Creamy Mushroom Chicken Skillet (Printable version)

Tender chicken breasts cooked with sautéed mushrooms in a rich, creamy sauce for comforting meals.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Mushrooms & Aromatics

05 - 9 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Sauce

09 - 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet. Sauté onions for 2 minutes, then add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are golden and moisture evaporates, about 5 to 7 minutes.
04 - Stir in chicken broth, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2 minutes.
05 - Add heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and thyme. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted and the sauce becomes creamy.
07 - Return chicken breasts along with any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through and coated with sauce.
08 - Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top before serving immediately.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one skillet, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor concentration.
  • The chicken comes out impossibly tender because it cooks in its own steam-bath of cream and broth.
  • You can have dinner on the table in 40 minutes, even if you're starting from scratch.
02 -
  • Don't rush the mushroom cooking step—if you're impatient and add liquid too early, they'll steam instead of brown, and you'll miss out on that deep, concentrated flavor.
  • The chicken needs to be fully cooked through before you return it to the sauce, or you'll end up overcooking it in the final simmer.
03 -
  • Use medium-high heat for searing the chicken but immediately drop to medium for the sauce—gentle simmering keeps everything from breaking and tightening.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with cold water and stir it in while the sauce simmers; it'll thicken without becoming gluey.

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