Pan Seared Chicken with Mushrooms

4.98 from 44 votes

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These quick and easy Pan Seared Chicken thighs are here to save your weeknight dinner plans! Just a handful of ingredients are needed to saute juicy, tender chicken and prepare a zesty, mouthwatering lemon mushroom sauce.

close up of pan seared chicken thighs with mushroom gravy


My pan seared chicken thighs recipe is a simple yet foolproof way to get moist, flavorful meat in less than 40 minutes. Healthier than frying, more flavorful than using chicken breasts, and flavored with simple, common ingredients, it’s a one-pan winner of a dish.

The real star, however, is the pan sauce – made with savory cremini mushrooms and bright lemons, this vibrant and decadent sauce is the theoretical cherry on top. 

I like to serve pan seared chicken with mushrooms alongside fried potatoes or a tray of roasted vegetables, or with fluffy yeast rolls. These sides make for a well-rounded home cooked meal that is sure to satisfy every member of the household.


Want another dish just like this? Try my Creamy Chicken Madeira! Succulent chicken with mushrooms topped with a creamy sauce and served on a bed of fluffy white rice… it’s another guaranteed crowd pleaser. 

mushroom sauce over chicken thighs on white plate

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS 

  • Boneless Chicken Thighs – Boneless, skinless thighs are the preferred cut for this recipe. They will be coated with flour, seasoned simply with salt and black pepper, and pan seared in a butter sauce.
  • Mushroom Lemon Sauce – The delicious pan sauce in the recipe is a combination of the meat drippings and:
    • Butter – To give the pan sauce a silky, creamy texture. 
    • Cremini Mushrooms – Small mushrooms with an earthy, rich flavor. Good substitutes would be portobello or regular white mushrooms.
    • Lemon Zest & Juice – You may need two lemons to get enough juice and zest. To be sauteed with the mushrooms to add acidity to the glaze and pan sauce.
    • Minced Garlic – To flavor both the meat and glaze. If substituting with powder, you’ll need at least ½ teaspoon. 
    • Dry White Wine – Any acidic, non-sweet cooking wine will do. If you prefer, you could use white wine vinegar instead. 
    • Chicken Broth – Forming the base of our pan sauce. I’d advise against substituting with vegetable or beef stock, and would instead recommend substituting with bouillon. 
    • Chopped Parsley – A nice and earthy herb to help even out the sauce, and to serve on top. Cilantro, chervil, or tarragon could be used as substitutes. 
overhead photo: plated dinner of pan seared chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and asparagus

HOW TO MAKE PAN SEARED CHICKEN

  1. Make the Mushroom Lemon Sauce.  Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and throw in the mushrooms, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cover and simmer the contents for 5 minutes before adding the garlic and increasing the temperature. Cook on high until the liquid has almost all evaporated. Pour in the white wine and ¼ cup of broth and stir. Transfer to a bowl, including the bits of mushroom and garlic, and set aside.
  2. Sear the Meat.  Season the thighs with salt, pepper, and flour. Melt another 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and add the meat. Brown the meat for 4 minutes, flip, and cook the other side for another 6 minutes. Remove the meat the from heat, move to a platter, and cover to keep warm. 
  3. Reduce and Season the Sauce.  Add the mushroom mixture back to the pan and pour in the remaining broth as well. Sprinkle in ¼ cup of parsley. Add the rest of the butter and stir tothe pan’s contents until melted. Take the platter with the resting meat and pour the juice into the pan. 
  4. Top and Serve.  Mix the sauce well before pouring over the chicken. Sprinkle the rest of the parsley over top, and serve!
chicken and mushroom dinner on plate with side of asparagus

What is pan seared chicken? 

Pan searing is cooking your meat, in this case boneless chicken thighs, quickly on high heat. The outside of the meat forms a nice flavorful crust, while the inside retains as much moisture as possible. The result is juicy meat with a fantastic texture!

How long does it take to make pan seared chicken thighs? 

It takes a total of 35 minutes to prepare pan seared chicken with mushrooms: 10 minutes for prep, and 25 minutes to cook both the meat and the sauce. It makes four total servings, and can be easily doubled with a large enough pan to hold additional meat. 

How do you pan sear chicken without burning it or overcooking? 

You don’t want the heat to be too high – medium high heat is sufficient. Sear both sides, and don’t cook any longer than it takes for the meat to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F.

hearty chicken dinner on plate with mushroom gravy and asparagus
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This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking on September 2016 and has been updated with a new photos and/or video May 2022.

close up of pan seared chicken thighs with mushroom gravy

Pan Seared Chicken with Mushrooms

4.98 from 44 votes
Cook up mouthwatering Pan Seared Chicken in just 30 minutes! With a bright and rich lemon mushroom sauce, it’s full of flavor and moisture.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients 

Mushroom Lemon Sauce

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add mushrooms, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and add garlic (optional), cook over high heat until liquid almost evaporates and mushrooms brown and glaze, about 5 minutes. Add white wine, 1/4 cup broth. Stir to scrape up browned bits in pan. Pour into a small bowl.
  • Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt, pepper and flour. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet and melt over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook until lightly browned, 4 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 6  minutes. Remove to platter, cover to keep warm.
  • Pour cooked mushrooms back into pan and add remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup parsley, scraping to release brown bits on bottom of pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and swirl in pan until melted. Drain juice from cooked chicken into pan. Pour mushroom sauce over chicken, sprinkle with ­remaining parsley and serve.

Video

Notes

1. I use 4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs weighed in about 1 1/2 pounds total. Pound meat with a flat-surface mallet until about 1/4 in. thick.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 586mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 910IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.8mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dinner, Main
Cuisine: American, Western
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
pan seared chicken with mushrooms in gravy

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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130 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I am not usually a mushroom fan, but I made this for my family who are and this was delicious! I love that it all cooks in one pan, too. Will make again!

  2. 5 stars
    Love this site; not too keen on the Asian site. Why? I believe it would be much better if you would teach authentic process but with typical western ingredients and readily available Asian ingredients typical of American super market shelves and produce. Doing so would likely result in Fusion cookery, but that is what America really is; a fusion of cultures.
    Also, I’d appreciate you having a word with your website designers and maintenance folks; your sites do not work correctly way too many times for my Apple mobile devices.
    As for your recipes in general; ‘love em. Our food and seasoning preferences seem to have shared an identical genesis.Though my mean skills didn’t start evolving until I retired and took up the blade and pot (my go-to pair are the Chinese cleaver and Dutch Oven).

    1. Hi Roger, thanks for writing and for following along both sites. As for Silk Road Recipes, I try, to the best of my ability, to give substitutions for each and every recipe in each post, whenever possible. As for the web developer maintenance inquiry, what specifically is the issue? Can’t fix what I don’t know. I use and test on Apple products myself. Let me know or email me with inquiries.

  3. 5 stars
    Taste-testing I used too much lemon. What to do? I did not have any cream so I toned it down with evaporated milk, making a creamy sauce. Everyone loved it!

  4. Just looking for some clarity: The recipe says 512 calories, but I can’t imagine 1 chicken thigh with the mushrooms/butter sauce adding up to 512. Are you including vegetable/starch sides into the 512 calorie calculation?

    This was delicious – made it last week and plan to make again tonight, just wanted to check on calories!

    1. I am glad you enjoyed it! It is calculated with all the ingredients in this recipe. Typically served with 2 thighs (I get 8 per 1.5 pounds).

  5. 5 stars
    I’m not a huge chicken fan, but this was absolutely delicious . I didn’t have any wine but chicken broth worked fine . I took your advice and served with asparagus. Also served rice pilaf with wild rice . Thanks Kevin !