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Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Onions

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Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 28 reviews

Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Onions - Tender, juicy chicken breasts, pan-seared to perfection, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms, paired with a silky balsamic cream sauce. This dish will have your loved ones feeling like they are eating at a fine dining restaurant. The pan drippings from cooking the chicken, paired with the acidity of the balsamic vinegar and the richness of the heavy cream come together to make an incredibly flavorful sauce that also doubles as an amazing gravy.

cast iron skillet with chicken with balsamic cream sauce, onions and mushrooms, a plate of broccoli and cauliflower in the background
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Ingredients in Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce

ingredients laid out to make a low carb chicken dish - chicken, onion, mushroom, cheese, cream, vinegar, salt, and pepper

Ingredients Notes

This Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Onions is one of my oldest, and dearest recipes. It's a quick and easy one pot chicken recipe that only takes minimal ingredients, but will have you feeling like you are eating in a fine dining restaurant. In fact, I love it so much, that I made it the cover recipe of my book Craveable Keto. Let's talk about some of the ingredients...

  • Chicken: for this Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce recipe, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use thighs. (Try this Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole)
  • Balsamic Vinegar: the vinegar adds a nice acidity to the dish and complements the cream.
  • Heavy Cream: You can also use half and half, although the sauce might not thicken quite as much.
  • Cremini Mushrooms: I like cremini mushrooms for this dish, but you can use any mushroom you prefer

Step by Step Instructions

left - raw chicken seasoned with salt and pepper. right - caramelized onions

How to make Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce

STEP 1: Lightly season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.

STEP 2: In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the onions. Cook until the onions are nice and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

left - pan-seared chicken breasts - right - pan being deglazed with chicken stock

STEP 3: Increase the heat to medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and pan-sear the chicken on both sides until it is a deep golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. (Chicken will not be fully cooking during this stage)

STEP 4: De-glaze the pan with chicken stock. Using a rubber spatula, scrape up and mix in any remaining bits of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

left - creamy sauce with mushrooms and onions. right - same sauce but with chicken breasts

STEP 5: Reduce the heat to medium-low to low, add the heavy cream, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, mushrooms and a little salt and pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half and thickened. 

STEP 6: Add the chicken and caramelized onions back to the pan, and simmer until the chicken is cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

cast iron skillet with chicken with balsamic cream sauce, onions and mushrooms,

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Reheating: I recommend reheating this on the stovetop and adding a little extra cream to the sauce to help revive it.
  • Use chicken thighs: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but chicken thighs would work also. You've gotta love the crispy skin on bone-in chicken thighs. Yum! (Keto Chicken Recipes)
  • Amp up the veggies: Add any of your favorite veggies - cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, and asparagus are all great options.
  • Use the sauce as a gravy: This sauce doubles as an excellent gravy for cauliflower mash. And I just happen to have a couple of great recipes for you - Chive and Horseradish Cauliflower Mash, and Herbed Goat Cheese Cauliflower Mash.
  • Make turkey burgers: this sauce is excellent with turkey burgers. As a point of reference, you can make these Beef Stroganoff Burgers and swap the ground beef out with ground turkey and then complete the recipe the same as written, cooking the turkey burgers in the step where you would cook the chicken.
creamy chicken with mushrooms and onions, plated with cauliflower mash and broccoli

Side Dish Suggestions

creamy chicken with mushrooms and onions, plated with cauliflower mash and broccoli

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if the chicken is cooked all the way?

When in doubt, use a meat thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked once it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

What is a good substitution for balsamic vinegar?

If you do not have balsamic vinegar, you could substitute red wine vinegar and add a little bit of sweetener.

cast iron skillet with chicken with balsamic cream sauce, onions and mushrooms, a plate of broccoli and cauliflower in the background

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cast iron skillet with a creamy chicken dish with onions and mushrooms, a plate of broccoli and cauliflower in the background.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Onions

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 28 reviews

  • Author: Kyndra Holley
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce, Mushrooms and Onions - Tender, juicy chicken breasts, pan-seared to perfection, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms, paired with a silky balsamic cream sauce. This dish will have your loved ones feeling like they are eating at a fine dining restaurant. The pan drippings from cooking the chicken, paired with the acidity of the balsamic vinegar and the richness of the heavy cream come together to make an incredibly flavorful sauce that also doubles as an amazing gravy.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts (4 total) (I get my organic, pasture raised chicken here)
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Lightly season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the onions. Cook until the onions are nice and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
  2. Increase the heat to medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and pan-sear the chicken on both sides until it is a deep golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. (Chicken will not be fully cooking during this stage)
  3. De-glaze the pan with chicken stock. Using a rubber spatula, scrape up and mix in any remaining bits of chicken stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium-low to low, add the heavy cream, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, mushrooms and a little salt and pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half and thickened. 
  5. Add the chicken and caramelized onions back to the pan, and simmer until the chicken is cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. 
  6. Garnish with fresh parsley

Notes

  • net carbs per serving: 6.7g
  • Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Reheating: I recommend reheating this on the stovetop and adding a little extra cream to the sauce to help revive it.
  • Use chicken thighs: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but chicken thighs would work also. You've gotta love the crispy skin on bone-in chicken thighs. Yum! (Keto Chicken Recipes)
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Chicken Recipes
  • Method: Saute
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 618
  • Fat: 44.2
  • Carbohydrates: 7.8g
  • Fiber: 1.1g
  • Protein: 44.9g

**Recipe originally posted January 24th 2012 - Updated June 3rd 2021**

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Anonymous says

    I added minced garlic and a tsp of rosemary and thyme because I thought the balsamic was a bit overpowering. And now its heavenly.

    Reply

  2. Nicole Brockwell says

    I made this last night and LOVED it!! It was amazing!! It will ABSOLUTELY be one of our regulars! I used half & half instead of heavy whipping cream - because that's what I had and to make it a little healthier. Thanks for sharing this recipe! 🙂

    Reply

  3. Anonymous says

    Oh my goodness! This recipe was AMAZING. I am not a low carby (I'm pregnant anyway) so I served over ziti and it was SO SO good! Reminds me of a dish I love from Macaroni Grill. Yum!

    Reply

  4. Anonymous says

    Lose the butter and it's not bad.

    Reply

  5. Kimberly Mason-Joseph says

    Just made this for dinner tonight!! SOOOO GOOD.....I served over Linguine Pasta with Roasted Asparagus. It was really great! So easy.... Instead of using 2 pans one for onions and one for chicken...I just used 1. Took a little longer, but turned out really good. Thanks for a great dinner!

    Reply

  6. Anonymous says

    Planning to make it this week! Do you think that mashed potatoes would be a good side dish and would go with the gravy, or would noodles be better. The husband is a "taters man"

    Reply

  7. Anonymous says

    Can you please tell me where you get your peace and love from. Thanks.

    Reply

  8. Anonymous says

    Thank you for this recipe! I made it for dinner last night and it was quick and DELICIOUS!

    Reply

  9. Anonymous says

    I just made this and it was supremely easy and delicious. I can't wait to try your other recipes. Thanks a bunch!

    Reply

  10. Kennedy says

    Thanks for sharing this recipe... it is absolutely delicious. We doubled the balsamic and it still wasn't a super strong flavor, so that is the only thing I would change.

    Reply