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!
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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.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!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!
No mention of spinach in the list of ingredients. What’s up with that? How much ??
Last set of directions Mentions addition of spinach.
There is no spinach in this recipe. I garnished with a little parsley for the photos, but only for visual appeal. :)
Delicious. Super simple to put together. Since I’m going to enjoy this dish for lunch, I cut the chicken thighs into strips to make it easier to eat and served it with mashed potatoes. I want to make this recipe again later on. Thanks, Beth!!! ☺️
This was delicious! Very decadent and a bit unhealthy, but the mushrooms with the creaminess of the sauce and chicken
– yum! Sopped it up with Beth’s focaccia bread and accompanied with a simple romaine salad. 👍🏻
Oh that focaccia is a great partner for this dish!
Mine didn’t thicken:(
I made this for the first time and but I did make a few changes. I used chicken breasts, because I only eat white meat. I also added red and green peppers. Lastly I did add some lemon pepper spice which made the result lighter in color. My family loved it and I will continue to cook this meal in the future. Thank you for your help…
Outstanding!! Simple and yummy. I used the recipe for a luncheon I catered. Everyone raved about the chicken. I did “put my foot in it”!!
I deglazed the pan with a little white wine and added onions. Delish!
I thought this recipe was a little simple so I added an onion and thyme.
Was excellent with these aromatic additions.
Found it bland. Will have to tweet next time
Great recipe, made several times. I did substitute the thighs for chicken breast as I don’t eat dark meat, I also used shrimp which was also delicious. This is a keeper!
Made this today. Amazing. Little variation with this. I sprinkled a few sun-dried tomatoes after I added the mushrooms and use fancy shredded Parmesan cheese. At the very end a small amount of fresh chopped chives.
Can this be made as a crock pot meal? By just putting all ingredients in together?
(Maybe cheese at very end)
Unfortunately I don’t think this one would work in the crock pot because it doesn’t allow for any evaporation or reduction of the sauce. It would turn it into a soup.
Can this be frozen once it’s been made???
Unfortunately I don’t think the creamy sauce would hold up well to freezing.
An absolutely delicious receipe. I did however tweak it a bit. I seasoned my chicken with thyme for some fragrance in the chicken. I also deglazed the pan (with mushrooms) with fresh squeezed lemon juice before adding my stock and cream. I finished it off with a touch of lemon juice as well. The added acidity really did bring the dish together wonderfully. I will definitely make this again.
was looking for a recipe for chicken and mushroom pie on pinterest and this recipe popped up. any suggestions for making this into a filling for individual pot pies/hand pies?
Less cream maybe or cornflour to thicken it