This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce is an easy and delicious dish easy enough for a weeknight but good enough for an elegant dinner party with your best company!
Tender and flavorful Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce
I adore everything about this dish and bet you will too! This delicious recipe for Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce was first posted in 2015 and has been a favorite ever since.
I’ve streamlined the process a little and tweaked the recipe just a bit, but it’s still the same one-pan, moan-worthy, restaurant quality chicken dish we love and depend on.
What kind of mushrooms are best for this Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce?
For this recipe I’m not stuck on using one kind of mushroom. I often see which mushrooms look best when I get to the store and go with it. The mushrooms featured in the photos above are Baby Bella’s.
These deliciously earthy mushrooms are a smaller version of the popular portabella mushroom. Baby bella’s are cremini mushrooms that have been allowed to mature for 7 days longer than commercial cremini mushrooms.
For this dish you can also use white mushrooms or a mixture of the two.
The best way to clean mushrooms
Mushrooms grow in a damp environment so they are fine to be washed. However, I never let mushrooms sit in water or they’ll eventually start to soak up the liquid. I clean each mushroom individually by wiping with a water soaked paper towel to remove the dirt.
You can also lightly rinse the mushroom under a stream of water, but if the gills are exposed under the cap I usually don’t turn the mushroom upside down in the water. Allow the mushrooms to dry in a strainer or pat dry with paper towels.
Cook the mushroom stems too please
Please use the entire mushroom. Cut off the rough, woody, dried up end of the mushroom before using.
Secrets for making this dish super flavorful
Building layers of flavor is the simple, easy way to make a dish flavorful. First, brown the chicken to seal in the juices then set aside to rest. All those nice flavorful bits of chicken goodness remain in the pan for the next step.
Next, cook the mushrooms, undisturbed, until dark golden brown on one side. Flip the mushrooms and stir until the moisture is released, and then evaporated. Add a hefty pile of thinly sliced shallots to the pan and sauté until tender and starting to caramelize.
Quickly sauté minced garlic with the mushrooms just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Next, carefully pour the white wine into the hot pan. Stir quickly while scrapping up the bottom of the pan to deglaze. This process incorporates all those crusty bits of flavor into the sauce building all that amazing flavor.
Finish the dish by adding fresh thyme sprigs, chicken broth, Dijon mustard and a little cream. Heat just until the sauce is thickened and warmed through.
Can you double this sauce / gravy in this dish?
Yes you can! However, take care to brown everything in batches to achieve the best flavor and color.
Cut the chicken breasts in half diagonally to create quick cooking cutlets.
This chicken is not just any old dried up piece of bird. These cutlets are tender, moist, juicy and delicious bites of chicken! Cutting chicken breasts into thinner cutlet size pieces helps the chicken cook quickly and more evenly.
You can cut your own chicken breasts or buy them from your local grocery store packaged as cutlets. Chicken tenders would be fine here too, just adjust the cooking time.
Another alternative is to use whole chicken breasts that have been pounded to an even thickness. And finally, feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this chicken mushroom recipe, too. It’s all good!
How to serve Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce
We like to serve this chicken with something fresh and green like a salad, steamed broccoli, green beans or oven roasted Brussels sprouts.
In addition to something green, serve this creamy chicken with wild rice, buttery mashed potatoes or a nice flat noodle. However, don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up the wine sauce. Yummy!
Ingredients Overview
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – for this recipe you’ll need 3 large breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets. You can also use chicken tenders, or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- all-purpose flour – for dredging the chicken
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- mushrooms – any small variety of mushrooms will do
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- garlic
- shallots
- chicken broth – we prefer low-sodium to ensure the recipe is not too salty
- dry white wine
- heavy cream
- fresh thyme
- Dijon mustard
- cornstarch – for thickening the gravy
You probably have most everything needed on hand already. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try!
If you’re lucky enjoy to have leftovers, reheat gently in the microwave for another delicious meal.
Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless (5 to 6 oz) chicken breasts cut in half horizontally into cutlets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (66g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 ounces mushrooms cleaned and thick sliced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large shallots sliced thin
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth low sodium
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 large springs of fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or broth
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Cut each breast in half horizontally into 2 thinner cutlets. Alternately, place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickeness.
- In a shallow bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium until the butter is melted. Dredge 3 chicken cutlets in the flour mixture, coating both sides, shaking off the excess flour. Add the coated chicken to the skillet and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook another 3-5 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat until all chicken is browned.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, undistrubed, until the mushrooms are very dark on one side. Stir and turn the mushrooms and continue cooking until the moisture is released and then evaporated, and the mushrooms are all well browned.
- Add the sliced shallots to the pan and cook until softened and starting to brown. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Add the thyme sprigs, chicken broth, mustard and cream. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch. Bring the sauce back to a light simmer and add the chicken. Heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken warmed through. Remove the thyme sprigs, and season the dish with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with parsley or additional thyme and serve with rice, potatoes or noodles.
Recipe Notes
- To make chicken breasts easier to slice into cutlets, put them in the freezer in a single layer for about 15 minutes.
- Any dry white wine will do for this sauce. For this recipe I typically use a Chardonnay. If you don’t drink wine, substitute white grape juice or additional chicken broth in this recipe.
- If you prefer more sauce / gravy, double the ingredients starting with 2 extra tablespoons of butter in Step 4. Then double the amount of mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, thyme, chicken broth, mustard and cream. Enjoy!
- Make sure the mushrooms are very dark on one side before turning for the best flavor and color. Once turned, cook until the moisture is released and then completely evaporated before adding the shallots.
Nutrition
Looking for more delicious chicken and mushroom recipes?
If you follow SRFD you’ve probably noticed I have a little chicken and mushroom recipe obsession. Enjoy!
Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Herb Pan Sauce
Tender, juicy and inexpensive, chicken thighs are a terrific addition to the weeknight recipe rotation.
View this Recipe
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Tender, flavorful chicken nestled in a bed of wild rice and mushrooms.
View this Recipe
Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Flavorful, rich, earthy and hearty – one of the best Italian dishes you can make at home!
View this Recipe
Classic Chicken Marsala
Tender chicken breasts seasoned and sautéed, then simmered in a Marsala wine sauce with shallots, prosciutto, and plenty of earthy mushrooms.
View this Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Creamy and hearty with a nutty bite from the wild rice and a wonderful, flavor packed broth
View this RecipeOriginally posted 2015, updated October 2019 and May 2024
Diana B Stein
Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce is marvelous.
I had poached chicken breasts and used those in the sauce starting from step 4. The only other change was a little dried thyme as I did not have fresh. I served it with wide egg noodles and tossed salad– apple crisp and ice cream for dessert. Great meal– will do it again!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Diana! So glad it worked well for you with the poached chicken. Love that you served it with egg noodles. Yum!
Larry
I felt like this recipe has potential, but we did not like it with Chardonnay. I would recommend using Savignon Blanc. Also consider adding grated Parmesan cheese at the end.
Susan
This dish is succulent and exceptionally delicious! I will be making it again and again.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Susan! So glad you enjoyed it.
Doug
This recipe is so good I’ve been making it about once per week for two months. I use boneless thighs instead of breasts, diced onions instead of shallots, extra minced fresh garlic, but the main modification is I use apple cider vinegar instead of white wine and this gives the “sauce” an awesome tangy flavor. Thank you VERY much for this recipe.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Doug. I love that you made it with thighs and added extra garlic. Sounds delish!
Bunny
I made this dish for a friend, she can’t have onions or garlic…even with these 2 items missing from the dish, it was amazing. I will be making this dish again as it is written for my family…I am sure it will be wonderful.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Bunny! We love it too and I’m so glad it worked out without the onions and garlic. Bravo!
Karen
Sounds great but I have to eliminate dairy from my diet…can I make it as written, minus the cream?? Thanks
Tricia Buice
Hi Karen. You can omit the cream if needed but the sauce won’t look the same, nor have the same consistency. It should still taste good however. Enjoy!
Patricia
Made this as written with one change – more mushrooms. It was delicious and the whole family enjoyed it. Our 13yo asked that it be added into the rotation 🙂
Tricia Buice
Yeah for more mushrooms Patricia! Thanks for commenting.
Helen
Omg! I Love this recipe and my family did too! Thank you for sharing👍👍🥰
Tricia Buice
Thank you Helen. So glad you all enjoyed it.
Jenny
Loved how easy and delicious this was! I skipped the corn starch, added 1/2 cup more broth, and 1 cup of dry orzo to soak up all of that yummy sauce. Thank you for a new favorite!
Tricia Buice
Oh I love the addition of orzo Jenny! Sounds terrific. Thanks for commenting.
Ashlee
I’m excited to try some of your recipe to make a diced chicken Wellington. I used to make it years and years ago at an event center and I completely forgot the recipe 😅🤦🏼♀️..
Mark MS
I had to comment after reading the comments below, because I followed this recipe to the word, and it was perfect. It looked exactly like the photos. The flavor was spectacular. In my family, we take our food SERIOUSLY and this was a big hit. Thin sauce, light color, no flavor all are technique issues, not recipe issues. Try again – it’s worth it.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Mark! So glad you enjoyed it. I love this recipe.
Sharon
Hi Tricia…
Can chicken tenders be used instead of chicken breasts?
Tricia Buice
Hi Sharon. Yes you can. Just make sure you don’t overcook them. Enjoy!
Katie
This was delicious. Made it exactly as directed and even had enough for leftovers that, reheated the next day, was even tastier. a real keeper
Tricia Buice
Thanks Katie.
Liz
One of my favorite simple recipes. I’ve made it with thyme in the past and it was delicious, but this time I only had Rosemary and it might have been even better. I serve it with egg noodles and broccoli and it is perfect.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Liz! I love the addition of rosemary and serving with egg noodles is perfect. Thanks for the feedback.
Marian
Unfortunately this recipe wasn’t a success for me. Too much stock, no colour, not enough flavour (didn’t want to add any more salt). 1/2 a chicken breast each isn’t enough. The photo looks lovely, but I noticed that some of the fried mushrooms had been scattered over the top to enhance the look of the dish – not mentioned in the recipe. I might try again, using more mustard, more herbs, less stock, and sherry instead of white wine for colour.
JS
Didn’t have much flavor.
Jen
This was absolutely delicious. I subbed sour cream for the cream and it was sort of stroganoff-y. I’ll definitely make it again!
Tricia Buice
Great Jen! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you. If using sour cream be sure to add it off heat so it won’t break in the sauce. I love that it was stroganoff-y!
Kathy Hoskins
Awesome recipe.
Thank you
Tricia Buice
Thank you Kathy!
Dee
Not a keeper. Sauce did not thicken. I followed the recipe, and the instructions did not say when to include the heavy cream, by the way.
Tricia Buice
Hi Dee. Thanks for the feedback. The instructions indicate “Add the thyme sprigs, chicken broth, mustard and cream.” Sorry you missed that. Perhaps you needed to cook the sauce a little longer to thicken. Hope you’ll try again.
Kendra
My family and I loved the dish. I would like to prepare the dish in advance; reheat in the oven and serve at my next book club meeting. Do you have any pointers you could share so it’s hot when served, i.e. at what temperature and for how long without making the chicken tough?
Tricia Buice
Hi Kendra. I would add extra broth or wine for sure. Once the chicken is added back into the pan I would remove from the heat, cool and store until needed. I would put the whole dish back in a skillet when ready to reheat instead of the oven. However, if you need to bake it I would try 350 degrees F (uncovered) until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes? Let us know how this turns out for you!
Ashburn
Just made this… came out very bland and almost soupy…re-watched video and realized video doesn’t have the chicken broth even though ingredients and text say to add…..think it would be better without all that stock
Tricia Buice
Sounds like you didn’t reduce the sauce enough Ashburn. With over 350 5-star reviews I’m confident the recipe is just fine with the chicken broth. There’s a whole section in the post about building flavor for this dish. Hope you’ll try again and read over those notes. Thanks for the feedback and sorry you didn’t love it.