Lemon chicken with mushrooms is a traditional hot pot dish that has been around for much longer than I have. Rumor has it, it was originally created in the 1940’s. I’m happy to say that this take on the hot Easy Creamy Mushroom Chicken brings a lot more flavor to the table than just boring old chicken.
Skillet lemon chicken with mushrooms makes for a perfect weekday meal for the whole family. The health benefits of lemon are well-documented. Lemon does not keep only in the field of natural healthcare, it has also become one of the preferred ingredients for cosmetic products.
Lemon Chicken With Mushrooms
SAVE RECIPEREADY IN:30minsSERVES:4YIELDS:4 chicken breastUNITS:USPRINT RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 4(4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 1⁄4cup plus 2 teaspoons flour, divided
- 1⁄2teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4teaspoon pepper
- 2tablespoons butter
- 1⁄3cup plus 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1⁄2lb sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
- Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness.
- In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/4 cup flour, salt, and pepper.
- Add chicken 1 piece at a time, shake to coat.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat cook chicken in butter for 5-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink.
- Remove and keep warm.
- Add 1/3 cup broth, to the pan, stirring to loosen browned bits, and bring to a boil.
- Add mushrooms, cook and stir 3-5 minutes or untrl tender.
- Combine the remaining flour and broth until smooth, and stir into the mushroom mixture.
- Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened.
- Stir in lemon juice.
- Serve with chicken.
Easy Creamy Mushroom Chicken
This lush, lemony cream sauce coats thin-cut, browned chicken breasts beauties with mushrooms for a fast and easy 30-minute chicken dinner.
Having more than one simple chicken breast dinner recipe in regular rotation is like having dinner in the bag. This recipe just keeps getting better because there’s only one skillet needed for both searing and saucing to get the cooking job done. In this soon to be classic, I followed much of the same methods I use in my chicken piccata, creamy chicken breasts mushrooms and leeks and chicken breasts with creamy mushroom sauce, but with even fewer ingredients, it seems even simpler.
For faster cooking, the boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cut in half lengthwise, browned, then bathed in a creamy lemon sauce flavored with sweet vermouth. Oh, the flavor! I’m always adding mushrooms to my meals, where they add another layer of earthy flavor alongside spunky Parmesan and zippy lemon zest, adding brightness to every bite. If mushrooms aren’t your thing, sub in artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, or leave them out and keep this sauce simple.
What’s In This Creamy Chicken Breast Dinner
This cream sauce combines only the essential elements for a decadent bite: Cream and butter for lushness, sweet vermouth for complexity and depth, and both lemon juice and zest to cut through the richness.
Here’s the ingredients you’ll need:
- skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- butter
- canola or vegetable oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- white or brown button mushrooms
- fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
- sweet vermouth or other fortified wine such as Marsala or Madeira
- heavy cream
- grated Parmesan cheese
- parsley for garnish
- cooked white rice, pasta, egg noodles, or veggie
How to Cook the Chicken Breasts
Thanks to generous seasoning and a quick fry, this chicken is moist and flavorful.
- Sauté the mushrooms first, set aside, then cook the chicken in the same skillet.
- To create a thinner scallop, cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the chicken breast in half to make two thinner scallops. A thinner breast cooks faster and stays moist.
- Pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness. This ensures that the meat cooks uniformly throughout and it speeds up the cooking process.
- Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seasoning both sides of the chicken breast adds flavor so don’t be too shy. All it takes is a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to get the job done.
- For a quick fry of the chicken breasts, use a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Avoid using a non-stick pan. To build flavor, you want the chicken to leave bits in the bottom of the pan for the piccata sauce. A non-stick pan won’t create those bits.
- When frying, use a combination of butter and oil. The oil tempers the butter so it doesn’t burn, and the butter adds that golden color and flavor to the chicken.
How to Make the Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Keep the flavor bits in the pan after browning the chicken. The browned bits on the bottom of the skillet add flavor and depth to the sauce so you don’t want to wipe them out. However, you should remove any blackened or burned bits so the sauce isn’t bitter.
- Alcohol is flammable, so remove the pan from the heat or flame before adding the vermouth. Nobody wants a kitchen fire.
- Zest the lemon before squeezing it for the juice. A solid, firm lemon is easier to grate and produces more lemon zest when grated before juicing.
- Cook the cream and reduce the sauce before adding the mushrooms. Mushrooms have a high water content that releases as they cook. Cook the mushrooms before the chicken breasts, set aside, and add them back to the sauce after it has reduced so the sauce doesn’t thin out.
How to Finish This Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts and Mushrooms Recipe
- Add the chicken breasts and mushrooms back to the skillet. Once the sauce has reduced, warm the chicken and mushrooms directly in the sauce, turning the chicken breasts to coat.
- Sprinkle the chicken with Parmesan cheese to melt. Add a savory tang with sprinkles of Parmesan that melts into the sauce from the residual heat. Or, pop the skillet under the broiler for a more browned Parmesan topping.
- Garnish with more lemon zest and herbs. Finishing the dish with a last sprinkle of lemon brightens and lightens the entire meal.
Ingredient Substitutions for this Recipe
- What can I substitute for the vermouth in this recipe? Substitute the alcohol with chicken broth instead of wine. Or, try a sweetened, fortified wine like marsala or madeira. White wine works too, but the flavor won’t be as complex.
- What type of mushrooms can I use? Use as many varieties of mushrooms to complement the chicken that you crave. White, brown, portobello, cremini, oyster, shiitake or porcini. Use what you have, use what you can find. And if you can only find one variety, that works too.
- Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts? Yes, skinless, boneless chicken breasts work fine in this recipe. But note that chicken thighs may need to cook for a different amount of time than specified in the recipe below.
- What types of herbs can I use in this recipe? Parsley, dill, tarragon and even mint work well with this flavor combination.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts and Mushrooms
This lush, lemony cream sauce coats thin-cut, browned chicken breasts beauties with mushrooms for a fast and easy 30-minute chicken dinner.
- Course Main Course
- Cuisine American
- Keyword chicken breasts
- Prep Time 10 minutes
- Cook Time 20 minutes
- Total Time 30 minutes
- Servings 4
- Calories 447kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups mushrooms , quartered
- 4 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sweet vermouth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon peel
- 1 cup cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Pound the chicken breasts lightly with a meat mallet for even thickness, about 1/2 inch thick. Season the breasts with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat in a large skillet and add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a few pinches of kosher salt and cook for 3 minutes or until the mushrooms soften and brown. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.
- In the same skillet over medium-high, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the canola oil. Add two of the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until golden browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and repeat with the other two breasts. Leave the browned fond and any residual goodness in the pan. Discard any burned bits and wipe out any extra dark spots of the pan.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully add the vermouth, lemon juice and lemon peel. Return to medium high heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping the cooked bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the cream and cook for a few more minutes for the sauce to thicken and reduce. Add the chicken and mushrooms back to the skillet, toss in the cream, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cook for 2 more minutes to warm the chicken and melt the cheese. Taste the sauce for seasoning and garnish with parsley. Serve with steamed rice, noodles, potatoes, or other vegetables.
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 431mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1298IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg
Skillet Lemon Chicken With Mushrooms
- Prep:15 mins
- Cook:15 mins
- Total:30 mins
- Servings:4 servings
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 376 | Calories |
| 15g | Fat |
| 12g | Carbs |
| 46g | Protein |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
This skillet lemon chicken recipe is a snap to fix and cook. It’s perfect for dinner for your family but delicious enough to serve to guests. It is versatile to serve with sides such as hot buttered noodles or rice. Steamed or roasted vegetables will round out your meal, or start with a fresh green salad.
You can use any mushrooms for this dish. The typical cultivated mushrooms you see in the grocery store are button or cremini mushrooms. When they mature, they are known as the portobello mushroom. But there are many more varieties and you may find wild mushrooms available at the farmers market in season. You can make this dish with one type of mushroom or a medley of varieties. Just be sure to sauté them long enough so all are softened. While you could use canned mushrooms, you won’t get the flavors that develop with cooking fresh mushrooms.
Lemon pairs very well with chicken, as you can see in recipes such as chicken piccata with lemon and parsley. Chicken Marsala is a similar recipe that is made without the lemon.
Ingredients
- 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Dash kosher salt
- 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine, or a dry Chardonnay
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients.
- Place the boneless, skinless chicken breast halves between sheets of plastic wrap; gently pound them with a mallet to thin them to an even thickness.
- In a plastic food storage bag, combine the flour, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add chicken and shake to coat well; shake the excess flour mixture off. Discard the bag and contents after removing the chicken breasts.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn the chicken and sprinkle with a little salt. Place the cooked chicken breasts on a platter and cover with them with foil to keep warm.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet with a little more butter, if needed. Sauté for 3 minutes, until browned and tender. Add the sliced green onions and sauté 1 minute longer. Add Marsala wine and lemon juice; simmer for 1 minute. Put the chicken back in skillet; simmer for 1 minute longer.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and arrange it on a serving platter. Pour the sauce and mushrooms over the chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave to enjoy for lunch or dinner the next day. You can also slice the cold cooked chicken and add it to a salad.
Recipe Substitutions
- You can use a dry white wine to replace the Marsala wine if that is what you have available.
- If you prefer to cook without wine, use a little chicken broth or water instead of the wine.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF LEMON
1. Relieves a sore throat.
Warm water mixed with honey and lemon is a popular home remedy for people with sore throats. The mixture can provide soothing benefits for a sore throat during cold season. The Vitamin C in lemons also can help in the effort.
2. May prevent and help fight cancer.
Studies have shown lemons may have anti-cancer benefits. The chemical makeup of lemons can help prevent the development of oral tumors, according to one study. Others have linked citrus fruits and their juices to antitumor effects.
Even chemicals in citrus fruits’ peels have been linked as potential anticancer agents.
3. Prevents kidney stones.
Lemon juice is shown to help prevent kidney stones by raising the urine’s citrate levels. Citrate binds to calcium, which helps keep kidney stones from forming.
4. Aids in digestion.
The peel and pulp of lemons contain an soluble fiber called pectin. It promotes the production of digestive enzymes in the liver, helping eliminate waste from your body.
Fiber-rich fruits can also help promote regularity, lessening your risk of constipation.
5. Helps regulate blood sugar.
Eating fruit high in fiber can help keep your blood glucose in line, helping to prevent increases. This can lower the risk of diabetes, or it can help people with diabetes manage their condition.
6. Promotes weight loss.
The pectin in lemons and their juice helps you feel fuller for longer, which will make your weight loss much more manageable.
Studies show that an increase in fiber intake, especially from low-density sources like fruit, can lead to lower body weight and fat.
7. Helps clear skin.
Lemons have natural antibacterial qualities and alpha hydroxyl acids, like many over-the-counter acne medications. They can brighten, exfoliate, and help remove blackheads. Lemon has also been known to possibly help halt bad breath and get rid of dandruff when applied to the scalp.
The Vitamin C in lemons also promotes collagen synthesis, another boost to your skin.