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A thick, lightened-up, and LOW-CARB creamy parmesan garlic mushroom chicken recipe is your new favorite dinner! With NO heavy cream (or ANY cream at ALL option!). Everything in JUST ONE POT.
Crispy-skinned chicken simmered in a beautifully thick and creamy sauce, using NO cream for this chicken with creamy mushroom sauce, just a mixture of herbs, a good kick of garlic, and parmesan; simple ingredients for maximum taste. This creamy herb mushroom chicken packs so many flavors in the one pan.
Mushroom Chicken
This is the first recipe that I shared with you all back in 2017. A low-fat alternative without depriving us of any flavors.
This mushroom chicken was SO GOOD, I had to make it a second time right after everyone had eaten, because they ALL wanted MORE. I’ve made it at least once a week since I first introduced my family to all of these flavors (back in October 2016). It seems totally unfair that I’ve been holding onto this for so long without sharing it. Truth be told, I didn’t think the photos were good enough to share. Well, I must’ve had rocks in my head.
So, I put my hands on it, and here I am. It’s so easy to make, preps in 10 minutes, and cooks in just ONE PAN. I have retested it and found the original recipe posted works fine, as it has for many other readers. However, I have modified the recipe since posting for an even better outcome for future readers, especially when it comes to the creamy sauce! ENJOY!
Ingredients for Parmesan Garlic Herb Chicken
- Chicken Thighs: I usually grab bone in chicken thighs with the skin on because the fat renders down and adds incredible flavor to the pan. Of course, if you want to use chicken breasts to make a chicken breast with mushroom sauce, you CAN do so without baking. Just continue simmering them in the sauce until they are completely cooked through.
- Garlic: I use garlic powder to rub on the chicken before searing, plus fresh minced garlic cooked straight into the pan. I have tried making this with just garlic powder for the whole dish to save time, but you really need that fresh garlic sizzling in the pan juices to get the flavor base.
- Mushrooms: Brown button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms are my recommendation here. You can use standard white mushrooms, but I find they release a bit too much water and end up thinning out the creamy sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: PLEASE grate your own parmesan from a block! Pre-packaged shredded cheese and the anti-caking powders completely ruined the texture, leaving a grainy mess instead of a smooth finish. Freshly grated cheese melts down and thickens the mushroom sauce.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken: To substitute chicken breasts for thighs, there is no need to continue to bake them in the oven. After adding the breasts back into the pan, continue simmering in the sauce until completely cooked through.
- Herbs: If you don’t have oregano and dried basil leaves, simply use 2 teaspoons of Italian herbs.
- Dairy-Free & Cream Options: To make this chicken mushroom recipe dairy-free, substitute the evaporated milk with almond, coconut, or rice milk. Alternatively, replace the evaporated milk with half and half, heavy cream, thickened cream, or a reduced-fat cooking cream. If using any of the heavier creams suggested, do not add the cornstarch mixture. You won’t need it to get a thick creamy sauce.
- Gluten-Free: For a gluten-free option, make sure to find a certified gluten-free cornstarch where available.
How To Make Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken
As with most of my chicken recipes, you start this one off by searing the meat in a large skillet. Make sure to keep the chicken in a single layer in the hot pan to get the skin nice and crisp. Letting it develop a deep crust builds an incredible base of flavor for the whole dish.
Once seared, pull the chicken out and use those pan drippings to sauté minced garlic cloves and mushrooms until tender. Be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Next, whisk in your liquids, herbs, and parmesan, letting the mixture bubble gently until it thickens into a creamy sauce.
Finally, nestle the chicken back into the skillet and transfer the whole thing into the oven. Finish baking until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender. When I need easy weeknight dinner ideas, chicken cooked entirely in one pan is always my top choice.
Always taste your sauce before adding the chicken back in, and finish it off with a good pinch of freshly cracked black pepper.
Recipe Tips
- Prep the chicken: If you decide to swap the thighs for chicken cutlets, place them on your cutting board and pound them to an even thickness, or simply slice them into thinner cutlets. This ensures they cook evenly in the pan and stay juicy.
- Get a good sear: Don’t overcrowd your skillet. Sear the chicken in batches if you need to. I always use a mix of extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter to get the best crust on the chicken.
One of my best secrets for a restaurant-quality sauce is to deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine (like a crisp chardonnay) before adding the chicken broth. The alcohol cooks out completely, but leaves behind an incredible base.
What to Serve With Chicken Mushroom Sauce?
I like to keep it low carb, so I keep the sides very simple, like a tomato salad. For something more filling, plain pasta or mashed potatoes are a YES to soak up all the amazing sauce.
Other Recipes
Sometimes, when the weather cools down, I get completely torn between making a batch of beef and pumpkin shepherd’s pie or something much faster. This skillet wins every time I only have 20 minutes to get dinner on the table!
If you want some fresh greens on the side, I highly recommend whipping up the dressing and veggies from my chicken cucumber avocado salad (just leave the extra chicken out). Oh, and if you are lucky enough to have leftover mushroom sauce, it is actually amazing over a spinach and ricotta grilled cheese for lunch the next day.
Recipe FAQ’s
Basil, oregano, and parsley are classic choices. Fresh herbs bring brightness, but dried herbs also work beautifully in this Garlic Herb Chicken recipe.
You can cook it a day in advance and reheat gently on the stove. The sauce may thicken, so just add a splash of milk or broth to loosen it.
Definitely. The creamy garlic sauce is mild and flavorful without being spicy, making it a hit for both kids and adults at the dinner table.
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Creamy Parmesan Herb Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 6 chicken thighs skin on or off, bone in or out
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
For the Sauce:
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 400 g mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1½ cups evaporated milk half and half or cream if using: see notes
- 1 tsp chicken bullion powder or stock powder
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons of extra 2% milk
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese fresh grated, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped, to serve
Optional Add in:
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 cups broccoli florets lightly steamed
Instructions
- Season chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat cooking oil spray in a large, non stick and oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Sear chicken thighs until golden and crispy on each side (about 3-4 minutes each side).
- Transfer chicken to the oven and roast until completely cooked through (about 25-30 minutes). Once chicken is done, transfer to a warm plate and set aside.
- Return skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic in the pan juices until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the mushrooms, herbs, the parsley and fry until mushrooms begin to soften.
- Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the milk (or cream) and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, and being careful not to boil. Add in the bullion powder and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Pour the milk/cornstarch mixture to the centre of the pan, and continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture through until the sauce thickens.
- Add a little bit more of the half of the Parmesan cheese; allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce.
- Add the chicken back into the pan and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes in the cream to take on the flavours. Season to taste.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parsley and the rest of the Parmesan cheese.
- Serve with steamed rice, over steamed vegetables or pasta.
Notes
- Fridge: Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. I actually think the flavors get even better the next day!
- Freezer: I do not highly recommend freezing this one. Because of the parmesan and milk, the creamy sauce can separate and become slightly grainy when thawed. If you must freeze it, keep it for up to 2 months and thaw it completely in the fridge overnight before heating.
- Reheating: To bring it back to life, warm the chicken gently in a skillet over low heat on the stove. Add a small splash of chicken broth or water to help smooth out the sauce as it warms up. Microwaving works in a pinch, but the stove keeps the chicken much more tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would this work in the dutch oven?
Hey Jes, Yes, since the recipe already calls for an oven proof skillet to sear and then roast the chicken at 200°C (400°F), a dutch oven will handle that transition easily. Dutch ovens especially enameled cast iron hold heat really well, so keep an eye on your chicken while searing to make sure the skin doesn’t stick or burn too quickly. Enjoy! Xx
I have been making this recipe for years now and still is one of my favorite! The only change I make is I use chicken breast!
This was fantastic! I only used 3 thighs, but made the recipe for all the sauce to make sure there was plenty to mix with our penne pasta and steamed broccoli. I used the evaporated milk and the sauce had great consistency. It had such great flavor, we couldn’t get enough! I will definitely be adding this to my rotation.
Awesome meal. I also threw in some cherry tomatoes with the spinach near the end, not long enough to cook them all the way down but enough to almost blanch them in the sauce. Super quick and easy, served over linguini.
Be light on the salt when reducing the sauce, you are getting quite a kick of it from the bullion powder and later on the parmesan cheese. If you do go over a quick hit of fresh squeezed lemon will bring you back into balance (and also adds a nice bit of brightness to a lot of cream sauces.)
WOW!! This turned out SO GOOD!! I used half thighs and half chicken breasts and after I threw the mushrooms in, the fond wasn’t being deglazed with the moisture of the mushroom so I threw in some white wine to deglaze and then used the heavy cream instead of evaporated milk. The sauce was so good!! Such a GREAT RECIPE!! THANKS FOR SHARING! 🙂