness (about ½-inch). Season both sides of the chicken using ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
In a shallow dish, place the flour. With tongs, lightly dredge each piece chicken on both sides, then place on a large plate, cutting board, or similar work surface (I use a parchment-lined baking sheet).
Heat a large, sturdy skillet over medium-high heat (I use a 12-inch cast iron). Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once it's hot and shimmering (but not smoking), carefully lower in 2 of the chicken pieces so they are not touching. Sear on each side until golden brown and the chicken reaches 160°F on an instant read thermometer, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large, clean plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then repeat with the remaining 2 chicken pieces, removing them to the same plate and covering.
Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the butter, mushrooms, shallot, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until the mushrooms soften, give up their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a plate or bowl (you can place them on top of the chicken if you like).
Carefully pour the chicken broth into the pan, stirring along the bottom to scrape up any stuck-on bits. Whisk in the Dijon and vinegar. Let simmer, whisking periodically, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
While whisking, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and let warm through for a minute or two, turning the chicken so it’s coated in the creamy sauce.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice, with the cream and mushrooms spooned over the top.

Notes

TO STORE: Refrigerate mushroom chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe because cream-based sauces have a tendency to separate when frozen and thawed.
TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftover chicken and sauce in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.

Nutrition

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