Mushroom Chicken Skillet

5 stars from 1 review

Cashews replace heavy cream in this Mushroom Chicken Skillet that hits the table in just 30 minutes and packs 52 grams of protein.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Soaking Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chicken, chicken recipe, dairyfree

Servings:

Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain.
Add the soaked cashews to a blender with a pinch of salt, a clove of garlic, and the 3/4 cup hot water. You can always taste and adjust for salt so don't add too much at first.
Blend until creamy and smooth. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the chicken thighs (make sure they sizzle) and season with salt and pepper on one side. Brown the chicken until golden all over, about 5 minutes per side.
If the chicken is giving resistance when you try to flip it and getting stuck, it means it's not ready to be flipped and needs more time cooking. Once the chicken loosens up from the bottom, flip it over and season the other side as well.
If the heat is too high you can always lower it to medium-low depending on the stove.
Once the chicken has browned on each side, remove it from the pan and reduce the heat to low. I like to discard a few tablespoons of the fat if there's too much, but this is optional.
Add the onions, mushrooms, and white wine and let cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken back in and cover the pan with a lid for 10 to 12 minutes, letting it simmer on low heat.
After 12 minutes, pour in the cashew cream and stir. If the sauce is too thick add a touch more water to thin it out. Take the pan off the heat, garnish with parsley, and enjoy over rice, mashed potatoes or on its own.

Nut-free alternatives: You don't have to use cashew cream if you don't want to. If you are allergic to nuts you can use any other creamy alternative such as coconut cream or heavy cream instead.
Chicken cuts: I like using skinless, boneless chicken thighs in this skillet recipe as they cook much faster but you can use chicken breast cutlets as well. If you use chicken breast make sure it's cut into thin cutlets or pounded so that it can cook evenly.
Mushroom varieties: You can use ANY mushrooms in this Mushroom Chicken Skillet recipe. I like to leave them whole just in case someone would like to separate them from the rest of the dish.
Veggies: You could use any veggies you love in this recipe: asparagus, zucchini, peas, peppers would be delicious.
Wine alternatives: If you can't use wine, use unsalted broth instead to deglaze the pan.