We’ve all been there: company is coming for dinner and you have no idea what to cook. Whether you’re entertaining a dining room full of guests, your parents, or a few casual friends, who doesn’t want to spend more time with said guests and less time fretting and sweating over dinner in the kitchen? We all want to serve something that feels thoughtful, elevated, delicious, and, dare we say, easy, right? Added bonus if it produces minimal dishes. Is that even possible? It is. Enter creamy mushroom chicken.

creamy mushroom chicken

Creamy mushroom chicken is the 30-minute meal that feels like so much more than a typical 30-minute meal. While it checks all the required quick-and-easy boxes (short ingredient list of mostly pantry staples, brief cook time, and thankfully one-pot), the finished dish is rich and luxuriously umami-packed and feels anything but thrown together. Thinly sliced chicken breasts are raised to their highest calling with a quick cook in a cast iron skillet with butter and are finished with sauteed mushrooms, cream, and lemon. It sounds basic, the results are anything but. Mom will be proud.

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Chicken

  1. Start off by butterflying the chicken breasts. If that’s not something you’re familiar with, here’s a great resource. Split apart each butterflied breast for two nice-and-thin chicken breasts. Salt and pepper well.
  2. Cook the mushrooms in a pre-heated cast iron skillet with butter and salt. The salt is important – it draws out the moisture of the mushrooms, allowing them to get brown, crispy, and ultra-flavorful a lot more quickly.
  3. Cook the chicken. This will be quick, probably 2-3 minutes per side.
  4. Deglaze the pan with the stock then simmer with the lemon and cream until the sauce has some body, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and mushrooms, cook for a minute or two to let the flavors meld together, and serve with lemon zest and chopped Italian parsley.

What to Serve with Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Fluffy white rice is a delightful accompaniment to creamy mushroom chicken and is what is listed in the recipe. Or serve it with pasta for a dish reminiscent (ish) of chicken marsala or over mashed potatoes for a meal that will quite literally stick to your ribs with hearty goodness. Balance the richness of the chicken with a side of veg: sauteed green beans or our favorite simple kale salad would do nicely.

More “Company is Coming” Dinner Ideas

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Brooke Eliason
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Servings: 4 servings
Total Time: 30 mins
Creamy mushroom chicken is a meal that feels thoughtful, elevated, delicious, and, dare we say, easy. Great for company or, really, anyone.

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups cooked white rice
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 8 oz. white mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Cook the rice according to package directions if you're not using previously cooked rice. Butterfly the chicken breasts and then cut to separate the two halves. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and set aside.
  • Bring a 12” (or larger) cast iron skilled to medium heat. Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter and add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and saute the mushrooms until they are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside. While the mushrooms are cooking, zest the lemon with a microplane and set aside.
  • Increase the heat of the skillet to medium-high. Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan. Once it's melted, add the chicken and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F (the chicken pieces should be very thin and will cook quickly). Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Deglaze the pan by pouring in the chicken stock, then add the heavy cream and the juice of the lemon and whisk together to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce is bubbly and has thickened a little (about 10 minutes). Carefully place the chicken and any accumulated juices back into the pan with the sauce along with the sauteed mushrooms. Let everything cook for another 1-2 minutes, spooning the sauce over any exposed chicken or mushrooms. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with lemon zest and parsley and serve hot with rice.

Notes

– You may substitute rice with another grain or a starch such as pasta, mashed potatoes, etc.

Did you make this recipe?

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