Cream of Mushroom Chicken

What stands out: This cream of mushroom chicken is a straightforward one pan dinner made from tender and juicy chicken pieces cooked in rich and savory from-scratch mushroom gravy. Serve it over rice, noodles, or with veggies for a wholesome weeknight meal.

How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: just one skillet!
Servings: 6

Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms Dinner

This cream of mushroom chicken is straightforward and has tons of rich, creamy, earthy flavor! With juicy seasoned chicken tenders and the creamiest from-scratch mushroom gravy, it’s one of our family’s favorite dinners. Serve this chicken with mushroom sauce over pasta, rice, or veggies, and you have a wholesome dinner that the whole family loves.

About This Creamy Chicken Recipe

From-scratch. The flavor of this from-scratch mushroom gravy is, in a word, memorable. Fresh, creamy, and seasoned with onions and garlic, it coats every inch of juicy chicken in the pan. Unlike many other recipes you’ll find, there’s no canned soup in this recipe.

Speedy. This cream of mushroom chicken recipe takes about 40 minutes to make, start to finish. It has straightforward ingredients and better yet, it’s cooked all in one pan (in the style of chicken marsala or chicken Florentine). You’re not going to believe how quickly it comes together.

Versatile. With some simple tweaks, you can adapt this recipe to make it dairy-free. If you’re pressed for time, you can always make this straightforward chicken recipe with a can of mushroom soup, too (instructions on the recipe card).

What goes in

Let’s get started with a short overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this cream of mushroom chicken.

• Chicken – we recommend chicken tenders because they cook quickly but any cut of chicken works here. Just note that different kinds of chicken, ie. thighs, breasts, etc. require different cooking times.
• Cornstarch – Tossing the chicken with cornstarch helps tenderize the meat and creates a crispy coating when it’s pan-fried. We use this same technique in our straightforward beef stir fry recipe. You can also use arrowroot powder.
• Seasonings – The chicken is seasoned with pantry items: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (smoked or sweet), thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Olive Oil – Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil, or another cooking oil, for sautéeing.
• Butter – Unsalted butter helps to better control the saltiness of the dish.
• Onion – we usually use yellow or cooking onions. They store well in the pantry and are inexpensive. They usually have a finer texture than sweet onions.
• Mushrooms – You can use any kind of mushrooms you’d like. Good options are white or brown mushrooms, cremini, portobello, or try an exotic variety like shiitake mushrooms.
• Garlic – Adapt the amount of garlic used to your preferences.
• Flour – All-purpose flour is used as thickening agent for the sauce.
• Broth – we recommend reduced-sodium chicken broth or stock. Vegetable broth also works.
• Heavy Cream – You can also use whole milk or half-and-half. To make this recipe dairy-free, use coconut milk or your preferred dairy-free milk alternative.
• Fresh Parsley – An optional garnish, fresh parsley adds a bright herbal note.

How it comes together

With just a little prep and one pan, you can have this rich chicken dinner on the table in about 40 minutes:

Season the chicken. First, whisk together the cornstarch and seasonings and rub the mixture over the chicken tenders.

Cook the chicken. Next, sauté the chicken tenders in a large skillet with oil until they’re nicely browned and cooked through. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on the size and thickness of your chicken pieces. Afterward, remove the chicken from the pan and tent it with foil to keep it warm.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms. In the same skillet, cook the onions and mushrooms in a bit of butter until they’re softened. Stir in the garlic.

Make the sauce. Sprinkle in the flour and let it cook off with the veggies and butter for a minute or two. This creates what’s called a “roux”, forming the base for your creamy gravy. Gradually add the chicken broth and lastly, the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Season the sauce to taste and let it simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit.

Combine. Nestle the chicken tenders back into the pan. On low heat, continue to simmer your cream of mushroom chicken for another 5 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Finally, do a last seasoning check and then garnish with parsley for serving.

Can we Use Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup Instead?

Yes! If you’re in a hurry (we’ve all been there), feel free to replace the mushroom sauce ingredients with a can of condensed mushroom soup. Follow the directions for seasoning and browning the chicken as written, then add the soup to the pan and simmer until it’s heated through. You’ll likely need to add water or milk to help thin out the soup.

Tips for Success

Everyone needs a go-to, straightforward-to-make, weeknight-friendly chicken recipe, and this one has you covered. If you need some extra guidance, keep these final tips handy:

Don’t rinse the skillet! You don’t need to rinse the pan in between browning the chicken and preparing the mushroom gravy. All those leftover stuck-on bits add loads of flavor.

Test the chicken for doneness. Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Try not to overcook the chicken.

Simmer the sauce. Make sure that you don’t have your pan on high heat when you add the cream. It also helps to take the heavy cream out of the fridge about 15 minutes ahead. Cold cream in a piping hot pan can split or curdle.

The sauce thickens after you add the chicken. Don’t worry if it still looks a bit loose after you’ve stirred in the cream.

Possible Recipe Variations

• Different kinds of chicken. Make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs, or chicken breast halves. You can also use bone-in chicken, though it will take longer to cook. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that your chicken is done (165ºF).
• Different seasonings. Try tossing this chicken in Italian seasoning or our from-scratch all-purpose seasoning. For an extra kick, try Cajun seasoning.
• Vegetarian. Replace the chicken tenders with tofu, tempeh, or vegetables, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
• Dairy-free. Substitute olive oil for the butter and use coconut milk, unflavored almond milk, or another dairy-free alternative in place of heavy cream.
• More veggies. Bulk up this chicken dinner with additional chopped vegetables and greens, like bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, spinach, or kale.

Serving Ideas

Cream of mushroom chicken always hits the spot no matter the day of the week or the season! Serve this flavorful chicken over pasta, egg noodles, rice, or baked potatoes for a well-rounded dinner. If you’re entertaining, serve this creamy chicken over polenta.

A side of steamed broccoli, sautéed Brussels sprouts, or air fryer green beans goes well with this meal. And who can resist warm from-scratch bread for mopping up the extra sauce? For a lighter side, try a straightforward arugula salad.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Fridge/Freezer. Store any leftover cream of mushroom chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Freeze this chicken airtight for up to 3 months. Thaw the leftovers in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating. Warm the chicken and sauce gently on the stovetop, or in the microwave, until hot throughout.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #60. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

Browse Meal Plans

• Yield: 6 servings
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 25 minutes
• Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders (see note)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
• 8 oz. (about 2 cups) fresh white mushrooms, chopped small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream (see note)
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper.
2. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on chicken tenders, rubbing to adhere if needed.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken tenders and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF). Remove the tenders from the skillet and set them aside. Tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter. When butter is melted, add onions. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until they become translucent. Add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or until mushrooms have released their moisture and are browned. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir continuously for about 2 minutes.
6. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream while stirring. Sprinkle in remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens. It will thicken a little more after you add the chicken back in.
7. Reduce heat to low and return the cooked chicken tenders to the skillet, nestling them into the mushroom sauce.
8. Simmer the chicken tenders in the sauce for about 5 minutes, allowing the chicken to absorb some of the flavors.
9. Add parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve the cream of mushroom chicken over rice, noodles, pasta, and/or with a side of steamed vegetables for a complete meal.

Notes

Chicken: If you prefer, substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts.

Cooking tip: It’s best if the cream isn’t ice cold when you add it to the sauce. Let it sit out at room temperature while you prepare the recipe or heat it gently in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Shortcut: If desired, replace sauce ingredients with a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Season and brown chicken as instructed, add soup to pan and simmer until warmed through. Add water or milk as needed to thin the sauce