Description
Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce is a rich and comforting dish featuring tender thin-cut chicken breasts seared to golden perfection and simmered in a creamy mushroom and white wine sauce, accented with crispy prosciutto and aromatic herbs. This recipe delivers a perfect balance of earthy mushroom flavors, savory herbs, and a luscious Gruyère cheese topping, making it an ideal dinner to serve with crusty bread for soaking up the delicious sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 1/2 pounds thin-cut chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Pan and Sauce
- 3 ounces prosciutto
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken bone broth
- 1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Season and Dredge the Chicken: Season the thin-cut chicken breasts generously with kosher salt and black pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Dredge each chicken piece through the seasoned flour mixture, tossing to coat evenly on all sides.
- Cook the Prosciutto: Place the prosciutto slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the prosciutto is crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the crispy prosciutto from the skillet and set aside for topping later.
- Sear the Chicken: In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Add the dredged chicken breasts and sear them over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add an additional tablespoon of butter and allow it to brown around the chicken for approximately 2 minutes to develop more flavor. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Cook the Mushrooms and Aromatics: Add the sliced cremini mushrooms to the skillet and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes until they turn golden and caramelized. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, chopped shallots, fresh thyme, fresh sage, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are nicely caramelized and the shallots are softened.
- Deglaze and Simmer the Sauce: Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet. Add the chicken bone broth and bring to a simmer, cooking for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in the heavy cream, then return the chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. If the sauce appears too thin or soupy, gradually sprinkle in 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour and stir to thicken it.
- Add Cheese and Finish Cooking: Sprinkle the shredded Gruyère cheese evenly over the chicken and sauce. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Top each chicken breast with the crispy prosciutto and additional fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm with crusty bread to soak up the rich, creamy mushroom wine sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use thin-cut chicken breasts for quicker and even cooking; if using regular chicken breasts, consider pounding them thinner.
- If you don’t have white wine, a dry vermouth or additional chicken broth can be substituted, but the flavor profile will be slightly different.
- Adjust the amount of cream depending on how rich and creamy you want the sauce to be.
- Gruyère cheese adds a nutty and melty texture, but Swiss or Fontina can be used if Gruyère is unavailable.
- Ensure the pan is hot when searing the chicken to achieve a good golden crust.
- Serving with crusty bread is highly recommended for soaking up the delicious sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
