Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken
A simple pan sauce saves the day in this quick and easy Creamy Mushroom Chicken made with juicy thighs, mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan, and half-and-half!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 288kcal
Equipment
- Large 12" skillet
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs boneless & skinless, $4.80*
- ½ tsp salt $0.02
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.04
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil $0.04
- 2 tsp garlic cloves minced, $0.32
- 8 oz. mushrooms sliced, $1.78
- ½ cup chicken broth $0.06**
- 1 cup half and half room temperature, $0.74***
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated, $0.37****
- fresh parsley for garnish, (optional) $0.17
Instructions
- Gather and prep your ingredients
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium, then add the 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. Now add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5-7 minutes more, or until the mushrooms have wilted.
- Pour the chicken broth into 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. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165℉ before serving.
- Top with fresh parsley for garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
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Notes
*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicy and have great flavor, and they cook through easily in the skillet. Chicken breast also works, but slice each breast lengthwise into two thinner filets and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
**I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth because one jar lasts ages in the fridge and is usually more budget-friendly than buying cartons of broth! It’s also well seasoned, so I don’t usually add more salt to taste. Taste and adjust your sauce with extra salt and pepper at the end as needed.
***Half-and-half makes a lighter, spoonable cream sauce. For a thicker, richer sauce, you can use heavy cream instead. Let your dairy come to room temperature before adding it to the skillet, and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer so it stays smooth.
****Add the Parmesan over low heat to stop it from clumping, and stir until the sauce is smooth. The parmesan also helps thicken the sauce slightly. If you decide to omit it, I’d swap the half and half for heavy cream (as an equal swap) so the sauce isn’t too thin.
For a thicker sauce: The Parmesan will thicken the sauce slightly once it melts in, but this pan sauce isn’t meant to be super thick. If you want it thicker, remove ¼ cup of sauce from the skillet, whisk in a small amount of cornstarch until smooth, then stir that mixture back into the sauce and simmer for another minute or two. See the What Else Can I Add? section below for more ideas on how to customize this recipe!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 650mg | Fiber: 1g