qicooking

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

This Creamy Mushroom Chicken is one of my favorite skillet recipes for turning simple chicken thighs into a cozy dinner in about 35 minutes. I keep the spirit of a good pan sauce here, using browned chicken thighs, mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan, and half-and-half (instead of heavy cream) to make a creamy, savory sauce without driving up the cost. The mushrooms help stretch the meal a little further, and the garlic makes the whole skillet smell AH-MAZING. The sauce is garlicky, mushroomy, and perfect spooned over pasta or rice, or if you’re trying to curb the carbs, make a big ol’ beautiful salad to complement the rich flavors!

“Hands down the absolute best sauce I’ve ever made! And after I saved some in the fridge, and reheated it the next day, it only took a tiny bit of stirring with a fork to get it back to the perfect consistency of the first day! Thank you so much!”
Julee Bormet

A Creamy Mushroom Chicken Dinner

The base of this flavorful, creamy mushroom chicken recipe is a simple skillet pan sauce, which means all the flavor starts with the chicken. I brown the chicken thighs first, which leaves behind those little browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, then add broth and half and half to loosen them up so they can melt right into the sauce.

I use boneless chicken thighs here because they stay juicy and are usually one of the more affordable cuts. Then the mushrooms cook down until they’re browned and juicy, adding the most delightful umami (savory) flavor to the whole dish. The half-and-half also works well here because it has enough fat to stay smooth over gentle heat, especially once the Parmesan melts in and adds a little extra body to the sauce. It’s not meant to be a super thick gravy, but it should be silky enough to spoon over the chicken and whatever you serve underneath. That creamy sauce, though! 🤤

Boneless chicken thighs keep this recipe budget-friendly. They’re also thin enough to cook quickly without slicing or pounding. If you only have chicken breasts, I’d use 2 breasts and filet them into 4 thinner pieces so they cook evenly, as we do in our creamy garlic chicken. Thin-cut pork chops also work well with this kind of sauce, but I’d follow the searing and simmering guidance from our creamy pork chops so they stay tender instead of overcooking!
Brown the chicken first. Once the chicken hits the skillet, I don’t move it around too much so it can develop a nice golden surface. Browning adds flavor to the chicken and leaves behind the little savory bits that make the sauce taste so much better. The chicken should reach 165°F internally before serving.
Let the mushrooms cook down. Slice the mushrooms about ¼-inch thick, so they have enough surface area to brown but don’t disappear into the sauce. They should shrink, darken slightly, and look glossy and tender before you move to the next step.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. Half-and-half works well in this pan sauce, but it can separate if it boils too hard. I keep the heat around medium-low and stir often so the sauce stays smooth while the Parmesan melts in. Using room-temperature dairy (let it sit out while you prep the other ingredients) also helps reduce the risk of the sauce separating once it hits the hot skillet.
Taste before adding more salt. Broth and Parmesan can both vary a lot in saltiness. I always taste the sauce at the end before adjusting the seasoning to keep the sauce savory without accidentally pushing it too salty.

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Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken

A simple pan sauce saves the day in this quick and easy Creamy Mushroom Chicken made with juicy thighs, mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan, and half-and-half!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost 8.28 Recipe / $2.07 Serving

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 288kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Equipment

Large 12" skillet

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs boneless & skinless, $4.80*
½ tsp salt $0.02
¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.04
1 Tbsp cooking oil $0.04
2 tsp garlic cloves minced, $0.32
8 oz. mushrooms sliced, $1.78
½ cup chicken broth $0.06**
1 cup half and half room temperature, $0.74***
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated, $0.37****
fresh parsley for garnish, (optional) $0.17

Instructions

Gather and prep your ingredients
Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium, then add the cooking oil. Swirl the oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for one minute, or just until the garlic softens. Now add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5-7 minutes more, or until the mushrooms have wilted.
Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and stir to dissolve all the browned bits off the bottom.
Add the half and half to the skillet and bring it up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the liquid, stirring often, for about five minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until it has melted in.
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add the chicken back to the skillet, drench with sauce, and heat over low until warmed through. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165℉ before serving.
Top with fresh parsley for garnish, if desired. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicy and have great flavor, and they cook through easily in the skillet. Chicken breast also works, but slice each breast lengthwise into two thinner filets and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

**I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth because one jar lasts ages in the fridge and is usually more budget-friendly than buying cartons of broth! It’s also well seasoned, so I don’t usually add more salt to taste. Taste and adjust your sauce with extra salt and pepper at the end as needed.

***Half-and-half makes a lighter, spoonable cream sauce. For a thicker, richer sauce, you can use heavy cream instead. Let your dairy come to room temperature before adding it to the skillet, and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer so it stays smooth.

****Add the Parmesan over low heat to stop it from clumping, and stir until the sauce is smooth. The parmesan also helps thicken the sauce slightly. If you decide to omit it, I’d swap the half and half for heavy cream (as an equal swap) so the sauce isn’t too thin.

For a thicker sauce: The Parmesan will thicken the sauce slightly once it melts in, but this pan sauce isn’t meant to be super thick. If you want it thicker, remove ¼ cup of sauce from the skillet, whisk in a small amount of cornstarch until smooth, then stir that mixture back into the sauce and simmer for another minute or two. See the What Else Can I Add? section below for more ideas on how to customize this recipe!

Nutrition

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Chicken Step-by-Step Photos

The ingredients to make creamy mushroom chicken with labels.

Gather all of your ingredients.

Chicken in a parchment lined baking dish topped with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken: Season both sides of 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel first if it feels wet, because excess moisture can make it steam instead of brown in the skillet.

Brown the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Swirl the oil around so it coats the bottom of the skillet. Once the oil looks shiny and moves easily across the pan, add the seasoned chicken thighs in a single layer. You should hear a steady sizzle when they hit the skillet.

Cook the chicken thighs for about 5 minutes on the first side, or until the bottoms are nicely golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes more on the second side, or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Mushrooms in a skillet after being sauteed.

Make the sauce base: Add 2 tsp minced garlic to the same skillet and sauté for about 1 minute, until it softens and smells fragrant. Stir constantly here and keep an eye on it. If the skillet looks too hot or the garlic starts browning too fast, lower the heat slightly.

Then add 8 oz. sliced mushrooms to the skillet and stir to coat them in the garlicky oil and all those browned bits left from the chicken. Keep cooking for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’ve wilted down, darkened slightly, and look glossy and tender. Now, pour ½ cup chicken broth into the skillet and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the browned bits.

Half and half being poured into a skillet with a creamy mushroom garlic pan sauce.

Make it creamy: Add 1 cup room-temperature half-and-half to the skillet and stir to combine. Let the sauce come up to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. You want small bubbles around the edges of the pan, not a hard boil. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and stir often for about 5 minutes, until it looks smooth and slightly reduced.

Parmesan cheese added to a creamy mushroom pan sauce.

Add the cheese: Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Add it over medium-low heat so it melts smoothly instead of clumping. Taste the sauce and season with more salt and freshly cracked black pepper if needed. I always taste at this point because chicken broth and Parmesan can vary a lot in saltiness. If you use a well-seasoned broth or bouillon, you may not need much extra salt at all (I don’t usually add any here!)

Creamy mushroom chicken in a skillet with parsley.

Finish and serve: Add the cooked chicken thighs back to the skillet, along with any juices that collected on the plate. Spoon the creamy mushroom sauce over the top of the chicken so every piece is coated. Let everything warm together over low heat for a few minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F internally before serving.

Top with fresh parsley, if desired, for color and freshness. Serve your creamy mushroom chicken hot with plenty of sauce spooned over the top. Enjoy!

Overhead view of creamy mushroom chicken thighs on a plate with green beans.

I’m pretty obsessed with this recipe as it is. I think it’s the mushrooms, which get so juicy and savory before being smothered in the garlicky cream sauce, that get me every time! But this wouldn’t be a Budget Bytes recipe if you couldn’t make it work with what you’ve got! Here are a few yummy additions:

Spinach: Stir in a handful of fresh spinach (or thawed frozen spinach) at the very end, just before serving. It only needs a minute or two to wilt into the sauce, and it adds color and nutrients without changing the flavor much.
Asparagus: For a mushroomy take on our creamy asparagus chicken! Trim the woody ends, then cut the asparagus into 1 to 2-inch pieces. Add it before adding the broth and half-and-half.
Onions: Thinly slice or dice an onion, then add it after browning the chicken and before adding the mushrooms. Cook until it softens and picks up a little color. This makes the sauce taste even more savory.
Bell pepper: Slice a bell pepper into thin strips so it cooks quickly. Add it after the chicken is browned and before the mushrooms, then sauté until it starts to soften. I’d go for a red or yellow bell pepper here for sweetness and color.
Frozen peas: I’ll add a handful of frozen peas during the last few minutes of simmering as they warm through quickly!
Crispy onions: Sprinkle ¼ cup of crispy fried onions over the finished skillet right before serving, like in my creamy mushroom chicken with crispy onions recipe. They add a cozy casserole flavor, but I only add them at the end so they stay crisp.
Extra garlic: If you want a really garlicky sauce, add another minced clove or two with the mushrooms!

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served this creamy mushroom chicken with sautéed green beans and a long grain and wild rice mix in the photos here, and I thought it was sooo satisfying and delicious. The rice soaks up the creamy mushroom pan sauce, and the green beans add something fresh and snappy to balance the plate. It’s also delicious over mashed potatoes for a seriously comforting meal, or you can keep it quick with pasta shapes like bowties, rotini, orzo, or penne because they cook fast and catch the sauce nicely.

For something lighter on the side, try a fresh and crunchy cucumber tomato salad. And if you don’t want to leave a single drop of sauce behind, serve it with my garlic bread or no-knead focaccia for swiping the plate clean. This recipe uses 4 boneless chicken thighs, so I portion it as 4 servings with some pan sauce. You can increase the servings easily, but use a larger skillet or brown the chicken in batches so the pieces sear nicely.

Storage & Reheating

Let your creamy mushroom chicken cool before storing, then transfer the chicken and sauce to an airtight container. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Reheating

Reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring the sauce often to keep it smooth. Add a splash of broth, half-and-half, or water to loosen it back up if needed. The microwave also works, but I’d use lower power or short bursts, stirring between each one, so the sauce doesn’t overheat or separate. Reheat leftovers to 165°F before serving.

Freezing

Freezing is safe, but it’s not my first choice for this recipe because the sauce can separate or turn grainy after thawing. If you do freeze it and don’t mind the possible texture changes, store the chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat gently as above.

Other Skillet Chicken Thigh Recipes I Love:

My Honey Chipotle Chicken is great for tacos, rice bowls, or a quick dinner with something cool and creamy on the side.
Chicken and Apples Skillet pairs juicy pan-seared thighs with sweet apples and onions in a cozy apple cider pan sauce!
Our Chicken Cacciatore uses canned crushed tomatoes for a budget-friendly sauce that still tastes deep and cozy.

Our Creamy Mushroom Chicken recipe was originally published 1/29/17. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 7/15/26.

The post Creamy Mushroom Chicken appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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Cold Sesame Noodles

These spicy and fresh Cold Sesame Noodles are going to wow your family and friends (and you too, because they take only about 20 minutes to prepare!) While your pasta water is coming to a boil, you can start on your veggie prep, then the rest couldn’t be simpler. Once the pasta is done cooking, just toss everything together with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame seeds, all those crisp, colorful veggies, and a squeeze of lime. This cold sesame noodle salad is best served chilled, in my opinion, but you can enjoy it warm, too!

A Quick and Easy Sesame Noodle Salad

These cold sesame noodles are an easy, budget-friendly lunch or side dish with cold noodles, crisp vegetables, and a light sesame dressing that does a lot with just a few ingredients. I use regular spaghetti here because it’s inexpensive, easy to find, and so good once it’s chilled. The dressing is light instead of creamy, with toasted sesame oil bringing that nutty flavor and lime and sriracha keeping everything bright, fresh, and just spicy enough.

Then come the vegetables, which make this feel like more than just a bowl of noodles. The bell pepper adds crunch, the grape tomatoes keep things juicy, and the basil and green onions give the whole bowl a fresh finish. I like to chill these cold sesame noodles and give everything one more toss before serving, because cold pasta can tighten up a bit in the fridge, and that final toss helps redistribute the dressing. Looking for a warm and cozy noodle dish instead? Then our garlic noodles are always a good move. 😋

Cook the spaghetti just to al dente. Cooked pasta gets even softer once it’s rinsed, chilled, and tossed with dressing, so don’t take it too far in the pot. The noodles should be tender, but still have a little firmness in the center when you bite into one. That small bit of texture helps them hold up in this noodle salad instead of turning mushy.
Rinse until cool, then drain really well. Rinsing the cooked noodles with cold water stops the cooking and cools them quickly, which is exactly what you want for a cold noodle salad. But don’t rush the draining! Extra water will dilute the soy sauce, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil, making the dressing taste flat. I shake the colander really well, then let the noodles sit for a minute before adding them to the bowl.
Taste again after chilling. Cold can dull flavors a little, and pasta loves to soak up dressing as it sits. Before serving, give the noodles one more toss and taste them. If they need a little boost, I’d add an extra squeeze of lime, a small splash of soy sauce, or a little more sriracha.
Adjust the spice for your table. If you’re feeding kids or anyone who isn’t into spicy food, you can put the bottle of sriracha on the side and omit it from the dressing to make it more palatable for everyone!
Budget-saving tip: Grape tomatoes hold their shape and don’t release too much liquid, which is also why they work so well in our classic pasta salad recipe. However, Roma tomatoes are usually cheaper, so they’re a good budget swap. Scoop out some of the seeds before chopping to keep the salad from getting watery, if desired.

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Cold Sesame Noodles

These Cold Sesame Noodles are an easy, light noodle salad with spaghetti, crisp veggies, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, lime, and sriracha!

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Chinese

Total Cost $6.11 recipe / $1.53 serving

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 12

Total Time 20

Servings servings (about 2 cups each)

Calories 309kcal

Author Jess Rice