A good pan sauce is so simple to make and squeezes every last drop of flavor out of your meat. This week I made a creamy garlic pan sauce for some chicken thighs that I had stashed in the freezer, and added mushrooms to bulk out the meal a bit. You can serve this Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken over pasta or rice, or if you’re trying to curb the carbs, make a big ol’ beautiful salad to compliment these creamy flavors. Keep dinner simple, keep dinner delicious!
Goes great with: Focaccia Rolls, Homemade Garlic Bread, Summer Vegetable Tian, Oven Roasted (frozen) Broccoli
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz mushrooms ($1.99)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs ($3.94)
- Salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth* ($0.07)
- 1 cup half and half ($0.85)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.41)
- Parsley for garnish (optional) ($0.10)
Instructions
- Wash and slice the mushrooms. Mince the garlic. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium, then add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Swirl the oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for one minute, or just until the garlic softens. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5-7 minutes more, or until the mushrooms have wilted. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and stir to dissolve all the browned bits off the bottom.
- Add the half and half to the skillet and bring it up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the liquid, stirring often, for about five minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until it has melted in.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add the chicken back to the skillet, drench with sauce, and heat over low until warmed through. Top with fresh parsley for garnish, if desired.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
That creamy sauce, though! 🤤
I am using a 10″ Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (affiliate link).
How to Make Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Begin by washing and slicing 8oz. mushrooms and mincing four cloves of garlic.
Season both sides of four boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Heat a skillet over medium, then add a tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken thighs and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through (about 5 minutes on each side). Remove the chicken thighs to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute, then add the sliced mushrooms and continue to sauté until they have softened.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the skillet and stir to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom, then pour in 1 cup half and half. Bring the liquid up to a simmer, then turn down to medium-low and let simmer, stirring often, for about five minutes.
Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and stir in until melted into the sauce. Taste the sauce and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to your liking.
Add the chicken thighs back to the skillet, spoon the sauce over top, and allow to heat through (just a few minutes).
Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired! (It sure does make it look pretty, huh?)
Tender, creamy, and delicious!
I made this chicken-mushroom dish exactly to the T, following the time to cook the chicken thighs (7 minutes) to make it golden brown. It looked good but when I took a big bite at the end, the chicken was pink and raw in the middle ! I had to cover the lid and simmer for 20 minutes more but the meat inside was still pink and flaccid! There was blood spot. I ended up dissecting the chicken and let it simmer for 10 minutes until it was firm and safe.! Now my stomach is troubled.
The recipe does not explicitly state it but you have to cook the chicken.
Same thing happened to me! What kind of recipe doesn’t tell you the FULL recipe?!
Is there a way to make this in the crock pot?
No, unfortunately you need a skillet for this one.
We made this the a few weeks ago and I’m not a fan of mushrooms, but love the flavor. My husband loves them. I loved the sauce and he ate all the mushrooms! The chicken seemed a little fatty so I think next time I will use chicken breasts. This was such a savory delicious meal! We are enjoying your site so much! The visuals and directions are wonderful!
This was THE BEST chicken thigh recipe. Hands down. My hubby hates mushrooms and he said it was the best. Honestly, thank you!! I’m on a keto diet now and this hit the spot. Diet or not this rocks!
Can this be made earlier in the day and reheated for guests? It’s on the menu today!
While I did enjoy my leftovers, I would suggest making it just before serving if you are serving it to guests.
Made this last night for my wife and I, the speed and ease of preparation was fantastic, perfect for fixing on one of her work nights, especially since it snowed and her arrival time was iffy, just added a small twist in the form of a couple strips of diced smoky bacon in with the mushrooms, took it to a higher and deeper level at the same time, and boy did it turn out good! Definitely a keeper.
Can I make this dish ahead and freeze for a later date? Thanks
Creamy sauces often don’t freeze so well, so I wouldn’t suggest that for this one.
Was reading the recipe and was thinking “This will be GREAT for freezing..” LOL!! maybe it won’t, but I will give it a test and report back. I freeze a similar dish but with pork tenderloin. Sauce may appear a bit separated, but some whisking together and some heat you’d never know it had been frozen.
Made this last night (at 9:30 p.m., after an aikido class) with some chicken breast and it turned out fantastic and was truly quick. I threw in a handful of spinach I had in the fridge with no plan for and served it over some rice. Husband loved it too. This will have to become one of the regular meals.
What is half & half? half & half of what!!
“Half and half” is a cream product in the United States. It is 12% butter fat, as opposed to heavy cream, which is about 35-38% butter fat. I have it linked in the recipe card to a page that defines what half and half is and compares it to other cream products, since most people outside the U.S. aren’t familiar with it.
Made this for dinner tonight! My wife loved it and I think this will be a regular meal for us from now on! I think it could use more mushrooms next time!
This looks so good sand not hard to make.. going to get the ingredients and make it!..
Great recipe! I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, which were thicker, so I had to adjust the cooking time, but this recipe is versatile enough that it still works! Will definitely make this one again!
Could I use cream of mushroom instead of half and half?
I suppose. Then you’d just have double mushroom soup. :P
Would it be okay to substitute wholemilk for half and half?
Not for this one, unfortunately. You really need half and half to make the sauce have body.
Tried this recipe last night and it was fantastic! I used angel hair pasta so the consistency was great as is and I didn’t need to thicken the sauce. I added onions and spinach. Thanks for this recipe! It’s so easy and quick to make. It’s definitely a keeper.