Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Golden chicken rests in a creamy mushroom sauce with plenty of savory flavor. White wine and Dijon give the richness a tangy edge, while thyme makes the sauce especially fragrant. A forkful with both chicken and mushrooms is hard to pass up.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Give the chicken room to brown
Cook the chicken in batches if your skillet looks crowded. A little space helps the flour-coated chicken turn deep golden instead of steaming, and that browning is what gives the sauce something good to pick up later.
2. Let the mushrooms get some color
After the butter melts, give the mushrooms time to turn golden before adding the onion. Stir now and then, but don't rush them. Their browning builds the base of the sauce.
3. Add the liquids slowly
Drizzle the wine in slowly and cook until absorbed. After adding and reducing the broth, drizzle in the cream while stirring.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken breast
Use boneless skinless chicken breast that has been filleted or pounded flat. Thinner pieces sear quickly and cook through in the skillet before they come back for their final warm-up in the sauce.
Cremini or baby bella mushrooms
Sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms are cooked in butter until golden before the onion goes in. That order matters here because the mushrooms need direct time in the pan to brown well.
Thyme
Fresh thyme goes in with the wine, so its flavor has a little time to steep into the sauce. If you're using dried thyme instead, the recipe gives the swap as 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 11 steps completeMake room for Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Return the chicken to the skillet and let it warm through while the sauce thickens, usually about five minutes. Taste before serving and add salt and pepper as needed; a little more salt can help if it seems bland.
A little more help as you go
Use the browned bits
When the broth goes in, scrape the bottom of the skillet. Those browned bits from searing the chicken and cooking the mushrooms are meant to dissolve into the sauce as it reduces.
Storing leftovers
Leftovers can go into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
A few questions you might have
Why do I dredge the chicken in flour first?
The chicken is dredged in flour before searing. A separate flour addition goes into the sauce later.
What should I do if the chicken is browning too fast?
Lower the heat as needed. The goal is a nice golden sear, but the chicken should not burn while it cooks through.
Do I add the onion at the same time as the mushrooms?
No. Cook the mushrooms in butter first until they're golden, then add the onion and cook it until softened. The mushrooms need that head start for better color.
Why does the wine go in before the broth and cream?
The wine is slowly drizzled in with the thyme and cooked until absorbed. After that, the broth goes in and reduces, then the cream is added to bring the sauce together.
How do I know the sauce is ready?
After the broth has reduced by half and the cream is stirred in, return the chicken to the pan. The sauce should thicken as the chicken warms through, usually about 5 minutes longer.
Any more cooking tips?
Storing Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: sugarspunrun.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
