One Skillet Chicken With Garlicky Mushroom Cream Sauce
Another one skillet chicken recipe! This easy chicken dinner is made with sautéed garlic and mushrooms and topped with a creamy sauce. I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but chicken thighs would be delicious too!
Hello 2016! I am making this one skillet chicken dinner smothered in garlic and mushroom cream sauce on repeat this year.
This is the latest addition to my one skillet chicken dinner family. We need more 30 minute meals that are easy to pull together on a weeknight. Enter this chicken dinner with veggies and sauce built right into 1 pan. A new year definitely called for a new spin on the recipe. We’re using the same basic ingredients, minus the lemon juice, add the mushrooms. Can you tell my new years resolution has something to do with eating more veggies when the first post of 2016 is my favorite recipe from 2015 revamped with veggies? Is it obvious?
You guys, we’re barely 4 days into the new year and it’s been a roller coaster already! Not that i’m complaining or anything. And what’s that saying about the first week of the new year being crazy busy means your whole year is probably going to be the same way? Oh there’s no saying? Well, i’m ready to assume this year it going to be Legend—wait for it— dary. Yes, i’ve officially binge watched 6 seasons of How I Met Your Mother, thankyouverymuch.
So this weekend, we FINALLY did some decorating around the house. The gallery wall is up. It took me a month to gather the strength. I’m crazy meticulous when it comes to wall hangings. If it’s crooked it drives me nuts. Forever. I’ll stare at it’s imperfections day in and day out until it drives me to the point of insanity. Hence, why we took our time. It took almost 5 hours to get it done but it’s so worth it. At least that’s what i’m telling myself.
It was the hubby’s birthday on Saturday so we did kind of a low key dinner and I made a massive chocolate pie because this is a tradition of ours. I make Anees the most chocolatiest (that should be a word) dessert I can think of. Last year it was a 10 pound chocolate cake. Maybe I went a little overboard with that one? :/
And we ended Sunday off with a bang – throwing the bestie/ ex-neighbor a le-chic baby shower. And when your bestie is a lifestyle blogger, she insists on making her own decorations! So the banner, the large tissue flowers, all made by Pennies for a Fortune. AND we served this dip at the shower and let me tell you, it was a BIG hit. Seriously, if you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for? It’s addicting.
And now back to my garlic and mushroom one skillet chicken in cream sauce.
Instead of starting off with the chicken breasts, this time we’re sautéing off some mushrooms, letting them sweat up a bit in a little olive oil before the chicken gets it’s turn. We’re still using simple ingredients like butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and mushrooms. It’s all pantry/refrigerator staples, folks. No need to run to the store. I used shallots in this recipe but if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to use red onions instead.
What really makes this chicken dinner next level stuff is the chicken broth simmered with shallots and a big splash of heavy cream at the the end. The sauce is creamy and luxurious and is perfect to toss with some angel hair pasta! You can double the ingredients for the sauce and drizzle it on pasta or veggies. I served it up twice. Once with asparagus and the second time with pasta and with each time, I loved this garlicky mushroom chicken dinner a little more. Next time, i’m serving up crusty bread with this chicken so that I can mop up all the creamy garlicky sauce.
YES.
Just like my other one skillet chicken dinners, you can used chicken breast of boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Just make sure to pound the chicken down to the same thickness (between ½-¾ inch thick). I browned each side of the chicken for a couple of minutes. The chicken won’t be cooked all the way though but don’t worry, we’re going to finish the sauce and the chicken off in the oven before serving.
Here’s to a new year and eating more one skillet chicken dinners with veggies covered with garlicky cream sauce! ????????????????
One Skillet Chicken with Garlicky Mushroom Cream Sauce
Another one skillet chicken recipe! This easy chicken dinner is made with sautéed garlic and mushrooms and topped with a creamy sauce. I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but chicken thighs would be delicious too!

Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
- ⅓ cup finely diced shallots (or red onions)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or basil)
Instructions
- Using a mallet, pound down the chicken breasts/thighs into ½ inch thickness. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
- In a 2 cup measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and allow to brown for 3-4 minutes stirring as required to brown both sides. Remove to a plate (use one large enough to remove chicken as well).
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken and allow to brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side. Don't worry if the chicken isn't cooked completely, we'll finish it in the oven. Remove chicken to plate.
- Reduce the flame to medium, add the shallots to the skillet along with the chicken broth mixture. Using a whisk, scrape the bottom of the pan so all the brown bits are loosened. Let sauce simmer and reduce for about 8-10 minutes or until about ⅓ cup of the sauce remains. If you do not do this step, your sauce will NOT thicken.
- When the sauce has thickened, remove from the flame, add the butter and whisk until it melts completely. With the skillet off the flame add the heavy cream and mushrooms, and whisk to combine. Place the skillet back over the flame for just 30 seconds, do not allow the sauce to boil. Remove from heat, add the chicken back into the pan and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Top with chopped parsley or basil and serve warm.
Notes
- Use boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs that about the same thickness. I pounded mine down to about ½ inch.
IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU?
*Please note: the nutritional facts calculated are an estimate based on the ingredients i’ve used. If you’d like a more accurate count, please calculate them using the ingredients/brands you’ve used to prepare the recipe. The nutritional facts provided is for ¼ of the recipe.
love the collage from the baby shower!!
can’t wait to make this recipe 🙂
🙂
If I am wanting to make with pasta, do I make the double sauce at the same time and keep half out of the oven to poor over noodles, or put all the sauce in the oven and drizzle over noodles later, or put the noodles in the oven too?
Sorry and hope that makes sense.
I’d make a double batch of sauce together and then remove 1/2 before putting the chicken in the oven with the remaining sauce.
Marzia, this is so up my alley! Really delicious! I made it today for lunch and after was instructed not to change anything and make it next week again!
Thanks for sharing!
x
How many calories are in this
I’ve added in the nutritional label above, per your request! 🙂
Can this be done in the crockpot?
This recipe is not suitable for a crock pot.
This was a huge hit in our house! Absolutely delicious!
can you use coconut milk in place of heavy cream?
Wondering the same thing
In a word…no. You won’t get the creamy texture in the sauce and the flavor profile doesn’t sound like it will all work together with coconut milk. If you tried it and liked it, please share!
It’s in the oven now. I tasted the sauce and it was yummy. My kitchen smells heavenly, lots of garlic and thyme. I’m so mad I didn’t have bread!!!
I don’t have an oven safe skillet, can I cook it on the stove then transfer it to some bakeware I have?
Yup, that’ll work. Just allow your baking dish (empty) to heat in the oven as the oven preheats, then transfer from skillet and bake. This will then provide similar results to if you had used the hot skillet directly. Good luck!
how much would cooking time change with bone-in thighs? that’s all i have, and I really don’t want to run out to the store again!
You’re looking at about 15-25 minutes worth of skillet time + 10 minutes in the oven with the sauce. This is an estimate and actual cooking time may vary as the recipe has only been tested with boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Just letting you know I am featuring this today in my weekly Low-Carb Recipe Love on Fridays post, and I bet it’s going to be a big hit with my readers. Sounds amazing.
I made this last night and substituted 10% half and half for the heavy cream. It was absolutely heavenly. My boyfriend and I couldn’t get enough of it! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I made this for dinner last night. I paired it with some skillet potatoes & green beans. The only thing missing was some bread to soak up that sauce. You were so right, that sauce is killer!
I’m thinking next week I’ll make this again, double the sauce recipe & serve it over noodles or rice. 🙂
Thanks for a delicious recipe!!
Yes! That sauce definitely needs a good loaf of bread to mop up all that goodness. It would certainly be delicious over noodles as well. Thanks for commenting Eden, so happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂
Marzia, the best thing about this recipe is that you listed the nutritional value!! Bravo for you and shame on all the other bloggers who fill us with unhealthy, fatty foods. I thank you and my two college boys thank you. They loved it. And they count every calorie daily that they put in to their bodies. Thank you again, Ron in Dallas.
I’m so glad you and the boys enjoyed this recipe, Ron! And thanks so much for the feedback on the nutrition label! 🙂
Can I use 2% milk instead of the heavy cream because I dont want to run to the store?
Unfortunately I don’t think 2% is a suitable choice for this recipe. You run the risk of the milk curdling because of the low fat content with the other flavors in the sauce. Also, the sauce will severely lack that ‘creaminess’ that this dish needs.
So the broth never thickened and it never did after adding the cream. It ended up being chicken with milk sauce. Did I miss something?
Hi Valerie! The key to this recipe is making sure the sauce reduces to 1/3 cup prior to adding in the heavy cream. This may take more than the 8-10 minutes listed as every stove is different. But as long as you reduce the sauce to 1/3 cup, it shouldn’t come out ‘watery’ at the end. 🙂
This was wonderful and even satisfied my super-critical father (who cooks nothing but critiques like he’s on Top Chef!). I couldn’t find fresh button mushrooms and didn’t want to use canned, so I used sliced white mushrooms along with boneless, skinless thighs (5) and it came out wonderfully. Thanks so much, Marzia! I’ve got your wonderful-smelling minestrone going in my slow cooker right now and can’t wait to try it as well.
You literally made me LOL! Happy to hear it passed the test with your dad too. What a relief, lol! Enjoy the minestrone soup Penny! 🙂
Hi, are red pepper flakes, red chilli flakes?
Yup, same thing!
Great. Many thanks!
What could I substitute for the thyme?
You can use chopped tarragon instead or simply just omit the thyme from the recipe.
I’m comfused.. it says to preheat the over but no where does it tell you when and what to put in the oven… :/
see step #7.
Really excited to try this recipe out tonight! I was prepping and reading over the details, but for the life of me cannot make out where the shallots come in to play. Think I may be reading over it. Any insight, anyone? Thank you!
See step #6.
Absolutely amazing chicken! The only change I made was using fresh thyme because I had some in the fridge. Thank you for such an awesome recipe!
Great recipe! I made it tonight with chicken thighs, although I think the breasts would have been better. I think this would qualify as a “keto diet” recipe.
This one’s a winner just tried it. Though I did brine my breast for four hours only difference. Came out moist and delicious!
Hi,
What can I substitute for heavy milk? Or can I leave it out?
Thanks,
Judy
Hi Judy, I’ve never tried the recipe without the heavy cream, so not too sure on how it would taste without it. You could try substituting half and half if you’d like, anything lighter than half and half won’t allow the sauce to thicken and leaving the dish lacking a bit in flavor.
Oh my goodness, this recipe is heavenly!
I think I’ll also try this with slicked pork loin sometime!
Here’s what I did differently, mainly to fit the items I had in my pantry:
1- I used a medium white onion instead of scallion. 2- I cooked half the onion with the mushrooms, cooked the other half with the chicken. 3- I generously seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper before cooking. I also just cut the chicken breast in half- did not pound it. 4- I doubled the sauce and added a couple handfuls of egg noodles to the sauce as soon as I started simmering the sauce, allowing them to cook together. 5- Used parley instead of thyme. 6- it did take a good 30+ min. for the sauce to thicken to the directed consistency, but it was worth the wait. Overall- my chicken hating boyfriend asked if he could take the leftovers to work the next day- I’d say this recipe is a major win!
Made this last night for the family and it was a huge hit! It was amazing! Even my really picky son ate it and said it was awesome!
Omg. This recipe is AMAZING. I’m not a big fan of mushrooms, but I couldn’t get enough of em in this. Just do yourself a favor & make double the sauce. This is gong to become a regular in my rotation; loved it!
Can I use chicken stock cubes rather than broth?
Sure, i’d just prepare the broth with the cubes before adding it all into the skillet.
I want to serve this to 8. I have no problem doubling the recipe but could I make the whole dish ahead of time and reheating in a slow over?
Hi Ann. Yes, I think that would be fine. The sauce does thicken significantly as it sits so you may need additional water/broth to thin it slightly before reheating.
What praise for such a great make ahead dish. You were correct, the sauce did thicken a bit more and I did thin just a touch with broth. This is really a sumptuous dish. Served with only hot crusty, rustic bread and asparagus. Yum!
Excellent. We used b/s thighs and it was great. My only mistake is in doubling the recipe to 8 thighs, I doubled the sauce as well, so it did not reduce as much or thicken completely (over 20 minutes and still had about a cup). Good side is the extra sauce was great with wide noodles.