30-Minute Cream of Mushroom Chicken (From Scratch)
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Sometimes you just need a meal that genuinely feels like a treat without demanding too much from you. This creamy cream of mushroom chicken is exactly that! It uses simple ingredients but a little magic to create an amazing sauce that is a huge step up from those old-school chicken with cream of mushroom soup recipes! If you’re looking for another one-pot dinner, check out my One-Pan Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe (Ready in 30 Minutes!).
Why you’ll love this recipe
I’ve made this cream of mushroom chicken countless times because it’s just too easy!! Here are a few reasons why you’ll be obsessed too:
- Umami: The mix of earthy mushrooms, Dijon, and rich beef stock makes this sauce unbelievably savoury and coats the spaghetti perfectly. This is such a great chicken and cream of mushroom soup alternative – it’s got a restaurant-quality depth just like my hearty White Ragu.
- Quick & Simple: We’re keeping things simple here as the whole cream of mushroom chicken recipe comes together in one pan, meaning less time cleaning up and more time eating.
- Customisable: It’s so simple to play around with this recipe. Swap out the spaghetti for rice or gnocchi, or throw in whatever veggies you have lurking in the fridge to make it your own.
If you have leftover chicken, you should try Chicken Katsu Curry, Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos in Crockpot, or Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Inspired Noodle Soup) next.
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Table of Contents
Ingredients
The components of this cream of mushroom chicken are simple, but the way they work together is pure magic.
- Chicken breast: I use chicken breast, sliced thin so it quickly sears to a juicy finish. If you prefer a richer flavour and a little more fat, you could absolutely swap this for chicken thigh fillets. You could use either in this Easy Chicken Piccata as well.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms are crucial because when you cook them properly, they develop this incredible meaty flavour. Make sure you cook off ALL the moisture to unlock their flavour, which tastes much better than using condensed mushroom soup chicken.
- Beef stock: Like in my Chicken Bolognese, using beef stock instead of plain chicken stock gives the sauce a gorgeous savoury layer. I think that’s what makes this one of the best chicken recipes with cream of mushroom soup flavour, without actually using the canned soup!
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
I love a recipe that you can tweak to suit whatever you have in the fridge. Give these adaptations for your cream of mushroom chicken a go:
- Switch the meat: If you don’t fancy chicken with mushroom soup, this sauce is amazing with crispy chunks of bacon or cubed pork. You could even use beautiful salmon fillets instead, and then use it for this Creamy Salmon Pasta too.
- Go vegetarian: Simply leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock instead of beef stock for a hearty meat-free cream of mushroom. Mushroom Ragu is another great vegetarian option.
- Add tangy flavour: Stir in a few spoonfuls of capers or a dash of white wine vinegar alongside the Dijon mustard for a sharper flavour. The result is so good, you might be inspired to create your own recipes with cream of mushroom soup.
How to make Cream of Mushroom Chicken
Step 1: Heat a pan on high. Add oil and chicken, season, then sear for 3-4 minutes per side.
Step 2: Remove the chicken and lower the heat to medium. Add onion and mushrooms, season, and cook until their moisture evaporates. For optional better browning with the mushrooms, fry them separately over a high heat.
Step 3: Add garlic for the last 2 minutes.
Step 4: Take out a few spoonfuls of the mushroom mix and set aside. Add the cream and warm through.
Step 5: Add beef stock, mustard, and soy. Simmer for about 10 minutes and thicken with a cornflour slurry if needed.
Step 6: Return chicken to the pan to warm through, turn off the heat, stir in the reserved mushrooms and parsley, and serve!
If you’re looking for more one-pan recipes, check out Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta (One-Pot & Healthy), One Pot Chicken & Rice, or this One-Pot Creamy Tomato Tortellini Pasta Soup.
Tips for the best result
- Preheating your pan before adding the oil and chicken prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan.
- Cook the mushrooms until the moisture is totally gone, which allows them to brown and develop deep umami flavour. Try making this Simple Pork Stroganoff Recipe if you’ve got leftover mushrooms.
- Heat the cream first, nice and slow, before adding the stock. This professional trick prevents a temperature shock that can cause the cream to split.
- Using those reserved mushrooms at the end gives you a great mix of textures in the finished dish. This technique is how we get that gorgeous, thick chicken with cream of mushroom texture.
- If you’re wanting to use a different cut, this sauce is also fabulous over cream of mushroom chicken thighs for an even juicier result.
Serving Suggestions
This cream of mushroom chicken pairs perfectly with spaghetti and peas, but it’s delicious with other things too! Whatever you serve it with, you know it’s going to be a lovely comforting meal, and probably a million times better than any cream of mushroom soup chicken dish you grew up with.
Try it with:
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator: Let the cream of mushroom chicken cool right down before putting it into an airtight container. It’ll be perfect for up to 3 days.
Freezer: The sauce actually freezes well if you let it cool completely before sealing it in a freezer-safe container. It should last for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Just pop it in a small saucepan on a low heat and stir it often. You might need to splash in a tiny bit of water or milk to loosen the sauce up again.
Recipe FAQs
The key is temperature control! Always warm the cream gently before slowly whisking in the warm beef stock to prevent a sudden temperature change, which often causes curdling.
Absolutely, you can! Chicken thighs work beautifully in this dish and provide an even richer, more tender texture than the breast.
Yes! This sauce works perfectly as a base for a casserole – just mix the finished sauce and chicken with rice or pasta, top with cheese, and bake. You can adapt all sorts of chicken and cream of mushroom recipes this way.
Not really, you can use whatever you have! Chestnut or button mushrooms are perfect for affordability and flavour, but using a mix of wild mushrooms will really elevate your homemade cream of mushroom.
If you need something sweet for after, try Delicious Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe {Fluffy Texture}, Easy Nutella Puff Pastry (just 4 Ingredients!), or Chocolate Protein Muffins (Fudgy & High Protein).
If you tried this Homemade Cream of Mushroom Chicken, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
- 450 g chicken breast, sliced in half horizontally (£6.50/2)
- 400 g mushrooms, thinly sliced (£1.29)
- 300 ml cream (£1.09)
- 4 cloves of garlic (£0.50/4)
- 1 onion, finely diced (£0.95/3)
- Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped (£0.52/2)
Serve with
- 280 g spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions (£0.29)
- 300 g frozen peas (£1.15)
Cupboard essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce/Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 300 ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp cornflour (optional)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
Method
- Start by preheating your pan over high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper, then leave to sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes.
- Rotate the chicken and cook for a further 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and fry for about 8 minutes, or until the moisture has cooked off. Add the garlic for the last two minutes.
- Remove a few spoonfuls of the mushroom mix before adding the cream. Heat through then slowly add the beef stock, Dijon mustard and soy sauce. Bring up to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. For a thicker sauce, add a cornflour slurry (1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp cold water).
- Once thickened, stir in the white wine vinegar, then add the chicken back to the pan to heat through (about 2 minutes). Turn off the heat and add the reserved mushrooms and fresh parsley.
- Serve with a carb source and greens of your choice, and dig in!
Notes
- Preheating your pan before adding the oil and chicken prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan.
- Cook the mushrooms until the moisture is totally gone, which allows them to brown and develop deep umami flavour.
- Heat the cream first, nice and slow, before adding the stock.
- Using those reserved mushrooms at the end gives you a great mix of textures in the finished dish – soft from the sauce and firm from the fresh bits.
- The calories + macros calculated for this exclude the sides (spaghetti/peas).
Nutrition
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