Tender, juicy chicken breasts smothered in a creamy mushroom and bacon sauce. It's a quick and easy chicken skillet meal that's on your table in just 30 minutes. Better still, it's all made in one pan! This chicken skillet dinner is bursting with flavors that the whole family will love! Serve the creamy bacon mushroom chicken over a bed of mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Or serve it with some fresh bread and a salad. This is delicious comfort food at its very best.
Place a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook for 8-10 minutes until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan, leaving behind the bacon fat/grease.
To prepare the chicken
Use kitchen paper to pat each chicken breast. A dry chicken breast won't slip and slide on your cutting board.2 chicken breasts
Place the chicken smooth side up on your board and use a sharp knife to cut sideways through the breast, as though you are opening it up like a book (see picture below)
Try to keep the knife flat and parallel to the chopping board.
Continue cutting through the breast until you have two fillets.
If you find they are not thick, cover the fillet with parchment paper and use the smooth side of a meat mallet (or a heavy-based pan) to gently flatten the plumper end.
Add the flour to a shallow dish.¼ cup/ 4tablespoon all-purpose flour
Season the chicken fillets on both sides with salt and pepper, then coat them lightly in the flour. (don't discard the flour yet)½ tsp/ 0.5teaspoon kosher salt½ tsp/ 0.5teaspoon black pepper
To finish the dish
Add the butter to the bacon fat, and once melted, add the floured chicken fillets to the pan.1 tbsp butter
Cook chicken for 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the fillets to a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
Turn the heat up to high and add the mushrooms to the pan; cook for 3-4 minutes until they are browned.2 cups/ 200g sliced mushrooms
Remove the mushrooms from the pan. (I put them on the same plate as the chicken)
Turn the heat on the pan to low, add the butter and the chopped onion, stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.1 tbsp butter1 small onion
Add the minced garlic and two tablespoons of the remaining dredging flour to the onions and stir to coat. (see note 8)2 garlic cloves
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and sherry (if using).¾ cups/ 180ml chicken broth/stock2 tbsp dry sherry
Bring to a simmer and cook gently for a minute.
Add the heavy cream, mustard, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir well.1 ¼ cups/ 300ml heavy cream½ tsp/ 0.5teaspoon Dijon mustard¼ tsp/ 0.25teaspoon salt¼ tsp/ 0.25teaspoon black pepper
Add the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan, plus any collected juices. Simmer together for another 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened, and the chicken is heated through.
Sprinkle over the cooked bacon, season to taste, and serve. Garnish with parsley (optional)
Notes
Use bacon that will release some fat; this is what makes the sauce. Please don't use turkey bacon; it doesn't give you the flavor or fat! I like a thick-cut smoked bacon - that adds the most flavor to the sauce.
Using larger chicken breasts will make the process of filleting/cutting into cutlets easier. Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs; instead, they will need to be cooked for 15-20 minutes.
Use any mushrooms that you have available. I like baby Bellas, but this works with button mushrooms or large field mushrooms. If using field mushrooms, make sure you cook them for longer.
Use any onion you have available, or substitute in a shallot.
You can leave out the sherry or substitute it with white wine, masala, or brandy.
I use Dijon mustard, but you can use grain mustard, English mustard, or sweet American mustard.
You can substitute the heavy cream with whipping cream or thickened cream. I wouldn't suggest half and half as it can split. But If you want to try this, then cook over low heat and thicken with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water)
Don't worry about using the flour that has touched the raw chicken; it will be cooked out and perfectly safe. Once you have added the flour to the sauce, the remaining flour needs to be thrown away.