Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce (2024)

Quick and simple chicken breasts cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce.

by Audrey September 17, 2022

September 17, 2022

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Behold this quick and simple recipe: chicken breasts cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce! It is a simple dish that can be made in a single pan or skillet, filled with so much flavor and comfort for a warming dinner. Best of all, it can be on the table in about half an hour, making it the perfect square family meal for any day of the week.

A perfect family meal

This recipe is all about keeping things quick, simple and with no fancy ingredients. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cremini mushrooms and crème fraiche come together to create a very satisfying, crowd-pleasing dish. It is ready in just 30 minutes, for a perfect family meal any day of the week.

I love to make it in a large skillet to fit loads of mushrooms and 4 chicken breasts. But you can easily halve the recipe to make it for two, in a smaller pan.

Make sure you have crusty bread on the side for mopping up the delicious sauce!

How to cook juicy chicken breasts in a pan?

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a very popular cut of poultry. However, it is known for being tricky to cook as it can turn tough and dry pretty quickly. So, here are a few tips I learned from my years of cooking to help you achieve perfectly cooked and juicy chicken breasts. Use these tips and techniques to cook the chicken breasts for this recipe when nestled with the mushrooms. Or you can simply use them for cooking chicken breasts on their own, and in any other recipes.

- Ideally, breasts shouldn’t be thicker than 1-inch, to cook evenly. If your chicken breasts are too thick, cover them with a plastic film and use a mallet or rolling pin to pound them down until thinner.
- Take the chicken breasts out of the fridge at least 2 hours before you cook them. This will allow the meat to come to close to room temperature, so it doesn’t have thermal shock when placed on a hot pan – which usually makes for tough meat.
- Sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice onto the chicken breasts and rub it in. The lemon juice helps tenderize the chicken. This works well for lean cuts like chicken breasts.
- Salt your chicken 2 hours beforehandto allow the salt to penetrate the meat.If you’re interested in knowing more about how salt is used to build and enhance flavor in food (especially for meats), I recommend the bookSalt, Fat, Acid, Heatby Samin Nosrat.
- Cook chicken breasts on a pre-heated pan set to medium-high heat.
- Do not move the chicken breasts around while they cook (this is essential!).
- Cook chicken breasts for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 165F/74C.
- When the chicken breasts are finished cooking, let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows for the heat to distribute evenly and for meat to relax.

Cooking Notes & Substitutions:

FindCrème fraicheat the grocery store, next to sour cream and whipping cream. Two of my favorite brands I recommend areLiberteandMaison Riviera.
You can substitute the crème fraiche for heavy cream (35% M.F.). However, I don’t recommend substituting it for sour cream, half-and-half or even milk. These don’t contain enough fat and will curdle due to high heat in the sauce.
Cremini mushroomsare traditionally used for making this recipe, but you can opt for other seasonal mushrooms if you want, such asporciniorchanterelles
You can use another cut of chicken if you would like, such as chicken quarters or thighs. Keep in mind you may need to adjust the cooking time.

How to store Chicken breasts in creamy mushroom sauce?

Any leftovers? You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

In the refrigerator:let the the dish cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat your portions on the stovetop on low heat, so the sauce doesn’t separate.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish. Saucy dishes made with dairy don’t handle the thawing process very well.

More Chicken recipes you may like:

Classic French Coq Au Vin Rouge
French Tarragon Chicken
Simple Chicken Marengo with mushrooms
Chicken Chasseur (Classic French Hunter’s Chicken)
Braised Chicken thighs with garlic and onion

I hope you’ll love this Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. As a side, you can serve this recipe with simple rice, Green Beans Almondine or Gratin Dauphinois.

Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 26 minutes 26 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 6 voted )

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp (84g) butter
1 medium onion, peeled and minced (or 2 shallots)
½ lbs (490g) button mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock (ideally low-sodium)
2/3 cup (200g) crème fraiche (35-40%MF)
2 tbsp freshly minced parsley (flat or curly)

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Step 1 – 2 hours prior to cooking, rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat-dry thoroughly with paper towel. Sprinkle with lemon juice and rub it in. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside, at room temperature. Meanwhile, you can prepare the onion (peel, dice) and the mushrooms (wash, slice).

Step 2 – Heat up a large frying pan (or skillet) over medium-high heat with the butter. When the butter is sizzling, add the onion (or shallots) and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are softened, but not browned yet.

Step 3 – Nestle the chicken breasts between the mushrooms. Cook for 7-8 minutes, without touching. Flip the chicken and cook for 7-8 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

Step 4 – Add the chicken stock to the mushrooms and stir. When the stock is hot, add the crème fraiche and stir. Bring the sauce to a low boil and let simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (salt, pepper). Stir in 1 tablespoon of parsley. Nestle the chicken breasts back into the pan and drape with sauce. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley.

6 comments

Deb Walsh September 26, 2022 - 10:09 am

I always first make a recipe exactly as it was written. Then, if necessary, make adjustments to suit my taste. This is wonderful as is, but I think it could be even better substituting some fresh French thyme for the parsley. This recipe as written is even better the next day, as more flavors are developed. Took your advice from another of your saucy recipes and placed a slice of bread (any kind of sturdy bread would do – I used a sandwich slice of sourdough, ala king-style) at the bottom of an individual bowl and topped it with rewarmed sauce and let it be absorbed for a minute, then added a rewarmed piece of chicken. Just delightful! Thank you, Audrey.

Audrey September 26, 2022 - 10:11 am

Thanks for trying (and enjoying) the recipe, Deb. Subbing in some thyme is a great idea, and I agree, would work perfectly. I also love the idea of using a slice of sourdough to soak up some sauce – it’s something my husband also loves to do!

Anne March 22, 2023 - 5:19 pm

Oh my, I am sooooo glad that I discovered your blog! I made this dish today and it was sublime! I’ve mocked up similar before, but your technique for cooking chicken breasts make all the difference. They were so tender and the recipe ensured that the sauce was perfection. The biggest problem that I had with this recipe was trying to ensure that I put ALL of the creme fraiche into the pan….okay, a heaped teaspoon became the chef’s perk…

Audrey March 22, 2023 - 7:01 pm

Anne, I am so glad you found the blog as well, I very much appreciate all the kind words. My goal is to make French cooking accessible to all, so I’m always happy to hear when I’m hitting the mark! Enjoy your stay, enjoy some more recipes and enjoy another heaped teaspoon of creme fraiche any time you want!

Bart November 21, 2023 - 10:40 pm

Delicious chicken and sauce! We prefer having a little more sauce on the plate so we’ll use 2/3 cup of stock & 1 cup of creme fraiche next time. Thank you for another great recipe.

Audrey November 22, 2023 - 7:05 am

Thank you so much, Bart! Absolutely nothing wrong with making more sauce… It really is quite delicious. My husband loves mopping it up with fresh bread. Appreciate the review!

Audrey

Hi, I'm Audrey. I am a French Homecook, Photographer & Creator of Pardon your French. For more recipes, buy my cookbook: Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.