Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Mushroom Chicken (20-Min Recipe)
Mushroom cream sauce gives a chicken dinner something worth lingering over. The browned chicken comes back to the pan for a generous coating, and there is plenty of savory sauce to enjoy with each bite.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Dry before seasoning
Pat the chicken with paper towels, then season both sides with the salt and pepper before it reaches the skillet.
2. Keep the cooked chicken warm
Once the chicken is browned and cooked through, move it to a plate and cover it while you make the sauce.
3. Scrape as the cream simmers
Stir often and use the wooden spoon along the bottom of the skillet while bringing the cream to a simmer.
Get to know the ingredients
Sliced cremini
Have the cremini sliced before starting. They cook in the same skillet after the chicken comes out, until browned.
Bacon is already cooked
The optional bacon goes in chopped and cooked, along with the mushrooms, garlic and thyme during the sauce preparation.
Grated Parmesan
Stir the grated Parmesan into the simmered cream until the sauce is smooth, before returning the chicken to it.
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 7 steps completeMake room for Creamy Mushroom Chicken (20-Min Recipe)
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
Coat and warm through
Return the chicken to the finished sauce and spoon it over the pieces, then cook briefly until they are warm.
A little more help as you go
Cajun seasoning is optional
Use the Cajun seasoning if you want the listed addition; it joins the mushroom mixture before the cream goes in.
Check the mushroom stage
Wait for the mushrooms to brown during their own cook before stirring in the heavy cream for the sauce.
A few questions you might have
Does the chicken finish cooking in the cream?
Cook it through during the initial sear. The final return to the skillet is a brief warming stage in the sauce.
When do I add the thyme?
The fresh thyme goes into the skillet with the mushrooms, garlic and optional bacon after the chicken has been removed.
Should I wash out the skillet before the sauce?
The directions use the same skillet for the mushroom mixture and sauce, then scrape the bottom as the cream simmers.
Can I add more Parmesan at the table?
More Parmesan is listed as an optional garnish after the chicken has warmed in the sauce, if you would like it.
Do I need to chop the garlic?
The ingredient list calls for peeled, crushed cloves. Add those with the mushrooms and thyme after the chicken's initial sear.
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: wholesomeyum.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.