Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

This balsamic chicken only sounds gourmet, but you’ll never believe how quick and easy it is!

Gourmet Dinner On The Double

This delicious balsamic flavored chicken is a meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes!

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Again, I am astounded at how a few simple ingredients can produce restaurant quality. I’m beginning to think that this is the secret to many great chefs’ meals–simplicity!

Most any well-stocked kitchen has the ingredients used in this recipe. Baby Bella mushrooms may be the only thing you have to buy. But if you have regular white mushrooms in your crisper, then use those. The secret to coaxing flavor out of any fresh mushrooms is searing them with high heat. Baby Bellas do taste a bit better, but white will do if that’s all you have.

Quick Cooking Chicken

The reason this meal cooks quickly is because it calls for thin-sliced boneless skinless breast portions.

I was lucky enough to find this premium cut on sale, so I didn’t have to process it further. But I don’t buy these on a regular basis. Mostly, I buy plain boneless skinless breast halves that I process myself.

If you have the normal variety, use those but do process them to make them about 1/4-inch thick.

How I do this is to start as if I am going to butterfly the breasts, but cut them all the way through. Then, I pound each piece I cut between two sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness. It’s a little more work than just opening a package, but it’s pretty quick and easy. One thing I also notice when I pound chicken breast is it seems to tenderize it somewhat and it doesn’t dry out as quickly.

Best Tasting Stock

I’ve used many fine-tasting chicken stocks over the years including my own homemade. However, I’ve recently discovered one of the best tasting stocks I’ve ever tasted. And the funny thing is, this brand has been around for a while, and even better, it lasts a long time because you make it up as you need it. It’s Better Than Bouillon brand.

Actually, that’s more of a chicken base, but reconstituted, it’s a very tasty stock. It will keep in the fridge for months too, so it actually works out to be a better buy than the stuff in cans and boxes.

The Recipe

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Judith Hannemann

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts (see NOTES)
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 8 oz baby bella (crimini) mushrooms, sliced in half (see NOTES)
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• ¾ cup chicken stock (see NOTES)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 small bay leaf
• ¼ tsp thyme
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs butter

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Mix the salt and pepper and sprinkle on chicken.
3. Add the olive oil and when oil shimmers, place chicken in the pan.
4. Brown the chicken well on one side; remove to a plate.
5. In the same pan, add the mushrooms and sear over high heat, stirring often.
6. Add the chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf, thyme and garlic to the pan; stir to combine.
7. Place the chicken, unbrowned side down, in the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Remove cooked chicken to a plate and keep it warm. Remove the garlic and bay leaf; discard both.
9. Place butter in the pan and stir until melted.
10. Turn the heat up to medium-high and reduce the sauce 50%. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
11. Return the chicken to the pan to heat through.
12. Serve over pasta.

Notes

I use 1 tsp of Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor dissolved in ¾ cup water. This makes an excellent rich stock.

If you have regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you can cut them in half like you are going to butterfly them, but cut all the way through, then pound them down to ¼-inch thickness.

Regular white mushrooms may be used in place of the baby bellas

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