Chicken with Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tbspolive oil
• 4skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 250 g / 80 ozbutton mushrooms, halved or sliced
• 2shallots, chopped
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 sprigs (or 1 tsp dried)rosemary
• 1 tbspflour
• 80 ml (¼ cup)dry white wine
• 80 ml (¼ cup)chicken stock
• 375 ml (1½ cups)double cream
• 1 tbspDijon mustard (or wholegrain mustard)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Slice the chicken breasts lengthways and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and brown the chicken on both sides until golden. It will not be cooked through yet; transfer it to a plate.

2. 2

   Build the sauce

   Add the mushrooms and chopped rosemary to the same pan, season with salt and pepper, and brown over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Stir in a heaped tablespoon of flour, then pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the pan with a spatula. Add the chicken stock, double cream and 1 tablespoon of mustard, then stir to combine.

3. 3

   Simmer the chicken

   Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.

What is chicken with garlic mushroom sauce?

This is a European-style pan-cooked chicken dish served in a rich sauce of mushrooms, garlic, cream and herbs. The recipe does not specify a particular regional origin; its appeal is the familiar combination of browned chicken and a savoury, creamy sauce.

Here, the chicken finishes cooking in the sauce, while wine, stock and mustard add depth to the cream and mushrooms.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 360 calories, 19g protein, 7g carbs, 28g fat.

The cream and olive oil provide most of the fat, while the chicken supplies protein; the flour and shallots contribute some carbohydrate. Serve with plenty of vegetables and a moderate portion of potatoes, rice or pasta to balance the rich sauce.

Why brown the chicken first?

Golden surfaces add savoury flavour to the pan and give the sauce browned bits to pick up later. The chicken is only partly cooked at this stage, so return it to the pan for the full simmer.

Build flavour in the pan

Mushrooms first: give them 2–3 minutes over medium heat to brown before adding the shallots and garlic. Adding those aromatics afterwards helps prevent the garlic from cooking for too long.

Wine and flour: stir in the flour before adding the wine, then scrape the pan as the liquid goes in. This incorporates the browned residue into the sauce and helps it thicken.

How to judge the sauce

The sauce should simmer gently rather than boil hard after the chicken goes back in. At the end of the 10-minute simmer, check that the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened enough to coat it.

Make the 30-minute timing work

Prepare the mushrooms, shallots and garlic while the chicken browns, then measure out the wine, stock and cream before starting the sauce. This keeps the short cooking sequence moving without rushing the browning.

What to serve alongside

Spoon the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta to make a hearty plate. For a lighter pairing, add steamed green vegetables or a crisp salad.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the chicken lengthways so the pieces cook evenly in the short simmer.
• Brown the chicken in batches if the pan is crowded.
• Use a spatula to loosen the browned bits when you add the wine.
• Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer once the chicken is back in the pan.
• Taste before serving and adjust the salt and pepper at the end.

Variations

• Use dried rosemary: replace the sprigs with 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, as specified in the recipe.
• Change the mustard: use wholegrain mustard instead of Dijon for a coarser texture.
• Add extra mushrooms: increase the mushrooms for a more prominent mushroom flavour.
• Serve with greens: add steamed green vegetables alongside the chicken and sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Cooking the chicken through while browning: remove it once golden, then finish it in the sauce.
• Adding garlic too early: add it with the shallots after the mushrooms have browned.
• Skipping the pan scrape: loosen the browned bits with the wine so they mix into the sauce.
• Boiling the sauce hard: lower the heat after bringing it to a boil and simmer gently.
• Crowding the pan: brown the chicken in batches if the pieces do not fit comfortably.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat until hot throughout, stirring the sauce; avoid a vigorous boil.

Frequently asked questions