Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream Sauce
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This is Julia Childs “Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons [Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream].” I love the way she bakes the chicken; so juicy and tender.
I have just one word to describe this chicken with mushroom white sauce recipe; “RAARRRR!” It’s delicious. Your palate will thank you! It’s probably one of my favorite chicken recipes. The white wine and cream pair wonderfully; flavorful yet subtle. Hope you like it!
Ingredients for Chicken with Mushroom:
4 boneless skinless chicken tenders or chicken breasts
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp butter (divided)
4 Tbsp minced fresh chives (frozen work too)
4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine (Any kind; I used a regular white cooking wine)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
What you will need: wax paper and a meat mallet
How to Make Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
1. Butter one side of a sheet of wax paper that is cut to the size of the casserole.
2. Place the chicken breast between two sheets of wax paper and pound it with a meat mallet until it is an even thickness (about 1/2″ thick) – it will cook more evenly. Cut the chicken breast pieces in half or into thirds (if desired). If you are using chicken tenders, you really don’t have to do any pounding or cutting, so that saves a step.
3. Rub the chicken breast with lemon juice. Season both sides with salt & pepper.
4. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large casserole in the oven at 400˚ F. (this can be done on the stove with a dutch oven)
5. Once the butter is foaming and bubbly, quickly roll the chicken in the butter and lay the buttered side of the wax paper over the chicken. Cover the casserole with foil and place in the hot oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t crowd your chicken or it will take much longer to bake. Keep this in mind if you are planning to make this for a large party.
6. Test the chicken at 6 minutes; if the meat is springy to the touch, it is done. If it’s still soft, return to the oven for another 2 minutes. Mine took about 8 minutes to bake (and I always cut into the thickest piece of chicken to make sure it’s done).
7. Take the casserole out of the oven and pour the remaining butter into a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium/high heat.
8. Add chives and heat until fragrant (1 minute). Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Over high heat, add white wine and chicken broth and boil until liquid is syrupy, stirring constantly.
10. Stir in the cream and simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
11. Reduce the heat to low. Taste the sauce and add more lemon juice to taste and salt if desired. Place the chicken back in the pan and coat with the sauce until heated through.
* Sprinkle with parsley and serve!
Notes:
If you use a dutch oven, it can be used on the stove and you don’t have to transfer the butter after the chicken is done baking. That way it’s all done in one casserole dish. I wrote out the recipe using a glass pyrex baking dish and a large skillet because not everyone has a dutch oven.
In the original recipe, the sauce can be made with Port, Madeira or dry white Vermouth. After visiting two grocery stores,I found out white vermouth is a liquor store item,so I just bought some white cooking wine. I did try the port sauce as well and found the white wine better.
Chicken with Mushroom White Wine Cream Sauce

Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), or chicken tenders
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 Tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, Any kind; I used a regular white cooking wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
What you will need: wax paper and a meat mallet
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Butter one side of a sheet of wax paper that is cut to the size of the casserole.
- Place the chicken breast between two sheets of wax paper and pound it with a meat mallet until it is an even thickness (about 1/2" thick) - it will cook more evenly. Cut the chicken breast pieces in half or into thirds (if desired). Rub the chicken breast with lemon juice. Season both sides with salt & pepper.
- Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large casserole in the oven at 400°F. Once the butter is foaming and bubbly, quickly roll the chicken in the butter and lay the buttered side of the wax paper over the chicken. Cover the casserole with foil and place in the hot oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Don't crowd your chicken or it will take much longer to bake.
- Test the chicken at 6 minutes; if the meat is springy to the touch, it is done. If it's still soft, return to the oven for another 2 minutes.
- Take the casserole out of the oven and pour the remaining butter into a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium/high heat.
- Add chives and heat until fragrant (1 minute). Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Over high heat, add white wine and chicken broth and boil until liquid is syrupy, stirring constantly. Stir in the cream and simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
- Reduce the heat to low. Taste the sauce and add more lemon juice to taste and salt if desired. Place the chicken back in the pan and coat with the sauce until heated through. *Sprinkle with parsley and serve!
Can I freeze this recipe.
Hi Ella, I honestly haven’t tried freezing this so I’m not sure how the sauce will hold up or if it would separate. If you experiment, let me know how it goes 🙂
Dorogaia, I know that this recipe is older, but I hope that you can read this. What happens to those wonderful spit-roasted chickens at Costco when none are sold? The breast meat is packaged and sold the next day. We vacuum-seal 1 lb. bags, then freeze. The chicken is delicious and saves much time for your salads, sandwiches, soups, etc. White vermouth is standard at Fred Meyer.
How can I write a longer e-mail to you? I promise not to be a pest.
That is a wonderful suggestion!! I always read the comments on my blog and you are always welcome to comment 🙂 Thank you for sharing your tip!
Wax paper cooking in the oven? Parchment yes but wax? The way it’s reading is to cook with the wax paper in the oven. Wax paper is never to go in the oven. Could you clarify this please?
Julia Child’s original recipe stated wax paper and it has always worked for me. I’m assuming you could replace it with parchment paper if you were concerned about it. The concern with wax paper in the oven is it might catch fire, but with this recipe you do cover the top with foil so it’s not going to burn the wax paper. I think the point is just to keep the butter and moisture directly on the chicken. It does come out super tender.
I put this dish on my menu for next week, but wanted to confirm some things before I cook it. Will it reheat well the next day (since I pack lunch for my husband daily)? Also do you think cutting the piecesid meat smaller might make it dry? I will be using chicken tenders.
Also this is not related to the recipe, but do you have a good recipe for loaded baked potato soup? It’s one of my husbands favorite soups and I would love to make it, but I need good tutorial.
Thanks Natasha! I love your blog!
Yes, it will re-heat well; stovetop is best, but if microwaving, heat until it’s just very warm. You don’t want to nuke it too much in the microwave or it will get tough. Chicken tenders are a great option! You can cut them whatever size you like. Smaller pieces will cook a little faster. I don’t have the potato soup you are referring to, but that sure sounds good! If you find a great recipe, I want to know about it! 😉
Hi Natasha, I don’t remember i the recipe i found before was on your website or olgasflavorfactory. The recipe included chicken breast cut in pieces and fried. then separately mushrooms and onions fried. And finally a broth including whipping cream other ingredients. then all this was placed in the oven. I can’t find that recipe. Maybe you can help me with that…thank you and Merry Christmas 🙂
Hi Vera, I believe this is what you’re looking for 🙂
Do you think you could make this about 45 min ahead of company arriving and then keep warm in a warming drawer?
That would work fine 🙂
I honestly love this dish. This is definitely some good comfort food! The ingredients seem to blend in so well. Thank you Natasha!
Which reminds me, I haven’t made this in months. It’s one of my favorites too!
Made this dish for dinner. It’s AWESOME! I had to substitute for the wine. Apparently, I have managed to drink all the white wine in the house, so I used my hubby’s Crown Royal. (shhhh, our secret!) Used the same 1/4c measurement and the sauce was nom-tastic!! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I will be adding it to my bag of cooking tricks. 🙂
I’m so glad you loved it!! I’ve never cooked with that before but it’s great to know that something else works great! 🙂 Thanks Sarah
I did end up trying it. I followed the same exact directions. It didn’t turn out as tender as the chicken did, but it was still tender enough to eat, and it still had a great flavor. My 4 year old and I both enjoyed it!!
Could I use the same recipe for pork chops?
Hmmmmm. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t really recommend it. I can’t figure why it wouldn’t work though….hmmm. If you try it, do report back and let me know how it worked out 🙂
Well that is a good sign indeed! 🙂
I have always been afraid to try recipes that call for wine because I’ve never cared for the flavor of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s dry or sweet or red or white. When it’s used in food, will I really taste the flavor or does it give it more texture then flavor?
It helps to tenderize the meat, but my guests this weekend couldn’t tell there was wine in there unless I told them 🙂
I just made this recipe for my boyfriend and I for dinner and we both LOVED it! I didn’t have any cream or milk on hand so I used some butter and flour mixed and formed into a little ball to thicken the sauce. It turned out great!!!.. fresh parsley is a must have!
Great work with what you have on hand :). I’m glad that you love the recipe.
What is dry white whine? Is it not liquid, and where can I get it?
It’s just a more bitter white wine. I used a plain cooking white wine which is in any grocery store and should be near the vinegars. You can also use a chardonnay, just don’t use a sweet wine.
Natasha what is chives in russian?
The skinnier Green onions. You can use regular green onion. It will taste the same. Zelena tsibulya? 🙂 Pardon my spelling.
Natasha I have a question for you, why you use wax paper most of the time? I usually use foil. But I heard foil is bad. I have parchment paper I’m not sure if it’s same thing, I use parchment paper only when I make meringue cake. But wax paper I never used, my mom didn’t either thats probably why I don’t know much about it.
Any brand of wax paper will do. Parchment paper is alot more expensive than wax paper so I use it when I can get away with it. I just bought the store brand at Winco. Most grocery stores should have wax paper.
Came out very tasty. Definitely something that I would make again. But my sauce did not seem to thicken at all. Maybe I did not let the white wine and broth boil as long as it should? Or maybe I did not simmer long enough. Even though I thought I was doing both of them for a good time and I did not notice anything thicken:/ Any ideas why?
Did you wait till your white wine mix was mostly evaporated and starting to thicken before adding the cream?
Hi! I made this recipe and it turned out pretty good, but my chicken took waaay more then 6-8 minutes in the oven (more like 20!) Any ideas why? I did pound it pretty thin..
I ran into the same issue when I made a big batch. I think it has to do with crowding the chicken in the pan – it takes much longer when you are baking alot of chicken together.
Do you know any good mushroom gravy recipes? everytime i attempt to make it it turns out too thick and greasy. I go off my aunts recipe but she puts in the ingredients “na glaz” lol. so that doesnt help.
My recipe is also “na glaz” its really easy and very tasty!! I’ll try to remember to take pictures of the gravy next time I make it so I can post it.
What do you suggest to pair with this? for appetizer?
Any vegetable; greenbeans with almonds and butter, It’s good with mashed potatoes or plain rice. Zucchini might be nice (and easy)
I made this off your blog, and it was really good. Thanks for the recipe. I love that the ingredients are so simple, you don’t really have to follow a recipe. I actually make a really similar recipe I found in my Glamour magazine. It doesn’t have lemon, chicken broth, or chives, but the basics are the same. It also has some wine vinegar, which actually gives it lots of flavor. It’s also easier, cause you don’t have to use the oven at all. You just fry the chicken in oil, and add the other ingredients in order of cooking time. I saute the mushrooms separately cause I like mine nice and brown.
I just updated it again; its the chicken I made for the Valentines day dinner.
Mmm that sounds delicious…can’t go wrong w/heavy whipping cream+white wine+mushrooms:) Can’t wait to try it!