I developed Mushroom Chicken skillet recipe with seasoned mushrooms, diced chicken and garlic, plus one surprising ingredient that makes dinner planning effortless.
I cant resist a skillet that sizzles and smells like dinner before you even sit down. This Garlic Mushroom Chicken dish delivers big flavor without pretending to be fancy, its quick, hands off and forgiving.
I let the mushrooms get golden while garlic softens and caramelizes, that smell pulls everyone into the kitchen even when they said they wouldnt. Everything finishes in one pan so flavors mingle and the sauce gets silky, no drama needed.
Its my kind of weeknight cooking, honest and reliable, and this version is my take on Mushroom Chicken so expect second helpings.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: lean protein, builds muscle, low carbs, fills you up cooks fast.
- Mushrooms: earthy umami add fiber and B vitamins, low calorie, meaty texture.
- Garlic: sharp savory bite may boost immunity, low calories, strong aroma.
- Heavy cream: makes sauce rich and silky, high fat and calories, decadent.
- Butter: gives golden flavor and mouthfeel adds saturated fat, not light.
- Olive oil: healthier fat monounsaturated, great for searing, subtle fruity taste.
- Thyme: earthy herb adds aroma and antioxidants brightens savory dishes.
- Lemon juice: optional bright acid adds freshness, bit of vitamin C, zippy.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
How to Make this
1. Pat the diced chicken dry with paper towels, season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken in a single layer, don’t overcrowd the pan or it’ll steam, and brown it 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden (it may not be fully cooked). Work in batches if needed, then transfer browned chicken to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and thinly sliced onion, season with a pinch of salt, and sauté until mushrooms are nicely browned and onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Browning is key for flavor so give them time.
4. Stir in the minced garlic and thyme, cook about 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant, be careful not to burn the garlic.
5. Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the veggies, stir well and cook 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.
6. Pour in 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half, combine, then return the browned chicken and any juices back to the skillet. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through (about 5 to 8 minutes, internal temp 165°F). If sauce is too thin, simmer a bit longer; if too thick, add a splash more broth.
8. Finish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice if using, taste and adjust salt and pepper. A little lemon really brightens the dish, but it’s optional.
9. Serve hot over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread and spoon lots of sauce on top. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 days, just reheat gently so the cream doesn’t break.
Equipment Needed
1. Cutting board, for dicing the chicken and slicing veggies
2. Chef’s knife, sharp enough to cut chicken and mushrooms cleanly
3. Paper towels, to pat the chicken dry and blot mushrooms if needed
4. Large heavy skillet (about 12 inch), preferably nonstick or stainless steel
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for stirring and scraping browned bits
6. Tongs, to turn and transfer browned chicken pieces
7. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, cream, flour and seasonings
8. Instant-read meat thermometer, to check chicken reaches 165°F
FAQ
Garlic Mushroom Chicken Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the chicken breasts for boneless skinless thighs. They’re juicier and more forgiving, cook a little longer but you won’t dry them out.
- Use shiitake, baby bella or sliced portobello instead of cremini/button mushrooms for a deeper, meatier umami. Dried porcini rehydrated works great too.
- Replace heavy cream with half and half for a lighter sauce, or whole milk plus 1 tablespoon butter per cup; canned coconut milk is a good dairy free option. It’ll be a bit thinner but still tasty.
- Use a cornstarch slurry instead of all purpose flour to make it gluten free: mix cornstarch with cold water until smooth, then stir in and simmer till thick. Or skip a thickener and just simmer longer for a looser sauce.
Pro Tips
1) Pat and maybe quick-brine the chicken first, it really helps with juiciness. Dont skip drying it though, wet chicken will steam not brown and you lose that caramelized flavor.
2) Let the mushrooms actually brown, dont rush them by stirring every second. Salt them a little later so they dont dump all their water at once, and give them time to get some color for deeper taste.
3) To keep the cream from breaking, turn the heat down before adding it and either temper the cream by whisking in a few tablespoons of hot pan liquid first or use a tiny slurry of cornstarch if you need faster thickening. Heavy cream is more forgiving than half and half if you worry about curdling.
4) Use the fond, scrape the browned bits with your broth (or a splash of white wine) for maximum flavor; if the sauce ends up too thin, reduce it slowly or stir in a small bit of beurre manié or cornstarch slurry instead of just boiling it down and drying out the chicken.
Garlic Mushroom Chicken Recipe
I developed Mushroom Chicken skillet recipe with seasoned mushrooms, diced chicken and garlic, plus one surprising ingredient that makes dinner planning effortless.
4
servings
526
kcal
Equipment: 1. Cutting board, for dicing the chicken and slicing veggies
2. Chef’s knife, sharp enough to cut chicken and mushrooms cleanly
3. Paper towels, to pat the chicken dry and blot mushrooms if needed
4. Large heavy skillet (about 12 inch), preferably nonstick or stainless steel
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for stirring and scraping browned bits
6. Tongs, to turn and transfer browned chicken pieces
7. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, cream, flour and seasonings
8. Instant-read meat thermometer, to check chicken reaches 165°F
Ingredients
-
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
-
4 large garlic cloves, minced
-
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
-
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
-
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
-
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
-
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
-
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
-
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
Directions
- Pat the diced chicken dry with paper towels, season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken in a single layer, don't overcrowd the pan or it'll steam, and brown it 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden (it may not be fully cooked). Work in batches if needed, then transfer browned chicken to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and thinly sliced onion, season with a pinch of salt, and sauté until mushrooms are nicely browned and onions are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Browning is key for flavor so give them time.
- Stir in the minced garlic and thyme, cook about 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant, be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the veggies, stir well and cook 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Pour in 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half, combine, then return the browned chicken and any juices back to the skillet. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through (about 5 to 8 minutes, internal temp 165°F). If sauce is too thin, simmer a bit longer; if too thick, add a splash more broth.
- Finish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice if using, taste and adjust salt and pepper. A little lemon really brightens the dish, but it's optional.
- Serve hot over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread and spoon lots of sauce on top. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 days, just reheat gently so the cream doesn't break.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 323g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 526kcal
- Fat: 29.5g
- Saturated Fat: 12.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.15g
- Polyunsaturated: 2.9g
- Monounsaturated: 12.8g
- Cholesterol: 193mg
- Sodium: 163mg
- Potassium: 686mg
- Carbohydrates: 7.2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 2.8g
- Protein: 56g
- Vitamin A: 275IU
- Vitamin C: 2.8mg
- Calcium: 37mg
- Iron: 2.7mg
