This Creamy Mushroom Chicken is one of my family’s all-time favorite easy dinners! Juicy chicken and tender mushrooms come together in the creamiest garlic-herb sauce for a meal that’s simple to make, but feels so special to eat.
This is one of my all-time favorite chicken dinners!
I don’t know how many times I have made this chicken recipe, but it’s… a lot! I started cooking this when I was a teenager, which is kind of a long time ago by now, so… yes, this is one of my all-time favorite dishes! Just a heads-up: My family likes a lot of sauce, so this recipe is not skimpy on the gravy!
My recipe starts with perfectly seared chicken. I do take the time to pound the chicken to an even thickness, but if you’re short on time – just use chicken cutlets or cut chicken breast in half lengthwise. Then we sauté onion and mushrooms until they’re fully softened (this takes a little time, but it’s worth it and it takes not much active effort!), make a little sauce and finish it with heavy cream. The chicken goes back in, and dinner is ready!
We love this over mashed potatoes or rice, but really – anything to mop up that sauce will be delicious!
Notes on the ingredients I like to use
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
- Chicken: I like to pick some smaller chicken breasts and pound them to an even thickness for this recipe, but you can use chicken cutlets if you just want something very quick. You could also use boneless-skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breast.
- Mushrooms: It seems like a LOT of mushrooms when you first slice them and add them to the skillet, but we fully cook them down because that gives the best flavor AND it keeps the sauce from becoming watery. In the end, it will not be all that much volume left, so… trust the process 🙂
- Heavy cream: Unlike many other recipes, I use a smaller amount of heavy cream and more chicken broth. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that this is just my personal preference! The sauce is plenty creamy, but if you’re a fan of very rich dishes, you can use a little less chicken broth and add more heavy cream instead.
- Parsley/lemon: These are optional, but I like to add them when I have them on hand! I don’t add the lemon juice to the sauce directly, but anyone who likes a fresh kick can add some to their plate.
How to make creamy mushroom chicken
Let’s take a look at how I cook my mushroom chicken, and I’ll share any tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way of making this a million times 🤣
Recipe walk-through/cooking tips
- Searing the chicken: I like to flatten and season the chicken (actually, I only season one side, add it to the skillet seasoned-side down, and then season the second side while the chicken is already in the skillet). Then, I sear it in oil until both sides are a deep golden brown and the inside reaches 165°F.
- Resting the chicken: I like to tent the chicken with foil on a plate to keep it hot, and to keep it from drying out. Highly recommend!
- Sautéing the mushrooms: We start the onion a few minutes before the mushrooms, just so they get a head-start. Then, we add the mushrooms and cook them down COMPLETELY. And by that I mean, you cook them until they release all of their juices, and then keep cooking a little longer until the juices have reduced and the mushrooms are a nice golden-brown. This is so you get the absolute BEST flavor, and so the juices from the mushrooms don’t water down your sauce.
- Making the roux: I know, a roux always sounds intimidating. But it really is easy. Turn down the heat to medium-low, stir in your garlic and seasoning, then stir in your flour for a minute. Keep the heat low while you stir in the chicken broth, stir until there are no more lumps of flour, and only then increase the heat!
- Finishing the sauce: Once you have simmered your sauce for 2-3 minutes to let it thicken, stir in your heavy cream and your parsley. You’ll want to do this over medium heat, not while the sauce is cooking vigorously! If you like a thick sauce, whisk 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch into your heavy cream before adding it to the sauce.
- Adding the chicken back in: Nestle the chicken into the sauce, and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes to heat everything back up and let it all come together. Don’t cover it, or you will water down your sauce! And make sure you stick to a gentle simmer so the cream doesn’t split!
When are my mushrooms fully cooked?
I feel like this is the most important part of creating absolute depth of flavor in this recipe. You’ll really want to cook your mushrooms until they are done, not continue with the recipe while they are only halfway cooked.
I took a few pictures of the cooking process to illustrate:
As you can see, I cook them until the skillet is almost dry again, after the mushrooms release their juices! I think a lot of people stop cooking mushrooms when they get to the second, or even the first image in the gallery above. And I get it, it takes around 8-10 minutes to fully cook down the mushrooms, which is long.
But to me, it’s worth the wait because the flavor is just so much better in the final dish!
Serving ideas
Like I said, anything to mop up that sauce will be delicious here! And really, this makes enough gravy for everyone to have their share. Nothing worse than a recipe that promises a dreamy, saucy dish and then you have to fight over tablespoons of sauce 😅
Here are some of our favorite side dishes:
- Mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles
- Sautéed zucchini, sautéed green beans or roasted asparagus
- Roasted broccoli or air fryer broccoli
- Dinner rolls or homemade bread
Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion (diced (about ½ cup))
- 1 (16-oz) package mushrooms (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence (OR Italian Seasoning)
- onion and garlic powder (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- lemon juice (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Prep chicken: Lay chicken flat on a solid surface and lightly pound to even out the thickness. Season with salt and pepper.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, salt and pepper
- Sear chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the oil and sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown and cooked to 165°F measured at the thickest part. Remove from the pan and set aside covered on a plate.Sear chicken in batches if needed!1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sauté mushrooms: In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting so soften, 2-3 minutes.Add the mushrooms, lightly season with salt and pepper and cook until fully softened, about 8-10 minutes (waiting for the mushrooms to release all of their juices, and then keep sautéing them until those juices have mostly evaporated again – that’s how you get the best flavor!)2 tablespoons butter, 1 small yellow onion, 1 (16-oz) package mushrooms
- Season: Stir the garlic into the mushrooms and cook for one more minute. Stir in the seasoning.3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence, onion and garlic powder
- Make sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir the flour into the mushroom mixture until everything is evenly coated. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and keep stirring to incorporate the flour. Simmer over medium to medium-high heat for 2 minutes.2 tablespoons flour, 1½ cups chicken broth
- Finish: Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Stir the heavy cream and chopped parsley into the sauce. Add the chicken back and simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is warmed through. Serve immediately.½ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
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