Garlic Chicken with Quick-Braised Mushrooms and Thyme
Ingredients
- 4chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
- 1 poundmushrooms (cremini or button, mixed sizes)
- 6 clovesgarlic
- 4 sprigsfresh thyme
- ¾ cupdry white wine
- ½ cupchicken broth
- 3 tablespoonolive oil
- 1lemon
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- ½ teaspoonblack pepper
Prep
- 01
Mince 6 garlic cloves.
- 02
Trim mushroom stems and halve or quarter larger mushrooms so all pieces are roughly the same size.
- 03
Pull leaves from 4 thyme sprigs (or leave sprigs whole for easy removal later).
Method
- 01
Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- 02
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add chicken and cook 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Transfer to a plate.
- 03
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and begin to color. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- 04
Add minced garlic to the mushrooms and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- 05
Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
- 06
Add chicken broth and thyme sprigs. Return chicken to the skillet and simmer 3–4 minutes until the sauce reduces by about one-third and coats the back of a spoon.
- 07
Remove from heat. Squeeze juice from lemon over the chicken and mushrooms. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, spooning mushrooms and sauce over each breast.
Spice Tips
For warmth, add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika when cooking the mushrooms. If you like heat, finish with a small pinch of red pepper flakes. Fresh tarragon or dill can replace thyme for a different herbaceous note.