Easy Pan Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce

This fabulous Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce is one of those delicious dinners that comes together quickly, enough to serve on a weeknight, yet it's perfect for a fancy dinner party.

In a way, I could feel sorry for Scott as he's had this Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce numerous times over the past few weeks as I've tweaked and tested the recipe. But he hasn't had one single complaint. In fact, if he asks "what's for dinner?" and I reply Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce, he does a little happy dance. Now that I think of it, I don't feel one bit sorry for him. Yes, the sympathy just went down the drain!

Weeknight-friendly, dinner party-worthy!

Just like our Marry Me Chicken (a huge reader favorite) this Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce comes together in less than 45 minutes, yet they're both appropriate to serve to the fanciest, danciest company. What's not to love about dinner recipes that are easy, elegant, beautiful and oh-so-delicious!

At the same time, it would be a great weeknight dinner that's easy and not too time-intensive to put together after a busy day. A dinner that would definitely make whoever is dining at your table, feel quite special.

The easy ins and outs

Is this recipe really that quick and easy? Well, check it out for yourself. These are the steps:

• Combine a few tablespoons of flour with garlic salt, onion powder, paprika and pepper. Set aside 2 teaspoons which will be combined with some soft butter to form a paste that will be employed to thicken the sauce later.
• Cut the chicken breasts horizontally to ensure quick cooking and tender meat.
• Heat a large skillet or sauté pan and add a pat of butter and a spoonful of oil.
• When the butter/oil is sizzling add the chicken and sauté for 3 minutes, flip and sauté for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the pan.
• Add the mushrooms and a good splash of both chicken broth and white wine. Cook until the liquid is evaporated.
• Add a teaspoon of oil and let the mushroom brown for a minute or two.
• Add more chicken broth and a splash of heavy cream and simmer for a few more minutes then add the butter/flour paste - you're just about done!
• Return the chicken to the pan along with a few sprigs of thyme leaves. Cover, turn off the heat and let the chicken finish cooking in the pan.
• Dinner is served!

What kind of chicken should I use for this recipe?

Because this chicken cooks quickly, chicken breasts are perfect and come out super moist and tender. As mentioned above, the breasts are cut into thin filets by halving them horizontally. You can also purchase chicken that's been thinly sliced, but it's easy to do yourself and much more economical.

Chicken breasts have a reputation for being dry and tough but if they're cooked correctly, they are deliciously fork tender. Follow the easy directions in this recipe and you'll see just what I mean.

If you're a die-hard chicken thigh person, they will also work in this recipe. You'll need to cook them sufficiently longer though.

What are the best kind of mushrooms to use for this Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce?

I really like cremini mushrooms which are actually baby portabellos. They have a deeper color than button mushrooms and make for a prettier presentation, but any variety of mushrooms will work well. I've used a mix of oyster, shitake and cremini that I found at my local market and that was also delicious. Choose whichever mushrooms look freshest and prettiest when you're shopping.

A new mushroom technique

I learned a new technique recently for cooking mushrooms from the smart folks over at Cook's Illustrated. I love it because, unlike the conventional method of cooking mushrooms, you use minimal butter and/or oil but achieve beautifully browned, delicious results. They figured out that if you cook mushrooms initially in a good splash of water (I use broth) until the water evaporates and the mushrooms have released their own liquid, it only takes a small amount of oil or butter to brown the little shrooms.

I've been utilizing this genius method for cooking mushrooms for a couple of months now and love that I can have well-brown, low-calorie mushrooms any time I want. I incorporated the technique in this Easy Pan Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce recipe and, once again, it worked perfectly!

So that's about all I can tell you about this winner, winner, chicken dinner except - make it soon! It truly is a winner that I know I'll be making frequently. I think you'll enjoy it too and your family/friends will be doing that little happy dance whenever Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce is on the menu!

Cafe Tips for this Easy Pan Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce

• Use a nice large skillet or sauté pan for this recipe. I love my Staub Braiser with a glass lid. If you know someone who loves to cook or just want to treat yourself, this would make a wonderful gift that will last a lifetime!
• For presentation, look for smaller chicken breasts for this recipe, if possible. I find that many chicken suppliers will package the same number of breasts in a package so the packages with the lowest weights will have the smallest breasts. I would rather serve a couple of smaller pieces of chicken per person than one humungous portion.
• Larger chicken breasts will also take a little longer to cook. If using larger portions add a minute or two to the cooking time.
• I usually use cremini mushrooms for this recipe but other varieties will also be delicious. The recipe calls for 8-12 ounces of mushrooms. Use more or less to taste. In the pictures above, I used 12 ounces, which gives you a good amount for the sauce as well as enough for a nice garnish.
• This recipe calls for fresh thyme. Rosemary is a good substitute if you don't care for thyme or can't find it.
• To thicken the sauce in this recipe, you'll be using a French technique called beurre manie. Even though it has a fancy French name, beurre manie (meaning kneaded butter in French) couldn't be easier. You simply combine equal amounts of soft butter and flour and stir them together until combined. This butter/flour mixture is stirred in at the end and creates a beautiful silky smooth, thickened sauce. You can add more or less to taste, depending on how thick or thin you prefer your sauce.
• This dish can be prepared in advance and gently rewarmed before serving. You'll probably need to add a little extra chicken broth when rewarming.
• There are lots of pairing options for this Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce. It's fabulous with mashed potatoes but when I'm trying to limit our calories and/or carbs, I serve it with roasted cauliflower or roasted green beans for a lighter meal. It's also wonderful with pasta or polenta.

Thought for the day:

Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthian 4:16-18

What we're listening to for inspiration:

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Easy Pan Chicken In Mushroom Wine Sauce

This fabulous Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce is one of those delicious dinners that comes together quickly enough to serve on a weeknight, yet it's perfect for a fancy dinner party.

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, French-American

Keyword: Chicken in Mushroom Wine Sauce, Company Chicken Dinner, Easy Chicken Dinner

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 249 kcal

Ingredients

For the prep:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons soft butter

For the chicken:

• 1½-1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the mushrooms:

• 8-12 ounces cremini mushrooms cleaned and sliced about ¼-inch thick
• ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup dry white wine I use Sauvignon Blanc but any dry white wine will work.
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced

For the sauce:

• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme leaves plus more for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the prep:

1. Combine the flour, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

2. Transfer 2 teaspoons to another small bowl and set the rest aside. Add 2 teaspoons of soft butter to the bowl. Mash and stir with a small fork until combined.

For the chicken:

1. Place your hand on top of one of the chicken breasts and, using a long sharp knife, slice the breast in half horizontally. Repeat with other breasts. Pat each piece lightly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and place them on a large plate or pan.

2. Sprinkle each piece of chicken with the flour mixture then rub with your fingers to coat. Flip the pieces to the opposite side and repeat. Use all or most of the flour mixture.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter and tilt the pan to coat the entire surface. When the butter is melted and starting to sizzle a bit, add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes until nicely golden brown on the bottom. Flip each piece over and cook for 30 seconds on the opposite side. Remove the chicken from the pan to a clean plate.

For the mushrooms:

1. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan along with ½ cup of chicken broth, the ½ cup of white wine and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the liquid has evaporated and the pan is beginning to look a little dry.

2. Reduce the heat to low medium and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Remove half of the mushrooms (the prettiest, most golden) and set aside for garnish, if desired.

3. Add the garlic to the pan and stir for 30 seconds.

For the sauce:

1. Add the remaining cup of chicken broth and the heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the butter/flour mixture (from step 3) and stir well to combine. Allow the sauce to boil for 1 minute then add the thyme. If the sauce seems too thick you can add a little extra chicken broth at this point.

2. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juice that has accumulated. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, turn off the heat and cover the pan tightly. Allow the chicken to finish cooking in the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Taste the sauce and season with more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed. Garnish with the reserved mushrooms and fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.

Calories 249kcal

Fat 20g

Saturated fat 11g

Trans fat 1g

Cholesterol 54mg

Sodium 669mg

Potassium 416mg

Carbohydrates 10g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 2g

Protein 5g

Vitamin A 1080%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 46%

Iron 1%