Throwback time! I love the retro quality of this comforting one-skillet meal. It reminds me of an elevated stroganoff when served over egg noodles, and when served with mashed potatoes, it’s kind of like Thanksgiving dinner (but a dish that you can enjoy year-round.)
Say hello to my groovy skillet chicken with mushroom gravy infused with thyme and parmesan cheese. It’s creamy, savory, and has that groovy vibe of family dinners from decades ago. I feel like cozy meals from back in the day probably used ingredients like cream of mushroom soup, so we’re modernizing this dish by cooking fresh mushrooms to golden perfection and simmering them in a homemade gravy with fresh herbs and cheese.
As I mentioned, you can really choose your own adventure when it comes to serving this chicken. Enjoy as is with your fav salad or side of veggies, or spoon it onto mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Everything you’ll need to make this groovy skillet chicken
Golden seared chicken, tender mushrooms, and a flavorful thyme parmesan gravy make this one pan meal absolutely incredible (and easy!) Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- For the chicken: we’re going to butterfly two boneless skinless chicken breasts so that they cook up quickly and evenly. You’ll need garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper to season the chicken before searing it in a little olive oil.
- For the mushrooms: cook up those mushrooms in salted butter, fresh thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.
- White wine: you’ll need a little dry white wine (or chicken broth) to deglaze your pan after cooking the mushrooms. It will help get all of those delicious brown bits up from the pan when you make the gravy.
- For the gravy: you’ll whisk together all-purpose flour, low-sodium chicken broth, milk, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Can I make this dish gluten free?
Yes! Simply swap the flour in the gravy for 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour.
Our favorite ways to serve this skillet chicken with mushroom gravy
We love spooning this skillet chicken onto a plate of mashed potatoes or egg noodles! My famous Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes would be perfect.
How to butterfly a chicken breast
The technique for slicing each of these chicken breasts open is called butterflying. I like to use this technique in this skillet chicken recipe because you’ll get thinner chicken breasts that have a lot more seasoning and cook evenly together in the skillet. Here’s how to do it:
- Place one hand on top of the chicken breast
- With a sharp knife, carefully slice the chicken breast horizontally down the middle.
- Open the chicken breast like a book, then cut it into two equal-sized pieces.
Groovy skillet chicken in 5 steps
- Prep the chicken. Start by butterflying both of your chicken breasts, then season both sides. Cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil, then transfer it to a plate.
- Cook the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms in butter, thyme, salt & pepper until they’re nice and golden. Stir in the garlic, then set that aside on a plate.
- Make the gravy. Stir white wine into your skillet to deglaze it, then reduce the liquid. Melt butter in the skillet, whisk in the flour, then slowly add the broth and milk. Whisk away any lumps, bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the temp and let the gravy thicken. Stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble the skillet chicken. Add the chicken and mushrooms to your skillet with your gravy, spoon the gravy over the chicken, then simmer everything together.
- Garnish & serve. Top the skillet chicken with fresh thyme leaves, then serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles!
Storing tips
- In the fridge: store any leftover skillet chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- In the freezer: let the stuffed chicken and mushroom gravy completely cool, then place them in an airtight container or freezer-friendly silicone bag and store them to the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the chicken and gravy thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet.
More one pan meals you’ll love
- One Pot Cheesy Mushroom Spinach Beef Pasta
- Oh So Good Chicken Meatballs in Pumpkin Coconut Curry Sauce
- One Pan Lightened Up Hamburger Helper
- Goat Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Caramelized Onions + Mushrooms
- One Pot Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Stew with Sweet Potato & Couscous
Get all of my one pan meals here!
I hope you love this groovy skillet chicken recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Groovy Skillet Chicken with Thyme Parmesan Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (ideally, 2 large equal-sized breasts)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- For the mushrooms:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine (or sub chicken broth)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the gravy:
- 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour)
- 1 ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For serving:
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Mashed potatoes or egg noodles
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. To butterfly the chicken breasts, place your hand on top of the chicken breast to secure it. Using a very sharp knife, carefully begin to cut horizontally, cutting almost through the other side. Open the butterflied chicken up like a book and cut into two equal sized pieces. Repeat with the other breast. Season both sides of the chicken with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the chicken: In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
- Cook the mushrooms: Return the same large skillet to medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms, thyme and season with a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, stirring constantly, until all of the browned bits are in the sauce, and reduce liquid for about 2 minutes, then make the gravy as directed below.
- Make the gravy: Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and whisk in the flour, cooking until a paste forms, about 30 seconds. Slowly stream in the broth and the milk, constantly whisking away any lumps, until smooth and combined. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens up to the consistency of gravy, 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
- Add chicken and mushrooms, spooning the gravy over the chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 more minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve with mashed potatoes or over egg noodles.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
22 comments
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu / vegetable broth and skip wine as i don’t use alcohol at home i love mushrooms sooooooooo much i never had groovy skillet chicken with thyme parmesan mushroom gravy before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hi Ramya! I haven’t tested this recipe using tofu but feel free to give it a try! Extra vegetable broth will work 🙂
Looks delicious! Do you think this would reheat well? I’m looking for dinners to take to family members with a new baby. Thanks!
Yes, absolutely! Check out the full post for storing & freezing instructions 🙂
Make this today! I followed the recipe as written, which I usually do the first time I try something new, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I served it over a combination of mashed potatoes and mashed cauliflower, and it was delicious. It got high marks from my husband as well. This is definitely a recipe I see myself adding to my regular winter meal rotation.
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
I would like to know if this would still taste good without the parmesan?
Thanks
Hi! The gravy will be thinner and have a much less salty / savory flavor.
Can you make these with boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Yes, that should work!
Another incredible recipe. The flavors were soo good. Easy to put together. Such comfort food. That gravy!!! Yum!!
So glad you loved this one! It’s one of our family’s latest favorites, too!
This is a little bit time consuming to make because of all the different steps and then making the gravy, but it’s not complicated and the end result is delicious and creamy! I accidentally used unsweetened vanilla almond milk for the sauce, which made it a little weird with the vanilla, haha, but it was still pretty good and I can’t wait to try it again with normal milk :).
There are quite a few steps but yes, at least they’re super easy! I’ve done that before (accidentally using vanilla almond milk) and it is interested haha – the flavor will be much better using regular milk 🙂
YUM! Such a good weeknight dinner. Seems fancy but super simple to put together. This is a total winner!
Absolutely! One of our new favs, too 🙂 Glad you loved it!
This was so good! I made it with noodles, but I would make it with mashed potatoes next time. It seemed to take a long time to make the gravy, but I have a soon to be 2 year old that was impatient for my attention.
Glad it was a hit!
SUPER GROOVY!!! I tripled the meat, mushrooms and spices, used 16 oz of whipping cream, added kale and it is so tasty! Tastes like creamy cheesy pasta sauce. Thank you again, Monique!
The grooviest!! Sounds perfect – glad you loved it!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s so delicious! The gravy is fabulous. Perfect cozy meal!
So happy to hear that!