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Irish Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce

Irish chicken whiskey cream sauce with golden seared chicken breasts and a thick amber whiskey sauce. Sautéed mushrooms and shallots simmer into the cream for a silky, herb-flecked finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Irish-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Cutting optional; keep even thickness for uniform searing.
seasonings
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder To taste.
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme To taste.
fats
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
aromatics and mushrooms
  • 2 shallots Finely minced.
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms Sliced.
  • 3 garlic Minced (about 3 cloves).
whiskey cream sauce
  • 0.33 cup Irish whiskey Jameson.
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
garnish
  • 1 fresh thyme sprigs For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F, then remove.
Build the mushroom shallot base
  1. Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook shallots and mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until golden, then add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Deglaze with Irish whiskey
  1. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the Irish whiskey. Return to medium heat and let the alcohol cook off for 1-2 minutes.
Simmer the whiskey cream sauce
  1. Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme leaves. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens, and keep the mixture at a steady simmer while it turns amber and glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and spoon the whiskey cream sauce over each breast. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve immediately with the sauce pooling over the mushrooms and shallots.

Notes

For best browning, pat the chicken breasts dry before seasoning and searing. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat to avoid breaking the cream. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce may be slightly thinner).