Creamy Chicken With Mushrooms

Chicken breasts: I use chicken breasts that I cut into cutlets but you may also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Flour: I used all-purpose flour, but I’m sure a gluten-free substitution would work. Spices: The chicken itself is seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Butter: Use unsalted butter so we can control the salt. Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Dutch baby potatoes: Are optional but a tasty addition. I love baby Dutch potatoes because they are creamy and buttery with a thin skin and don’t easily fall apart. They are also easy to halve. You may also use other waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold potatoes and cut into small wedges; avoid non-waxy potatoes such as Russets. Cremini mushrooms: AKA baby bella mushrooms boast a deep, savory flavor. See my notes below on the types of mushrooms you can use in this dish. Shallot: One shallot will do the trick. One shallot is considered the entire bulb, regardless of how many cloves the bulb contains. Garlic: I use 4 to 6 cloves garlic and it is divine but feel free to use less if you prefer. You may also use 1 teaspoon garlic powder – but the real stuff is so much better. Chicken broth: Is more flavorful than just milk or cream and has less calories. I always use reduced sodium chicken broth so I can control the salt in the dish. Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce so its lusciously creamy instead of watery. It allows you to use chicken broth instead of all heavy cream. Heavy cream: Is also called “heavy whipping cream” at your grocery store. Dried herbs: The mushroom sauce for the chicken is flavored with dried parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme. Balsamic vinegar: Adds flavor and tang to the mushroom sauce. Dijon mustard: Adds a slight tanginess to complement the robust mushrooms. Parmesan cheese: infuses the sauce with its fantastic salty, nuttiness. For best results, use ONLY freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It is much more flavorful and melts into silky oblivion unlike powdered or pre-shredded cheese.

Step 1: Partially cook the potatoes

Add the halved potatoes and some water to a microwave-safe dish. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until barely fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: Prep the chicken

Dredging the chicken in a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and paprika elevates the chicken to stand-alone delicious and then absolutely hypnotic when served in the luscious sauce. Before dredging the chicken, make sure to pat it dry so the flour coating sticks. After dredging, transfer the chicken to a dry surface. You don’t want to return the chicken to your cutting board because the moisture left behind from the chicken will make the coating wet and rub off.

Step 3: Cook the chicken

Melt the butter in olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet with deep sides. Heat the butter/oil so its shimmering. Don’t add the chicken before the butter/oil is hot or it won’t crisp up. Once hot, add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickens, or until cooked through. Browning the chicken that’s coated in spices blooms the spices and unlocks the flavor. Transfer to a plate, don’t wipe out the skillet – those golden bits left behind are flavor gold!

Step 4: Cook the mushrooms

Melt additional butter and olive oil in the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add half of the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and give them a stir so they’re evenly coated in the butter/oil. Now cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes. You want the bottom side of the mushrooms to be deeply golden before flipping. Flip the mushrooms over and cook until golden. Wait to season with salt and pepper until the mushrooms are fully cooked, then remove to a plate. Repeat this process with the remaining mushrooms.

Step 5: Make the mushroom sauce

To the now empty skillet, melt a pat of butter. Add the potatoes, shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes. Once the shallots have softened, whisk in the heavy cream. Mix the chicken broth with the cornstarch and add to the skillet, followed by balsamic vinegar, Dijon and all of the sauce seasonings. Simmer the sauce until it’s thickened to your desired consistency. Whisk in Parmesan until melted. If the Parmesan doesn’t melt right away, continue to cook over low heat, stirring often, until silky smooth.

HOW DO I THICKEN THE SAUCE?

The sauce will thicken as it simmers; the longer it simmers, the thicker it will become as the heavy cream and broth reduce. If you would like a speedier, thicker sauce, make a slurry by whisking 1 teaspoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water then adding to the simmering sauce. Repeat this as step as desired.

HOW DO I THIN THE SAUCE?

I don’t think your sauce will become too thick unless it’s simmered for an exorbitant amount of time. Still, it is easy to thin by whisking in some chicken broth or heavy cream.

Step 6: Assemble the dish

Return the mushrooms to the sauce, then nestle the chicken into the skillet. Cook just until the chicken is warmed through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired then serve!

Prep chicken. Create chicken cutlets by slicing chicken breasts in half and pounding to an even thickness. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Dredge chicken. You can go one step further and dredge the chicken in flour and spices. Transfer the chicken to a parchment lined plate in a single layer and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. Chop aromatics. Dice the shallots and mince the garlic and store in separate plastic bags in the refrigerator. Chop potatoes. Can be chopped and stored submerged in water in the refrigerator. If the potatoes aren’t stored in water, they can oxidize and turn brown. Slice mushrooms. Mushrooms can be sliced and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Remember to brush the mushrooms clean, don’t wash them!

Don’t wash the mushrooms. You should never rinse your mushrooms or they will absorb water like a sponge and become waterlogged. Waterlogged mushrooms will not brown as well or become as flavorful, and instead will emerge soggy and squeaky. Instead, clean your mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Slice mushrooms to a uniform size. As with all cooking vegetables, try and slice your mushrooms so they are similar in size so they cook evenly. If you are using a variety of mushrooms, try and slice all of them to a similar size, chopping larger mushrooms down before slicing if needed. Don’t crowd mushrooms in the pan. This is key! Mushrooms need enough space so they can sear instead of steam. If you pile raw mushrooms on top of each other, they will become soggy instead of caramelized. By spreading them out in a single layer, the entire surface area of the mushrooms comes in contact with the sizzling butter in the hot pan so they can caramelize and become crispy around the edges. Be patient. It is tempting to not cook your mushrooms to the point all the liquid is absorbed, but keep cooking until they are browned all over for maximum flavor and there isn’t any liquid remaining. Don’t cook mushrooms with the sauce. Once the mushrooms are golden, remove them from the pan and don’t continue to cook them with the sauce or the mushrooms lose color, flavor and texture. Salt mushrooms at the end. Add salt and pepper when instructed at the end of cooking the mushrooms. If you salt your mushrooms while cooking, it will prevent them from browning in the pan. Use butter and olive oil. I almost always use a combination of butter and oil whether it’s for making a roux or for pan frying chicken. The butter adds the undeniably scrumptious buttery flavor and the oil prevents the butter from burning. You may use all oil but you cannot use all butter or the butter will burn. I recommend using both for best results. Scrape up golden bits. After you cook the chicken there will be golden bits on the bottom of the pan – these are flavor gold! Make sure to scrape up the bits while you sauté the shallots. Use a hot pan. Add your chicken only once the pan is hot – you should hear the chicken sizzle the second it touches the pan. If you add chicken to a lukewarm pan it will not sear, and as we all know from Gordon Ramsey, color = flavor. Searing the chicken results in the Maillard reaction, also known as the flavor reaction, in which amino acids and reducing sugars produce browning and complex flavor. Note, that hot doesn’t mean high heat, but it means it’s reached full temperature (medium-high in this case). Only flip chicken once. Adding the chicken to a hot skillet heated to medium high heat is only half the battle. Resist the urge to move the chicken as it cooks or to flip it more than once. The chicken needs to stay in the same place for a continuous amount of time to brown. When the chicken is browned, it will naturally release from the pan. Don’t overcook chicken. Chicken, especially chicken breasts, are juiciest when not overcooked. The best and most efficient way to check for doneness is to insert a meat thermometer into the chicken; chicken breasts are done when they register 165 degrees F.

Use another mushroom variety: Use more exotic mushrooms such as maitake, oyster, and/or shiitake for the most intense mushroom flavor. Alternate protein: The creamy sauce is so scrumptious you’re going to want to use it with everything! You can sub the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs, salmon fillets, or pork chops (recommend brining first). You can even use ground Italian sausage or cooked chicken sausage. Note that different proteins (even chicken thighs) will vary in cooking time, so use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Add veggies: Add any chopped vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, green beans, etc. and sauté them in in the butter and olive oil with the shallots. You can even add leftover roasted veggies such as roasted broccoli, cauliflower etc. If using frozen peas, thaw and stir in with the Parmesan to warm through. Spinach: Use 2 cups baby spinach and add it to the sauce at the end of cooking; allow to wilt 1-2 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes: Purchase the sun-dried tomatoes in a jar packed in oil, not water. They are usually located near the olives or pickles at your grocery store. Use the oil in the jar instead of the olive oil. Rinse the tomatoes, pat dry, chop and sauté with the shallots. Artichokes: Are tender, slightly sweet and nutty and divine in creamy sauces. Purchase artichoke hearts in water NOT marinated. The marinated ones often have an acrid taste. Chop and sauté with the shallots. Add melted mozzarella: Layer the chicken with fresh mozzarella slices, cover and turn the skillet to low until the cheese melts. Add lemon: You can add a citrus spin by adding 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to the cream sauce. Spice it up: Amp up the heat with additional red pepper flakes. I always add at least ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes but if you want to really taste the kick, add ½ teaspoon. You can also add additional red pepper flakes to individual servings to keep recipe family friendly.

This creamy chicken mushroom recipe comes complete with carbs in the form of Dutch potatoes, otherwise, it’s begging to be served over mashed potatoes, pasta (cacio e pepe would be amazing!), rice (plain, rice pilaf or risotto), or low carb alternatives such cauliflower mashed “potatoes,” cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. Now that the mushroom chicken is squared away, let’s talk sides. We love serving it alongside a bright fresh salad such as wedge salad, strawberry salad, or spinach berry salad in the spring/summer and apple salad, Fall salad or beet salad in the Winter. It’s also tasty with roasted or sautéed veggie on the side such as roasted root vegetables, glazed carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or asparagus. For fruit, go as simple as melon or grapes or as flirty as Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Winter Fruit Salad and Berry Salad in Honey Mascarpone. Lastly, bread is a must to ensure no sauce is left behind. You can serve this chicken mushroom recipe with a simple side of crusty bread or we’re obsessed with my Garlic Bread, Dinner Rolls, or Garlic Parmesan Butter Breadsticks. This creamy chicken mushroom recipe is pretty straightforward, but below you’ll find answers to commonly asked questions to satisfy your curiosity and guarantee success: