This Creamy Mushroom Hen is considered one of my favourite skillet recipes for turning easy hen thighs into a comfortable dinner in about 35 minutes. I hold the spirit of an excellent pan sauce right here, utilizing browned hen thighs, mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan, and half-and-half (as a substitute of heavy cream) to make a creamy, savory sauce with out driving up the associated fee. The mushrooms assist stretch the meal a bit of additional, and the garlic makes the entire skillet scent AH-MAZING. The sauce is garlicky, mushroomy, and ideal spooned over pasta or rice, or when you’re making an attempt to curb the carbs, make an enormous ol’ stunning salad to enrich the wealthy flavors!
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“Arms down the very best sauce I’ve ever made! And after I saved some within the fridge, and reheated it the subsequent day, it solely took a tiny little bit of stirring with a fork to get it again to the proper consistency of the primary day! Thanks a lot!”
Julee Bormet
A Creamy Mushroom Hen Dinner
The bottom of this flavorful, creamy mushroom hen recipe is a straightforward skillet pan sauce, which suggests all the flavour begins with the hen. I brown the hen thighs first, which leaves behind these little browned bits on the underside of the skillet, then add broth and half and half to loosen them up to allow them to soften proper into the sauce.
I exploit boneless hen thighs right here as a result of they keep juicy and are often one of many extra reasonably priced cuts. Then the mushrooms prepare dinner down till they’re browned and juicy, including essentially the most pleasant umami (savory) taste to the entire dish. The half-and-half additionally works effectively right here as a result of it has sufficient fats to remain easy over mild warmth, particularly as soon as the Parmesan melts in and provides a bit of additional physique to the sauce. It’s not meant to be a tremendous thick gravy, however it must be silky sufficient to spoon over the hen and no matter you serve beneath. That creamy sauce, although! 🤤
- Boneless hen thighs hold this recipe budget-friendly. They’re additionally skinny sufficient to prepare dinner rapidly with out slicing or pounding. In the event you solely have hen breasts, I’d use 2 breasts and filet them into 4 thinner items so that they prepare dinner evenly, as we do in our creamy garlic hen. Skinny-cut pork chops additionally work effectively with this type of sauce, however I’d comply with the searing and simmering steering from our creamy pork chops so that they keep tender as a substitute of overcooking!
- Brown the hen first. As soon as the hen hits the skillet, I don’t transfer it round an excessive amount of so it may well develop a pleasant golden floor. Browning provides taste to the hen and leaves behind the little savory bits that make the sauce style so significantly better. The hen ought to attain 165°F internally earlier than serving.
- Let the mushrooms prepare dinner down. Slice the mushrooms about ¼-inch thick, so that they have sufficient floor space to brown however don’t disappear into the sauce. They need to shrink, darken barely, and look shiny and tender earlier than you progress to the subsequent step.
- Maintain the sauce at a mild simmer. Half-and-half works effectively on this pan sauce, however it may well separate if it boils too exhausting. I hold the warmth round medium-low and stir typically so the sauce stays easy whereas the Parmesan melts in. Utilizing room-temperature dairy (let it sit out whilst you prep the opposite components) additionally helps scale back the chance of the sauce separating as soon as it hits the new skillet.
- Style earlier than including extra salt. Broth and Parmesan can each fluctuate quite a bit in saltiness. I at all times style the sauce on the finish earlier than adjusting the seasoning to maintain the sauce savory with out unintentionally pushing it too salty.
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Hen
Value $8.28 Recipe / $2.07 Serving
A easy pan sauce saves the day on this fast and straightforward Creamy Mushroom Hen made with juicy thighs, mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan, and half-and-half!
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Collect and prep your components
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Season either side of the hen thighs with salt and pepper.
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Warmth a big skillet over medium, then add the cooking oil. Swirl the oil to coat the underside of the skillet. Add the hen thighs to the skillet and prepare dinner till golden brown on both sides and cooked by means of (about 5 minutes per aspect). Take away the hen to a plate and canopy with foil to maintain heat.
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Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for one minute, or simply till the garlic softens. Now add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5-7 minutes extra, or till the mushrooms have wilted.
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Pour the hen broth into the skillet and stir to dissolve all of the browned bits off the underside.
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Add the half and half to the skillet and produce it as much as a simmer. Flip the warmth right down to medium-low and simmer the liquid, stirring typically, for about 5 minutes. Stir within the Parmesan till it has melted in.
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Style the sauce and season with salt and pepper if wanted. Add the hen again to the skillet, drench with sauce, and warmth over low till warmed by means of. The interior temperature of the hen ought to attain 165℉ earlier than serving.
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Prime with recent parsley for garnish, if desired. Get pleasure from!
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**I exploit Higher Than Bouillon to make my broth as a result of one jar lasts ages within the fridge and is often extra budget-friendly than shopping for cartons of broth! It’s additionally effectively seasoned, so I don’t often add extra salt to style. Style and modify your sauce with additional salt and pepper on the finish as wanted.
***Half-and-half makes a lighter, spoonable cream sauce. For a thicker, richer sauce, you’ll be able to use heavy cream as a substitute. Let your dairy come to room temperature earlier than including it to the skillet, and hold the sauce at a mild simmer so it stays easy.
****Add the Parmesan over low warmth to cease it from clumping, and stir till the sauce is easy. The parmesan additionally helps thicken the sauce barely. In the event you resolve to omit it, I’d swap the half and half for heavy cream (as an equal swap) so the sauce isn’t too skinny.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 288kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fats: 17g (26%)Sodium: 650mg (28%)Fiber: 1g (4%)
Make Creamy Mushroom Hen Step-by-Step Pictures
Collect your whole components.
Season the hen: Season either side of 4 boneless, skinless hen thighs with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Pat the hen dry with a paper towel first if it feels moist, as a result of extra moisture could make it steam as a substitute of brown within the skillet.
Brown the hen: Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth, then add 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Swirl the oil round so it coats the underside of the skillet. As soon as the oil appears to be like shiny and strikes simply throughout the pan, add the seasoned hen thighs in a single layer. It is best to hear a gradual sizzle once they hit the skillet.
Prepare dinner the hen thighs for about 5 minutes on the primary aspect, or till the bottoms are properly golden brown. Flip the hen and prepare dinner for about 5 minutes extra on the second aspect, or till cooked by means of. Switch the hen to a plate and canopy loosely with foil to maintain heat.
Make the sauce base: Add 2 tsp minced garlic to the identical skillet and sauté for about 1 minute, till it softens and smells aromatic. Stir consistently right here and keep watch over it. If the skillet appears to be like too scorching or the garlic begins browning too quick, decrease the warmth barely.
Then add 8 oz. sliced mushrooms to the skillet and stir to coat them within the garlicky oil and all these browned bits left from the hen. Maintain cooking for about 5-7 minutes, stirring sometimes, till they’ve wilted down, darkened barely, and look shiny and tender. Now, pour ½ cup hen broth into the skillet and stir effectively, scraping the underside of the pan to loosen all of the browned bits.
Make it creamy: Add 1 cup room-temperature half-and-half to the skillet and stir to mix. Let the sauce come as much as a mild simmer, then scale back the warmth to medium-low. You need small bubbles across the edges of the pan, not a tough boil. Maintain the sauce at a mild simmer and stir typically for about 5 minutes, till it appears to be like easy and barely lowered.
Add the cheese: Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Add it over medium-low warmth so it melts easily as a substitute of clumping. Style the sauce and season with extra salt and freshly cracked black pepper if wanted. I at all times style at this level as a result of hen broth and Parmesan can fluctuate quite a bit in saltiness. In the event you use a well-seasoned broth or bouillon, you could not want a lot additional salt in any respect (I don’t often add any right here!)
End and serve: Add the cooked hen thighs again to the skillet, together with any juices that collected on the plate. Spoon the creamy mushroom sauce excessive of the hen so each piece is coated. Let all the things heat collectively over low warmth for a couple of minutes. Test that the hen reaches 165°F internally earlier than serving.
Prime with recent parsley, if desired, for colour and freshness. Serve your creamy mushroom hen scorching with loads of sauce spooned excessive. Get pleasure from!
I’m fairly obsessive about this recipe as it’s. I believe it’s the mushrooms, which get so juicy and savory earlier than being smothered within the garlicky cream sauce, that get me each time! However this wouldn’t be a Funds Bytes recipe when you couldn’t make it work with what you’ve received! Listed here are a number of yummy additions:
- Spinach: Stir in a handful of recent spinach (or thawed frozen spinach) on the very finish, simply earlier than serving. It solely wants a minute or two to wilt into the sauce, and it provides colour and vitamins with out altering the flavour a lot.
- Asparagus: For a mushroomy tackle our creamy asparagus hen! Trim the woody ends, then lower the asparagus into 1 to 2-inch items. Add it earlier than including the broth and half-and-half.
- Onions: Thinly slice or cube an onion, then add it after browning the hen and earlier than including the mushrooms. Prepare dinner till it softens and picks up a bit of colour. This makes the sauce style much more savory.
- Bell pepper: Slice a bell pepper into skinny strips so it cooks rapidly. Add it after the hen is browned and earlier than the mushrooms, then sauté till it begins to melt. I’d go for a pink or yellow bell pepper right here for sweetness and colour.
- Frozen peas: I’ll add a handful of frozen peas throughout the previous few minutes of simmering as they heat by means of rapidly!
- Crispy onions: Sprinkle ¼ cup of crispy fried onions over the completed skillet proper earlier than serving, like in my creamy mushroom hen with crispy onions recipe. They add a comfortable casserole taste, however I solely add them on the finish so that they keep crisp.
- Additional garlic: In order for you a actually garlicky sauce, add one other minced clove or two with the mushrooms!
Serving Solutions
I’ve served this creamy mushroom hen with sautéed inexperienced beans and a protracted grain and wild rice combine within the photographs right here, and I believed it was sooo satisfying and scrumptious. The rice soaks up the creamy mushroom pan sauce, and the inexperienced beans add one thing recent and snappy to steadiness the plate. It’s additionally scrumptious over mashed potatoes for a significantly comforting meal, or you’ll be able to hold it fast with pasta shapes like bowties, rotini, orzo, or penne as a result of they prepare dinner quick and catch the sauce properly.
For one thing lighter on the aspect, strive a recent and crunchy cucumber tomato salad. And when you don’t need to go away a single drop of sauce behind, serve it with my garlic bread or no-knead focaccia for swiping the plate clear. This recipe makes use of 4 boneless hen thighs, so I portion it as 4 servings with some pan sauce. You may enhance the servings simply, however use a bigger skillet or brown the hen in batches so the items sear properly.
Storage & Reheating
Let your creamy mushroom hen cool earlier than storing, then switch the hen and sauce to an hermetic container. Maintain leftovers within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop over low warmth, stirring the sauce typically to maintain it easy. Add a splash of broth, half-and-half, or water to loosen it again up if wanted. The microwave additionally works, however I’d use decrease energy or quick bursts, stirring between each, so the sauce doesn’t overheat or separate. Reheat leftovers to 165°F earlier than serving.
Freezing
Freezing is secure, however it’s not my first alternative for this recipe as a result of the sauce can separate or flip grainy after thawing. In the event you do freeze it and don’t thoughts the attainable texture modifications, retailer the hen and sauce in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months, thaw in a single day within the fridge, and reheat gently as above.
Different Skillet Hen Thigh Recipes I Love:
- My Honey Chipotle Hen is nice for tacos, rice bowls, or a fast dinner with one thing cool and creamy on the aspect.
- Hen and Apples Skillet pairs juicy pan-seared thighs with candy apples and onions in a comfortable apple cider pan sauce!
- Our Hen Cacciatore makes use of canned crushed tomatoes for a budget-friendly sauce that also tastes deep and comfy.
Our Creamy Mushroom Hen recipe was initially printed 1/29/17. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be higher than ever 7/15/26.
