Mushroom chicken is a delicious dish made with tender chicken cutlets cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce. It's the perfect weeknight dinner idea. It uses simple ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes or less!
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If you’re looking for a delicious and comforting meal that’s easy to prepare, look no further than our mouthwatering mushroom chicken recipe. Tender chicken breast cutlets are smothered in a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that’s packed with flavor.
Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just getting started in the kitchen, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite. With its simple ingredients and quick cooking time, you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal on the table in no time for those busy weeknights! So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to savor every bite of this delectable dish.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
- Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts. About ½ pound each. You will be cutting these in half lengthwise to make six cutlets.
Serious Eats has a great tutorial on how to cut chicken breasts into cutlets. I did not remove the tenders (the small, strip-like portions that are attached to the underside of the chicken breast) from mine, but you certainly can if you want a nicer presentation. - Salt and freshly ground pepper.
- All-purpose flour.
- Olive oil.
- Unsalted butter.
- Sliced mushrooms. I used cremini (also known as baby bella) mushrooms, but white button mushrooms would work as well.
- Minced garlic. I recommend freshly minced garlic, rather than the pre-minced garlic you can buy in the store. Freshly minced garlic has better flavor.
- Chicken broth. You can substitute chicken base combined with water to make broth. If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, vegetable broth can work. It may change the flavor slightly.
- Dijon mustard.
- Dried thyme leaves. You can substitute fresh thyme leaves.
- Heavy cream. See substitution suggestions below.
- Fresh parsley. Optional garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Substitutions
- Chicken breasts. You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a juicy, flavorful alternative to chicken breasts. No need to cut them in half.
- All purpose flour. For a gluten-free alternative, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. I used it in this recipe for gluten free apple cider donuts with great results.
- Heavy cream. To reduce the fat content, consider swapping out heavy cream with half-and-half. If you’re leaning towards vegan alternatives, you can opt for silken tofu (blended until creamy), cashew cream (created by soaking raw cashews in water and blending until smooth – The Clean Eating Kitchen has a great 2-ingredient recipe for cashew cream), or canned coconut milk. Do note that the coconut milk might introduce a subtle coconut undertone, which can actually be quite pleasant.
Top Tips
- Properly prepare the chicken. Pound the chicken cutlets to an even thickness (about ½ inch) to ensure they cook evenly. Season the chicken with salt and pepper before cooking. This enhances the flavor.
- Do not crowd the pan. At the initial browning stage, it’s important to space the cutlets out in the pan so they can brown properly. In my 12-inch pan, I cooked no more than four cutlets at a time. For large cutlets, I cooked no more than three at a time.
- Cook cutlets of similar size together. If all of your cutlets will not fit in the pan at once, group cutlets of similar size together. They are more likely to finish cooking at the same time, and it makes it easier to coordinate your cooking flow without running the risk of overcooking or undercooking.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Chicken breasts can dry out quickly if overcooked. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature at the thickest part of the cutlet, and aim for an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). Try to remove them from the pan as soon as they reach this temperature. If they go a bit over, you should still be fine because the sauce will compensate a little.
Storage
If refrigerating leftovers:
- Use an Airtight Container. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Glass, plastic, or stainless steel containers with tight-fitting lids work well.
- Separate Into Smaller Portions. If you have a large batch of leftovers, consider dividing it into smaller portions. This will help it cool faster and make it easier to reheat only what you need later.
- Refrigerate Promptly. Place the container in the refrigerator as soon as possible, preferably within two hours of cooking.
- Eat Within 3-4 Days. Leftover cooked chicken should be eaten within 3-4 days of refrigeration. If you do not think you will be able to finish it within that time, it’s okay to freeze it.
- Reheat Properly. Reheat it thoroughly. Use a microwave, stovetop, or oven. Make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) to kill any bacteria that may have multiplied during storage.
If freezing leftovers:
- Freeze Quickly. Put the containers or bags in the freezer as soon as possible after packaging. Ideally, use the coldest part of the freezer for quicker freezing.
- Enjoy Within 2-3 Months. While frozen, cooked chicken is safe to eat for an extended period. For the best quality, try to eat it within 2-3 months.
- Thaw Properly. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or use the defrost function on your microwave. Avoid thawing at room temperature to prevent bacterial growth.
- Reheat Thoroughly. Reheat it on the stovetop until it’s piping hot throughout (165 F or 74 C) before serving.
FAQs
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
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Mushroom Chicken Recipe
Mushroom chicken is a delicious dish made with tender chicken cutlets cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce. It's the perfect weeknight dinner idea. It uses simple ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes or less!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts About ½ pound each. See Note 1.
- salt and freshly ground pepper To taste.
- ½ cup all-purpose flour Note 2.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms Sliced. Note 3.
- 3 teaspoons garlic Minced.
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves Or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves.
- ½ cup heavy cream Note 4.
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley Optional garnish.
Instructions
- Carefully cut breasts in half lengthwise to make cutlets. Note 5.3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cover them with plastic wrap, and pound them to an even thickness with a meat tenderizer, if necessary. Note 6.
- Dry the cutlets with a paper towel.
- Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.salt and freshly ground pepper
- Add the flour to a shallow medium bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Note 7.½ cup all-purpose flour
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until they are golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- In the same pan, lower the heat to medium. Add the unsalted butter and garlic. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 teaspoons garlic
- Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms release their moisture and turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.8 ounces mushrooms
- Pour in the chicken broth and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the broth simmer for a few minutes (about 4 minutes) to reduce slightly. Note 8.1 cup chicken broth
- Lower the heat and add the Dijon mustard and tried thyme. Stir in the heavy cream. If needed, season with salt to taste. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, ½ cup heavy cream
- Return the cooked chicken to the pan, coating it with the creamy mushroom sauce. Cook for an additional minute or two to let the chicken absorb the flavors.
- If desired, garnish with fresh parsley.2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Notes
- Opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are around half a pound each. This size ensures even cooking and allows you to create cutlets easily.
- For a gluten-free alternative to the all-purpose flour, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
- I used cremini (also known as baby bella) mushrooms, but white button mushrooms would work as well.
- For a lower fat option, you can substitute half and half for the heavy cream. For some vegan options, I suggest silken tofu (blend until creamy), cashew cream (soak raw cashews in water, then blend until creamy), or canned coconut milk. The coconut milk may add a hint of coconut flavor, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
- A few tips to help you cut the breasts: use a sharp knife, start with chilled chicken, place the opposite hand (the one not doing the cutting) on top of the chicken (clear of the knife) to hold the chicken steady, maintain a flat angle, use a guide – insert a wooden skewer on either side of the chicken to use as a guide for your knife to follow.
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness helps it cook uniformly, preventing dryness in thinner parts while ensuring the thicker portions are fully cooked.
- Coating the chicken in flour before cooking creates a crispy, golden-brown crust when it’s pan-fried. Make sure to shake off any excess flour to avoid a heavy coating.
- When you add chicken broth to the pan, be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. This process, known as deglazing, incorporates those flavorful bits into the sauce.
- Share tips on storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheating in a microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 259kcal
Excellent recipe. Very flavorful.
All of the ingredients come together really nicely. Thanks for posting this one.
I couldn’t help writing another comment about your chicken recipe.
It’s truly a “one pan wonder.”
All the different ingredients make it very flavorful, and it’s a family favorite around here.