Chardonnay Chicken with Mushrooms

This Chardonnay Chicken is a simple yet elegant dish that you works as well for date night as it does for an easy weeknight meal.  The chicken breasts are topped with sautéed mushrooms and a creamy white wine sauce for tasty perfection!

This chicken with mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce is something my mom used to make when I was a kid.  At the time I don't think I really liked mushrooms all that much and of course, didn't really get the point of the Chardonnay, but I remember thinking it all tasted pretty good - even if I did push some of the mushrooms off to the side.  Today, this chardonnay chicken with mushrooms is one of my favorite quick and easy weeknight dinners.  It comes together in less than 30 minutes and only uses a handful of ingredients.

Having a good collection of recipes for weeknight meals can really help when it comes to meal planning.  The ingredients for this dish include chicken and mushrooms, which are pretty staple ingredients.  The same with dried thyme, which I highly recommend adding to your spice collection if you don't already have it.  Crème fraîche is the slightly unusual ingredient in this recipe.  It's become much more widely available, so check your grocery store to see if it's available.

I like using crème fraîche because it has a richer, slightly more tart taste than sour cream and gives a dish a smooth, buttery taste.  However, in a pinch, you can substitute sour cream.  If you are looking for other recipes to use up the crème fraîche check out this Miso Glazed Cauliflower.  It also makes a great topping for soups like this Creamy Butternut Squash!

How to Cook Perfect, Juicy Chicken Breasts

Have you ever had a dry, overcooked chicken breast?  I know I have! This recipe uses a cooking technique that I find very useful, especially with chicken.  First, you sear the meat to create a nice browned outer layer that will seal in the juices so the chicken stays nice and moist.  Then, after you flip the meat, you pop the entire pan in the oven and let it keep cooking.  You will need a pan that is oven safe up to 450°.  The key is to cook the chicken in the pan just long enough to get it lightly browned, as it will continue to brown in the oven.  Don't worry if the chicken gets a bit dark the first time you make it, it will still taste good.

Deglazing a Pan

When pan fry or sauteé a dish you're usually left with small, brown bits at the bottom of the pan. This is called fond, pronounced fahn. These small, concentrated brown bits can have a big impact on flavor! The trick is deglazing the pan to take advantage of these little gems by turning them into a delectable sauce.

Deglazing is a simple, classic cooking technique that uses liquid to loosen these bits from the pan and incorporate them into a sauce. To deglaze you remove the chicken from the hot pan, add the liquid and use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to scrape those bits from the pan. This will give the sauce a rich flavor that makes this dish outstanding!

What kind of wine should I use?

You might ask why Chardonnay for this recipe?  Well,  have I mentioned that I prefer a nice oaky, buttery Chardonnay?!?  It happens to be one of my favorites so, that's what I use for this dish - you only need about a half cup - a little more won't hurt - which means you'll want to pick something that you like to drink so you can serve the rest of the bottle with dinner. Or maybe drink some while you are cooking?!  If you are really not a Chardonnay fan, and I know some people aren't, you can use another dry, full-bodied wine - perhaps a French Burgundy or Spanish Albarino.  It will change the final taste a bit but I've tested it with a couple of options and it still tastes great!

Looking for more chicken and mushroom recipes?  Check out these Chicken & Mushroom Crêpes - they are perfect for a date-night dinner!

tools you'll want for this recipe

Breading pans – These shallow pans from William's Sonoma are fantastic when you are breading anything.  It makes it really easy to mix the breading ingredients together in one pan and then have the egg whites or any other ingredient that might be involved in the breading process in the other pan.

More easy weeknight recipes

Chardonnay Chicken

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

This chicken is topped with mushrooms and a creamy Chardonnay sauce for tasty perfection in a weeknight dinner for two!

4.23 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Continental

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 to 10 ounces total), pounded to ½ inch thick
• 1 egg white
• 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup Chardonnay
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups sliced baby Bella mushrooms
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ cup crème fraîche

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Mix flour, salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small shallow pan.  Place egg white in a second small shallow pan and beat lightly.
• Dip each chicken breast in the egg white and then dredge in the flour mixture.  Shake off any excess and place on a plate.
• Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.  Place chicken breasts in skillet, cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.  Turn breasts and cook for two more minutes.  Remove pan from heat and place in pre-heated oven.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is done.
• Remove chicken from pan, cover and keep warm.
• Return the pan to medium-low heat.  Add the chardonnay and deglaze by scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, remaining pepper, thyme and mushrooms.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and stir in crème fraîche.
• Place the chicken on warm plates.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Notes

• You can substitute sour cream for crème fraîche, however it will change the taste of the sauce slightly.

Keywords : 30 minute meals, chicken dinner

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