This pan seared chicken breast has a creamy sauce you’ll adore. Combine mushrooms, spinach, chicken, and Parmesan cheese for this easy 30 minute dinner.
I’ve been making this pan seared chicken breast with sauce for over 10 years and it is still on regular rotation in my house. It’s such an easy and delicious way to “fancy up” regular chicken. I brown the chicken, then I make the creamy mushroom sauce using the browned bits and it turns out absolutely delicious! I can’t help but try a few bites as I’m cooking instead of waiting until dinner.
Often, pan-seared chicken turns out so dry and underwhelming. But by soaking it in this sauce, it breaks the dryness down and makes the chicken tender. Plus — the sauce keeps the chicken moist and flavorful when it’s served as leftovers, too!
Creamy Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
How To Make Creamy Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
This recipe takes 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes to cook, so you’ll have it ready in a mere 30 minutes. Take out your pan and let’s go.
- Sear the skillet chicken breast: Pan-sear the boneless skinless chicken breasts over medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet with butter until the sides are golden brown and cooked through. Set aside.
- Sauté the veggies: Keep the browned bits from the chicken in the skillet, and sauté the mushrooms with them. Add the spinach and cook it down.
- Return the chicken: Pour in the heavy cream, followed by the Parmesan cheese and stir. Season the mixture with garlic salt to taste. Add the seared chicken breast back into the skillet.
- Simmer: Bring the pan sauce to a simmer, then immediately remove from heat to prevent burning. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Creamy Chicken Breast
What’s my secret to not getting sick of this recipe even though it’s been 10+ years? These are the tips that keep it tasting delicious every time I make it!
- Pound the chicken: Chicken breast can be pretty thick, so consider cutting it into thinner pieces and/or using a meat mallet to make them similar sizes. This way, the chicken cooks more evenly.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan: Cook the chicken in a single layer without overcrowding the pan. This ensures that the chicken sears rather than steams.
- Flip the chicken once: Resist the urge to flip the chicken numerous times while searing. Doing so prevents it from achieving that essential crispy crust.
- Sauté the veggies in the chicken drippings: Don’t let all the flavorful browned bits from the pan-seared chicken go to waste! Cook the mushrooms and spinach in it for maximum flavor.
- Use a thermometer: Cook the chicken to a temperature of 165°F. Use an instant read meat thermometer to make this easy! Avoid overcooking as that leads to dry chicken.
- Substitute/add ingredients as needed (optional): You can substitute half-and-half for the heavy whipping cream, but the sauce will not be as thick. You can also use boneless chicken thighs instead of breast for an extra juicy chicken! For more flavors, add garlic, onions, shallots, and any spices or fresh herbs (i.e. parsley, thyme, basil) you like.
Hot tip: If you’re concerned that the sauce looks too thin, give it a couple of minutes to rest and thicken up. The sauce will thicken as it rests. If it’s still not thick enough, make a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and cold water), then add it into the pan.
Serving Ideas
This chicken is best served along with some kind of starch or grain. Mashed potatoes, rice, or quinoa are perfect. You can also turn it into a pasta dish by simply adding store-bought or homemade noodles. Don’t forget a side salad for a fresh, cool, crunchy complement!
Storing Creamy Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
Sometimes chicken gets really dry when storing the leftovers, but that’s not the case here! Your chicken will stay flavorful and juicy because of the creamy sauce. It’s a win!
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a skillet with butter or in the microwave.
Hot tip: I do not recommend freezing this dish because the cream sauce falls apart and turns gritty when frozen.
More Simple Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken With Mushrooms – Italian-style chicken
- One-Pan Roasted Chicken & Potatoes – Classic chicken and potatoes
- The Perfect 5 Minute Grilled Chicken – The easiest grilled chicken thighs
- Marry Me Chicken – Cheesy chicken covered in sundried tomatoes, tomatoes, and spinach
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- 1 lb mushrooms
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp garlic parsley salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients for the recipe.
- Preheat a skillet with butter. Sauté the chicken breast on both sides over medium-high heat until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet (keep the brown bits from the chicken!), add in the diced mushrooms and cook until they turn golden brown. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
- Add in the heavy whipping cream, Parmesan, and garlic salt. Stir to combine.
- Return the pan-seared chicken back into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then remove from heat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
This is such a easy recipe and it taste soooooo good.
My husband loved it.
Hi Stacey, I am thrilled to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, enjoy!!
I was surprised to see that this recipe serves 8. Typically isn't one chicken breast per person the norm? Should it be cut up somehow before serving?
Hi Bryn- it really depends how big the chicken breasts are; usually 1lb of chicken breasts is 2-3 chicken breasts, so 2lbs of chicken would be 4-6 breasts and thus should be enough to serve 8. You can slice up the breasts before serving, or even cut them into smaller pieces before cooking. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the recipe. Soooo good!!!!!
You're very welcome, Tamara!
Am I the only person who doesn't see SPINACH listed in the ingredients?
Ah! Good catch, Luana. We will update the recipe to reflect. You'll need 2 cups of spinach in the meantime. Sorry for the oversight and appreciate your eyes on this!
Delicious and so easy!! Thank you!
Hi Polina, thank you very much, I am so glad you loved the recipe!
This recipe was very tasty but the cream sauce was so thin. What would happen if I chose to thicken it with cornstarch?
Please let me know what you think?
Hi Beverly, you can add a tiny bit of corn starch but it does thicken as it sits for a bit or you can add a little more cheese.
Looks delicious. Chicken breasts are y favorite and I'm always looking for new ways to prepare them. I'd add some minced garlic in with the mushrooms, too.
Oh garlic sounds like a great idea. Creamy sauce with garlic is always delicious.
Can I substitute heavy cream for half and half? What about adding cream cheese? I may add lemon zest to my recipe! Thank you so much for this! 🙂
I think half and half would work. Adding cream cheese would probably change the recipe completely.