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    Home » Quick and Easy Dinners

    Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Spinach

    Published: Mar 30, 2021 · Modified: Jan 20, 2022 by Genevieve

    Jump to Recipe

    Creamy, rich and indulgent. Quick and easy comfort food that takes just 30 minutes to make, the perfect mid-week chicken dinner. The key to making a great chicken with creamy mushroom sauce is cooking the chicken breasts to golden brown and the mushrooms brown and nutty.

    Close up of bite sized chicken breasts covered in creamy mushroom sauce

    Can't get enough of chicken? Try my healthy, lemony and juicy Oven Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs recipe using boneless and skinless chicken thighs. For crispy chicken lovers, try this crispy Panko Chicken Schnitzel recipe.

    Alright, let's get to it.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to make chicken with creamy mushrooms sauce
    • Serving suggestions
    • Tips and tricks
    • Good to know (FAQs)
    • 📖 Recipe
    • More delicious chicken recipes

    Ingredients

    All the ingredients required for this recipe.
    • Mushrooms I prefer chestnut mushrooms as they're deeper in flavour and have a lovely nutty taste. However, any mushrooms will work great with this recipe.
    • Baby spinach is a convenient choice, can substitute with English spinach.
    • Heavy cream or thickened cream is used rather than pouring/light cream. Heavy cream will create a thicker sauce that catches onto the chicken, mushrooms and spinach. Making every bite creamy and tasty!
    • Chicken breasts are preferred over chicken thighs when making this dish as it balances nicely with the heavy (and so good for the soul!) creamy mushroom sauce.
    • Chicken broth or stock add more complexity and flavour. A good alternative is white wine.

    How to make chicken with creamy mushrooms sauce

    Pan fry the chicken till golden brown

    Chicken breasts can be a little tricky as they can become tough and dry very quickly when overcooked. Slicing the breast in half reduces its thickness and makes it much easier to cook. The result is tender and juicy chicken cutlets!

    To start, slice and season chicken with salt and pepper. Then, add olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown both sides.

    Once the breasts are golden brown from pan-searing, they're very close to being cooked. Remove the chicken, transfer to a plate and set aside.

    Step by step shots of making this recipe part 1

    Make the creamy mushroom sauce

    The key to delicious mushrooms is sauteeing on high heat until the mushrooms are golden and brown. Like image step #7 below! To achieve that, there is a very simple rule to stick to. Leave them be. Let the pan and the high heat do their job.

    Mushrooms contain a lot of water which are released during the cooking process. Similar to cooking steaks, you don't want to keep turning it. Let it sizzle and caramelise on one side then turn them over. Cook stirring occasionally (about every 45 seconds, judgment is required), all whilst having the heat as high as possible. The flavour of browned mushrooms is just phenomenal and vastly different to boiled mushrooms (which is what happens when it is stirred constantly in the pan).

    Once the mushrooms are nutty and brown, add garlic and baby spinach. This will stop the garlic from burning and turning bitter (had it been added at the same time as mushrooms).

    Step by step shots of making this recipe part 2

    Return chicken back into the pan

    Now, deglaze the pan with chicken broth/stock and allow it to reduce by roughly half.

    Chicken stock adds another layer of flavour to the overall dish, and in particular, the creamy mushroom sauce. Once the stock is reduce, stir in cream. Reduce heat down to a simmer.

    Lastly, return the pan fried chicken back into the pan. Continue cooking on a simmer for a further minute or until the chicken is fully cooked.

    That's it! Told you this recipe is super easy and you'll find it absolutely delicious!

    Serving suggestions

    There are so many things you can serve with this creamy chicken breast with mushroom sauce! Here are some suggestions to serve the chicken with:

    • Steamed green beans or broccoli
    • Streamed rice
    • Zucchini noodles
    • Mashed potatoes or golden crispy Duck Fat Potatoes
    • Mashed cauliflower
    • Crusty bread to soak up that creamy mushroom sauce or get indulgent and serve with some homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread!
    A pan of chicken breasts with creamy mushrooms and spinach straight off the stove

    Tips and tricks

    • Pan-sear the chicken breasts on high heat to golden brown. Colour means flavour!
    • The same goes for mushrooms. Take the time to saute mushrooms on high heat until it's golden brown (and using the tips around how to brown mushrooms above). The mushrooms will taste nutty and delicious.
    • Season the chicken breasts before pan-searing. No bland chicken here! If you have time, try seasoning the chicken 2 hours before cooking or even better, the night before. Magic happens and the chicken will become super tender, flavourful and juicy.
    • Stop cooking once the chicken breasts are cooked through. They only need about 1 minute in the simmering creamy mushrooms sauce before they're done. Overcooking chicken, especially breast meat, will make it really tough and unpleasant to eat.
    • Add dijon mustard or a little lemon juice for an extra lift of flavour. I find this recipe is flavourful enough without it but a little dijon mustard can add complexity. A handy trick I used in my Creamy Mushroom Sauce recipe.
    A full plate of cooked chicken with creamy mushrooms

    Good to know (FAQs)

    How do you thicken mushroom sauce?

    The mushroom cream sauce in this recipe is creamy but not thick thick. For those that prefer a thicker sauce, adding a little flour or cornstarch will do the trick.
    Flour method: add ½ tablespoon of flour to the sauteed mushrooms and spinach, roughly mix the flour in then add the heavy cream. Mixing constantly until a thick consistency is formed and no lumps.
    Cornstarch method (gluten-free): Once the cream is added into the pan with the sauteed mushrooms and spinach, add a cornstarch mixture (½ tablespoon of cornstarch and ¼ cup of cold water) to the pan. Mix constantly until sauce thickens.

    How do I know when chicken breast is cooked?

    Cut through the thickest part of chicken breast and if the flesh is solid white and no longer pink that means the chicken is fully cooked. Another thing to look out for is the colour of the juices when the breast is cut. If the juices are slightly pink that means it needs to be cooked a little more. A more scientific approach is by measuring the internal temperature. Chicken is cooked when its internal temperature hits 74°C/165°F or higher.

    A serving of this dish with a fork

    Made this Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Spinach recipe? Let me know your thoughts or questions by dropping a note in the comments section below! I'd love to hear from you 🙂

    Happy cooking!

    Gen

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of a full plate of chicken with creamy mushrooms

    Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Spinach

    Creamy, rich and indulgent. Easy comfort food that takes just 30 minutes to make, the perfect mid-week dinner. The key to making a great chicken with creamy mushrooms is cooking the chicken breasts to golden brown and the mushrooms brown and nutty.
    4.69 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Western
    Keyword: creamy chicken and mushrooms
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 328kcal
    Author: Genevieve

    Ingredients

    • 2 large chicken breasts ~500g/16oz
    • 1¼ cups brown mushrooms ~300g/10oz, sliced
    • 2 cups baby spinach ~60g/2oz
    • ¼ cup chicken stock or white wine
    • 1 cup heavy/thickened cream
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • salt & pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Carefully, cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to get 2 thinner pieces per breast. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
    • In a skillet or non-stick pan, add olive oil and chicken breasts without overlapping each piece. Sear on medium-high heat and flip chicken and sear the other side once pan-side is golden and caramelised. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
    • In the same pan, add butter, sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute on high heat until golden brown and nutty. Only turn mushrooms every minute or 45 seconds or when pan side is golden brown. This will take about 4 minutes. (note 1)
    • Once mushrooms are brown and reduced in size by about half, add garlic and spinach. Continue to saute on high heat until spinach is wilted. (note 2)
    • Pour in chicken stock, deglazing the pan, allow the stock to reduce by half.
    • Reduce the heat to low and pour in heavy cream. Bring it to simmer then add chicken breasts back in the pan. Simmer for 1 minute or until chicken is cooked. Taste the sauce, adjust for salt and pepper if required, to taste.
    • Serve immediately!

    Notes

    Note 1. Browning mushrooms through sauteeing. The key here is leaving the mushrooms be once added to the pan. Let the high heat do its job. Mushrooms contain a lot of water which are released during the cooking process. Similar to cooking steaks, you don't want to keep turning it. Let it sizzle and caramelise on one side then turn them over. Roughly, turning every minute (or 45 seconds, judgment is required), all whilst having the heat as high as possible. 
    Note 2. Adding the garlic after mushrooms have been browned. This will stop the garlic from burning and turning bitter since the mushrooms will be cooked on high heat for a while. 
    Deglazing the pan with chicken stock Deglazing help release all the flavours stuck on the pan when sauteeing, making the sauce really delicious. Since this is done on high heat, it won't take long for the stock to reduce by half or ⅓. 
    How to check if the chicken is cooked cut through the thickest part of chicken breast and if the flesh is solid white and no longer pink, it's fully cooked. Also, if the juices are slightly pink that means it needs to be cooked a little more.
    Leftovers last up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Up to 6 months in the freezer.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.4g | Protein: 31.2g | Fat: 22.3g | Saturated Fat: 11.6g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 1.4g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 3mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Celeste

      December 09, 2021 at 9:06 am

      5 stars
      It turned out perfect and was so delicious.

      Reply
      • Genevieve

        December 13, 2021 at 2:12 pm

        So glad to hear! Thank you Celeste

        Reply
    2. Kim

      November 12, 2021 at 6:57 pm

      5 stars
      Just cooked this for my family and enjoyed by all. Very easy to follow and a nice flavour Thankyou

      Reply
      • Genevieve

        November 16, 2021 at 2:13 pm

        Thank you so much Kim! 🙂 Very happy to hear it was well received by your fam!

        Reply
    3. Tracy

      May 16, 2021 at 10:37 pm

      4 stars
      I cooked this for my family of 5 they and they all enjoyed it. Will definitely cook again

      Reply
      • Genevieve

        May 19, 2021 at 4:03 pm

        I'm glad that everyone loved it! 🙂 Thank you for your lovely review Tracy.

        Reply
    4. Tracy

      May 16, 2021 at 10:36 pm

      4 stars
      I cooked this for my family of 5 they and they all enjoyed it. Will definitely cook again

      Reply
    5. Betty Schmitz

      April 21, 2021 at 12:12 pm

      Instead of spinach can i substitute snap peas. Pea pods or maybe bok choy?

      Reply
      • Genevieve

        April 21, 2021 at 12:25 pm

        Hi Betty, all 3 of those will work well with this recipe 🙂 I particularly like the sound of snap peas!

        Reply

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    All in for a "what's for dinner" conversation. When I'm not at the gym exercising or grocery shopping, I'm making a mess in the kitchen and creating something yum along the way.

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