Rich and velvety Mushroom Sauce for chicken, steak, pork, and more! This easy 30-minute recipe is made with crispy pan-fried chicken breasts nestled in the creamy, umami sauce. A perfect family dinner!
Everyone at the table is going to rave about this Mushroom Cream Sauce for Chicken! Lightly breaded and pan-fried chicken breasts are slathered in a divinely rich mushroom sauce that’s bursting with umami goodness. Just like my Chicken in White Wine Sauce and Creamy Mushroom Chicken, it’s a crowd-pleasing and easy weeknight dinner.
Table of Contents
The best mushrooms for mushroom sauce
There is no one perfect mushroom for mushroom sauce – use what you already love! I made this recipe with cremini mushrooms, but you can’t go wrong with any kind of button mushrooms.
For an elevated umami, earthy flavor, try making this sauce with shiitake, oyster, porcini, chanterelles, and wild maitake.
Ingredient notes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Butter
- Kosher salt and pepper
- All purpose flour – For breading the chicken. If you need this recipe to be gluten free, use a 1:1 gluten free flour instead.
- Garlic powder
- Mushrooms – I like to make this recipe with cremini mushrooms but you can use any of the mushrooms I mentioned above.
- Italian seasoning – To season the mushrooms.
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Dry white wine – Use a dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc, that you already enjoy drinking. Save the sweeter wines, like Riesling, for spicier meals. Here, they’re more likely to throw the flavors off balance.
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Heavy cream – Because it wouldn’t be a creamy mushroom sauce without the cream! Heavy cream is stirred into the sauce at the end to give it a rich, velvety consistency. You can use whole milk instead but the sauce won’t be as rich. Remember: if you end up with leftover cream, freeze it!
- Chives – For garnish.
How to make it
Step 1
Coat the chicken
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip them in the flour/garlic powder mix to coat.
Step 2
Fry the chicken
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Once it’s hot, add the chicken and fry until it’s golden on both sides. Set aside.
Step 3
Brown the mushrooms
- Add the butter to the now empty skillet.
- Once it’s melted, add the mushrooms and Italian seasoning.
- Transfer them to the plate with the chicken once they’re golden.
Step 4
Finish the sauce
- Saute the shallots in the hot pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, then add the garlic.
- Deglaze the pan with broth and wine, making sure you scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom. Cook until the sauce reduces slightly.
- Stir in the cream, salt & pepper. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and simmer until warmed through. Enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- According to A Couple Cooks, one of the easiest ways to clean mushrooms for cooking is to place them in a bowl filled with water and wait for the dirt to settle to the bottom. Drain the water, pat the mushrooms dry, then slice!
- To achieve a crispy golden crust on the chicken breasts, fry them in an even layer with space in between each. Work in batches if you need to.
- Would you rather make this recipe without the wine? Replace it with more chicken broth instead.
Serving suggestions
While this sauce is particularly perfect with chicken breasts, it’s just as great with boneless or bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks. Plate the sauce-covered chicken over a bed of cooked rice, quinoa, risotto, or your favorite grain with light and flavorful side dishes, such as:
- MORE → 50+ BEST Sides for Chicken
More ways to use this sauce
Mushroom cream sauce is not only limited to chicken! The creamy, umami flavors are just as good when served with more proteins and even pasta:
- Pasta – There’s nothing like indulging in a bowl of egg noodles, fettucini, or ravioli with mushroom sauce. Shred fresh parmesan on top, garnish with basil leaves or parsley, and dig in.
- Steak – This sauce goes well with rich and tender cuts of steak, like ribeye and filet mignon.
- Pork – Keep this recipe the same but replace the chicken with these Homemade “Shake and Bake” Pork Chops. Alternatively, skip the breading and drizzle the sauce over pork tenderloin or pork chops instead.
- Turkey – Swap the chicken for another kind of poultry, like turkey! Spoon the sauce over these Turkey Swedish Meatballs or use it to upgrade some of these ground turkey recipes.
How to make ahead + store
- To store: The finished dish is best served immediately because the chicken will become soggy as it sits. The sauce, however, can be stored by itself in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat: Warm the sauce in a pan over low to medium heat to prevent it from breaking.
- To freeze: Unfortunately, mushroom sauce does not freeze well.
Erin’s wine pairings
- No need for a complicated pairing here. Just use the same wine you used in the sauce! I like it with a crisp and dry Chardonnay.
More sauces to serve with chicken
Did you make chicken with mushroom sauce?
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Full Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless , sliced in half horizontally)
- Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces mushrooms (cremini or white mushrooms, sliced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chives (to garnish)
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and coat the chicken pieces in the flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 5-6 minutes per side, working in batches if needed, so as to not overcrowd the skillet.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the butter to the now empty skillet. Once melted, add the mushrooms, season with Italian seasoning, and allow them to brown for about 6-8 minutes. Once golden, remove and set aside with the chicken.
- Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper to the empty skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds longer.
- Add the broth and wine and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Return the chicken and mushrooms to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Enjoy!
Notes
- To store: The finished dish is best served immediately because the chicken will become soggy as it sits. The sauce, however, can be stored by itself in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat: Warm the sauce in a pan over low to medium heat to prevent it from breaking.
- To freeze: Unfortunately, mushroom sauce does not freeze well.
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