Balsamic chicken and mushrooms is an easy one skillet dinner recipe for your busiest nights! The quick-cooking chicken cutlets are pan-fried, and then topped with a buttery, balsamic mushroom sauce that’s flavored with plenty of garlic and fresh herbs. Serve the chicken and mushrooms with 3-ingredient mashed potatoes, a loaf of crusty bread, or fluffy buttermilk biscuits.
Balsamic Chicken Breast
Thinly-sliced chicken breast, or pounded flat chicken cutlets, are a weeknight dinner’s dream. They cook in a hot skillet in less than 10 minutes, and they’re a versatile protein that you can pair with just about any of your favorite sauces, marinades, or veggies. Balsamic chicken is a flavorful way to take advantage of the chicken hanging out in your fridge, pair it with some fresh mushrooms and a handful of pantry staples, and whip up a delicious supper from start to finish in about 45 minutes.
For this particular dish, you’ll create a naturally-sweetened balsamic reduction that you can spoon over the pan-seared chicken. The combination of earthy, savory, and buttery mushrooms with garlic, thyme, and rosemary, in the acidic, slightly sweet balsamic glaze is truly a treat! We love the meat and sauce with mashed potatoes, cornbread, biscuits, or baguette to soak up all of the extra flavor, but just about any sides will work.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for balsamic glazed chicken and mushrooms. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: to sear the chicken.
- Chicken cutlets: purchase thinly-sliced chicken breast for a shortcut, or pound regular chicken breast into thin cutlets.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to season the meat and enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Salted butter: to sauté the mushrooms and add flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic: two large cloves minced, grated, or pressed.
- Mushrooms: I use sliced baby bella mushrooms, but white button mushrooms or other fresh mushroom varieties will work.
- Rosemary and thyme: use fresh herbs for the best flavor, or substitute with dried herbs in a pinch.
- Balsamic vinegar: the acidic base for the sauce. It brightens up the dish, adds rich flavor, and reduces so that the natural sugars concentrate and the glaze thickens.
- Chicken broth: to thin the sauce. You can substitute with beef broth, if necessary.
- Sherry: optional, but highly recommended! The fortified wine adds so much great flavor to the sauce and pairs beautifully with the chicken and mushrooms.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken
Pan-fried chicken cutlets are delicious when smothered in a rich, savory, and slightly-sweet balsamic mushroom sauce. There’s no need for a marinade, here! The balsamic vinegar reduces in the skillet, thickening the mixture and concentrating the sugars. With the addition of butter, thyme, rosemary, and garlic, you have a delicious restaurant-quality chicken dinner with minimal effort!
- Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s browned on both sides and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Melt butter in the same skillet.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender, about 6-8 minutes.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, and sherry.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 12-15 minutes. Some of the liquid will evaporate, the sauce will thicken, and the flavors will concentrate.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Spoon the sauce over top and warm through.
- Garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired. Serve!
What to Serve with Balsamic Glazed Chicken and Mushrooms
Here are some vegetables and other sides that go well with the chicken and mushrooms:
- Rice Pilaf, Parmesan Risotto, or No-Stir Easy Mushroom Risotto
- Egg Noodles
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Apple Cinnamon Muffins, or Pumpkin Bread
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Mile-High Flaky Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Easy Drop Biscuits
- French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or a crusty loaf of No-Knead Bread
- Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, or Garlic and Parmesan Cauliflower Mash
- Potato Pancakes, Hoe Cakes, or Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Roasted Cabbage or Braised Red Cabbage
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Southern-Style Green Beans, or Roasted Green Beans with Bacon, Garlic and Herbs
- Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Wedge Salad, Caesar Salad, Green Salad or House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Okra and Tomatoes
- Vinegar Coleslaw or Fennel Salad with Apples and Creamy Cider Dressing
- Sauteed Spinach
- Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Baked Apple Slices or Homemade Applesauce
Storage
Store leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- Cooking just for two? Brown two chicken cutlets instead of four. I recommend making the same amount of sauce, because a little bit of extra sauce is always a good thing!
- For an even richer flavor, replace the chicken broth with chicken stock, beef broth, or beef stock.
- If you like a sweeter sauce, add a dash of honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup.
- Whisk a dollop of Dijon mustard into the balsamic glaze for even more flavor.
- Swap out the chicken cutlets and use chicken thighs instead. You’ll probably need to cook the chicken thighs a little bit longer in the skillet. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Can’t find fresh herbs? Substitute with about 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (instead of fresh rosemary) and ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme (instead of fresh thyme). You can also try different herbs in this dish, such as chives, parsley, oregano, and basil.
Tips for the Best Balsamic Chicken Recipe
- For a shortcut, I like to purchase thinly-sliced chicken breast at the store. Alternatively, you can make chicken cutlets at home by slicing two large boneless skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally and then pounding flat to an even thickness.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when browning the chicken. Instead, work in batches (cooking two cutlets at a time) so that the chicken can develop a nice sear on the outside. Otherwise you risk steaming the chicken, missing out on that great color, flavor, and texture.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your chicken. It’s done perfectly when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Use fresh herbs (rather than dried herbs) for the best flavor.
More Chicken Skillet Recipes to Try
- Skillet Chicken with Apples and Onions
- Chicken Dijon
- Fried Chicken Cutlets and Country Gravy
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- One Skillet Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Sausage
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets (about 6 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 6 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon sherry (optional, but recommended)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, or thyme
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken cutlets to the pan. Cook until the chicken is browned on both sides and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan, so brown the chicken in batches if necessary.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Add butter to the skillet and melt over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add a pinch of salt to the mushroom mixture. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, and sherry.
- Reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet. Spoon sauce over top; cook on low just until the chicken is warmed through, about 1-2 more minutes.
- Garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a shortcut, I like to purchase thinly-sliced chicken breast at the store. Alternatively, you can make chicken cutlets at home by slicing two large chicken breasts in half horizontally and then pounding flat to an even thickness.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when browning the chicken. Instead, work in batches (cooking two cutlets at a time) so that the chicken can develop a nice sear on the outside. Otherwise you risk steaming the chicken, missing out on that great color, flavor, and texture.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your chicken. It’s done perfectly when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Use fresh herbs (rather than dried herbs) for the best flavor.
- Cooking just for two? Brown two chicken cutlets instead of four. I recommend making the same amount of sauce, because a little bit of extra sauce is always a good thing!
- For an even richer flavor, replace the chicken broth with a chicken stock, beef broth, or beef stock.
- If you like a sweeter sauce, add a dash of honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup.
- Swap out the chicken cutlets and use chicken thighs instead. You’ll probably need to cook the chicken thighs a little bit longer in the skillet. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Very tasty! I used the Costco Kirkland brand balsamic vinegar, as I read it’s one of their better items to buy, & it definitely is very good. I did add maybe 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the sauce, at the end-just to balance out the vinegar. I almost ate all the mushrooms on my own, they’re that good in this recipe!
Thank you, Renee! I love the mushrooms (probably even more than the chicken), too! 🙂