Once every two weeks– like clockwork– my husband gets an irresistible craving for tender chicken smothered in a savory mushroom sauce laced with bright lemon juice and a touch of mellow wine. Southern-Style Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce is comfort food at its finest.
It’s a weeknight staple at our house, a cinch to prepare, and cooks up in under an hour. You can toss on some fresh herbs for an elegant finishing touch — I like tarragon, but sage, thyme, parsley or basil work beautifully too. I have yet to cook this for anyone who does not immediately ask for the recipe and cook it themselves on a regular basis.
This recipe is an adaptation of one I got from my sister-in-law who lives in Monroe, a smallish city in north Louisiana. North Louisiana is about as different from South Louisiana as England is from the Continent. South Louisiana is Cajun/Creole territory. Once you head north of Baton Rouge on I-10, you’re headed for the classic South (think Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas). The difference is like night and day!
And Southern-Style Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce is a classic Southern dish, one that has been around for decades. Your mother or grandmother probably made a version of this dish. This recipe is the tastier, fresher & slightly lightened up version. There is a secret ingredient that we could not omit. Here it is: a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup!
There are basically three simple steps to making our Southern-Style Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
Step 1: Browning the Chicken
Salt and pepper the chicken, then brown it on both sides in a deep skillet or a dutch oven.
Step 2: Prepare the Base
While the chicken is browning, mix the soup, half and half, chicken stock, and sherry in a large bowl. You can substitute whole or reduced fat milk for the half and half and any white wine for the sherry.
Step 3: Let it Simmer
Once the chicken has browned, add the mixture to the skillet or dutch oven, then add sliced mushrooms. Partially cover and continue to cook on medium low heat for about 40-45 minutes, adding the juice of a small lemon half-way through the cooking time.
Southern-Style Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 lbs. Chicken pieces (I like chicken thighs)
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tbsps. Vegetable oil
- 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
- 1⁄2 cup dry sherry
- 1⁄2 cup half and half
- Juice of one small lemon
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp. Fresh minced herbs (I use tarragon)
Directions
- Step 1 Salt and pepper the chicken pieces on both sides.
- Step 2 In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, brown the chicken in the oil on both sides. Remove chicken.
- Step 3 While the chicken is cooking, add the soup, broth, sherry, and half and half to a mixing bowl and mix.
- Step 4 Saute the sliced mushrooms in the same pan you used for the chicken and cook until light brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes).
- Step 5 Add the chicken pieces back to the pan with the mushrooms. Pour in the liquid mixture.
- Step 6 Partially cover and cook on medium low heat for about 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking. If it starts to look dry, add more broth, 1⁄4 cup at a time.
- Step 7 Half-way through the cooking, add the fresh lemon juice.
- Step 8 Serve with rice or new potatoes.
Hi there! We're Vicky and Marion, mother-daughter food bloggers born and raised in New Orleans with a shared passion for eating, brainstorming and cooking food. We find common ground here for sharing recipes, cooking tips and food lore inspired by the multi-cultural city we both know and love. We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!