This flavorful chicken mushroom recipe is an easy weeknight meal. Tender pieces of lean white meat are lightly breaded, seared until golden brown, then simmered in a creamy sauce with melted gruyere cheese.
Recipe Science
- The chicken is dredged in flour. As it cooks, the flour sticks to the meat, boosting color and flavor by crisping up the exterior.
- Salt draws out the moisture from the mushrooms to enhance flavor. Boost the umami flavor with soy sauce and tangy vinegar.
- Simmering stock and heavy cream evaporate the water. The cream’s milk solids and fat naturally thicken the sauce.
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Featured Comment 12
“My #1 goal when cooking is to create amazing flavor and this one knocks it out of the park!! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except that I added an additional ¼ onion and more shallots to use up what was in the refrigerator. And I substituted thighs for breast.”—Denise
Why It Works
Don’t settle for another boring chicken dinner! Grab your skillet, and let’s get to work. The combination of ingredients is perfect, as the savory flavor compounds in the fungi naturally enhance the taste of the chicken. After searing, we’ll use all those flavorful pan drippings to make a delicious sauce.
Aromatic caramelized onions add a hint of sweetness as they cook alongside thick slices of mushrooms and freshly chopped herbs. Chicken stock and heavy cream simmer to make a velvety sauce that clings to the meat. Serve with a nice glass of wine, crispy potatoes, and greens for a complete gourmet meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts because it’s very lean and cooks quickly in the skillet. Look for pieces 6 to 8 ounces in size. If any larger or thicker than 1 inch, you may want to cut them in half horizontally to give four total cutlets.
- Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms are my top choice for the sauce. They have a deep, savory flavor when cooked and are firmer. They hold their structure better when simmered compared to White Button mushrooms that significantly shrink down.
- Flour: All-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper is used to dredge the chicken. This adds a flavorful crust to the surface of the meat when pan-fried.
- Oil: Olive oil is used to saute the chicken breasts and make the creamy mushroom sauce.
- Butter: The alliums and mushrooms are sauteed in the rich fat for extra flavor.
- Alliums: A combination of sliced yellow onions, shallots, and minced garlic add a natural sweetness and earthy taste to the dish.
- Herbs: Fresh thyme and rosemary add a robust herbaceous note.
- Seasoning: Pungent red wine vinegar and savory soy sauce enhance the umami flavor of the sauteed brown mushrooms.
- Cream Sauce: Heavy whipping cream is reduced to add richness to the sauce. Chicken sauce boosts the taste of the chicken in the recipe.
- Cheese: Nutty gruyere cheese adds texture and salty flavor to the cream sauce.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This creamy mushroom chicken recipe can be easily customized to switch things up!
- Chicken Options: If you prefer dark meat, you can use bone-in or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Drumsticks work well, too. Make sure to adjust cooking time, you may need a few more minutes.
- Mushroom Substitutions: You can use other types of mushrooms, like Baby Bellas or chopped Portobello caps. Just make sure to scrape out the gills. For a more robust umami flavor, you can add dried Porcinis to the mixture.
- Make it Gluten-Free: You can skip dredging the chicken in flour or use cassava flouror cornstarch. Use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Using Dried Herbs: Since the dried rosemary and thyme will be concentrated in flavor, use only ⅓ of the amount of fresh herbs. Other herbs can be added like oregano, tarragon, basil, or chives. Herbs de Provence has lavender and adds lovely floral notes.
- Cheese: Shredded Swiss cheese, grated parmesan, or pecorino romano would complement the mushroom cream sauce.
How to Make Chicken and Mushroom
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Chicken breasts are thicker on one side and taper down on the other. This shape causes issues with uneven cooking. A quick solution is to use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound and flatten to an even thickness, about a ½-inch.
Step 2: Dredge the Chicken
This recipe starts similar to a scallopini, where the chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper and then dredged in flour to create a light crust on the surface.
I also do this when making Italian chicken marsala for more texture contrast. Try to shake off excess flour, as it can burn in the pan.
Ingredient Chemistry: When cooked, the wheat in the flour sticks to the meat and dries out the exterior, enhancing color and flavor.
Step 3: Pan-Fry the Chicken
The coated chicken is pan-fried in hot olive oil until a golden-brown crust appears, then flipped and finished over low heat to cook through gently. This method prevents the chicken from drying out. The proteins in the flour coating harden when pan-fried, creating a more interesting texture on the outside.
Quick Substitution: If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, you can use cassava flour or omit it altogether.
Step 4: Cook the Alliums
After pan-frying the chicken, there will be flavorful browned bits called fond. Use the same pan to make the sauce, don’t wash it off! Caramelize the onions in the butter, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift off the fond. Shallots, garlic, rosemary, and thyme add beautiful aromatics.
Step 5: Cook the Mushrooms
I season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, which helps draw out the moisture and absorb the salty flavor. However, I also find that it needs more dimension to make the savory notes pop. Some soy sauce with natural glutamates and pungent vinegar does the trick!
Step 6: Reduce the Sauce
The mushrooms simmer with chicken stock and heavy whipping cream until thickened. I find the cream sauce thickens more as it cools down.
Step 7: Ready to Serve
Warm the chicken in the pan and top them with the mushroom sauce. To meld all the flavors of the chicken and mushroom dish together, top with freshly grated cheese. I prefer gruyere. It’s a Swiss-type of cheese with a nutty and slightly sweet note.
Experimentation Encouraged: Emmental, Jarlsberg, or Raclette are good substitutes. Grated parmesan or pecorino romano adds a more Italian flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brown mushrooms with a more sturdy texture and intense flavors, like Cremini or Baby Bella, are a good choice. Dried porcini or Shiitake mushrooms, along with the fresh varieties, provide a deeper savory taste.
It’s best to cook the chicken separately to keep it juicy and tender. Then add it back to the pan to warm up in the mushroom sauce.
Yes, to thicken the sauce, you can add a cornstarch or arrowroot powder slurry. The ingredients make a similar consistency to homemade gravy. Combine 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Alternatively, try 2 ½ teaspoons arrowroot powder with 5 teaspoons water. Add this in after the chicken stock has been reduced to about 1 cup. Whisk until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
The mushroom sauce uses chicken stock and heavy whipping cream as the base. The reduction gently simmers, helping to evaporate the water from the ingredients. The milk solids and fat in the cream concentrate create a thicker consistency. This process allows you to control the texture without extra thickening agents like flour or cornstarch.
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If you tried this Mushroom Chicken Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Chicken and Mushroom
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds total
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper, divided, plus more for seasoning
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, halved, cut into ¼" thick slices
- ¼ cup minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms or brown, ½" thick slices, about 4 cups sliced
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ cup unsalted chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup shredded gruyere, swiss, or parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken – Place one of the chicken pieces between two plastic sheets or in a large plastic bag. Flatten with a meat tenderizer to about ½-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining piecesAlternatively, if using two very thick pieces, bigger than 1 inch thick and heavier than 8 ounces, cut in half horizontally to create four total cutlets. Flatten to ½-inch thickness if needed.
- Dredge the Chicken – Lightly season each side of chicken with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Dredge the pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Pan-Fry the Chicken – Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken to the pan, presentation side down. Cook until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes.Reduce the heat to medium. Flip and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC) on a meat thermometer, about 4 to 6 minutes. Fry in batches if needed. Transfer to a clean plate and loosely tent with foil to keep warm.
- Cook the Alliums – In the same pan used to cook the chicken, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until lightly golden brown and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Constantly stir to ensure the garlic does not brown.
- Cook the Mushrooms – Add the mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sauté until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vinegar and soy sauce, cook until the vinegar smell is not as strong, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the Sauce – Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the chicken stock. Cook until the sauce reduces by half (about ¾ cup), about 5 to 7 minutes.Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the cream, and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes—season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To Serve – Add the chicken back to the pan, turn to coat and gently simmer until warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with cheese and top with mushroom sauce and black pepper.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Vinegar Substitutes: Use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Use gluten-free flour or cassava flour to dredge the chicken, or skip that step.
- Storing: Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Ingredient Guides
14 Types of Mushrooms
Food Science
What is Umami?
Pantry Staples
Edie says
I am assuming this would be fine made ahead by keeping the cooked chicken and the sauce separately in the fridge and then gently reheating them together when wanting to eat it. Or.. will the sauce go curdly or grainy.
Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
If you gently reheat and stir the sauce, it shouldn’t curdle up.
Kim says
I’ve made this and it is delicious. At the moment I only have boneless chicken thighs. Can this recipe be adapted to thighs>?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can absolutely use chicken thighs!
Roobles says
Just made this recipe tonight, lovely flavour in the sauce. I served it with buttered, herbed baby new potato’s and some green veg. My cooking skills not so great so I under cooked the chicken and had to cut smaller and re-cook again so came out dryer than it should but the sauce made it still so yummy!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job making cooking modifications as needed! I know the next time you make the chicken recipe it will be even better.
Jamie says
Wow!!! This was AMAZING! Highly recommend! Thanks for the recipe.
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome, Jamie! So happy that you enjoyed the chicken recipe.
Maria says
Told you I’d make this! Made this in my LeCreuset btaiser tonight for dinner. Lots of delicious fond in the pan when the chicken stock was poured in. Had a package of 3 large chicken breasts. I used one large breast for the two of us. I will use the others for chicken tortilla soup. I cut the one breast up into 4 pieces, pounding each piece flat, not too flat. The rest was as the recipe called for, except I forgot the cheese. It was still delicious. The sauce was very flavorful. Husband loved it. I served this with egg noodles and green beans. I will try mashed gold potatoes next time. Another keeper.
Jessica Gavin says
You are such a kitchen rockstar, Maria! The egg noodles sound perfect with the mushroom sauce.
Denise Bercovitch says
My #1 goal when cooking is to create amazing flavor and this one knocks it out of the park!! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except that I added an additional 1/4 onion and more shallots to use up what was in the refrigerator. And I substituted thighs for breast. Thank you Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job, Denise! I love that you used up ingredients that also add more flavor and used thighs for the recipe.