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Skillet Chicken and Mushroom Wine Sauce

Skillet chicken and mushroom wine sauce with golden seared chicken breasts and a dark, glossy mushroom-and-red-wine reduction. The silky cream sauce thickens in the same pan, with herb flecks and browned bits scraped for deep flavor.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Pat dry for best browning.
  • 0.5 tsp salt To taste; season generously.
  • 0.5 tsp pepper To taste; freshly ground if possible.
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder To taste.
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme To taste.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For searing.
  • 2 tbsp butter For the mushroom base and sauce.
Mushrooms and sauce
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms Sliced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry red wine Or dry white wine.
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 fresh thyme sprigs For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Pat lightly so the spices cling evenly.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F, then remove to a plate.
Cook mushrooms and build the wine sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and cook 5-6 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn’t brown. The pan should smell fragrant and aromatic.
  3. Pour in the red wine and deglaze, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
  4. Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme leaves. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens and looks dark and glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the mushroom wine sauce over each breast. Let it warm in the sauce for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve immediately. Spoon extra sauce from the pan over the chicken at the table.

Notes

For maximum browning, start with fully dried chicken and don’t move the breasts during the first sear. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing: not recommended because the cream can separate. Dietary swap: use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a slightly lighter sauce (texture will be a bit less thick).