At a Glance
- Dish: Skillet chicken tenderloins with mushrooms, spinach, and melted cheese
- Flavor Profile: Earthy mushrooms balanced by white wine, garlic, and mild creamy cheese
- Method: Chicken is lightly browned, then finished in a quick mushroom pan sauce with spinach.
- Why It Works: A small amount of melting cheese adds richness without a heavy cream sauce.
- Servings: 4
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Effort Level: Simple
A Lighter Take on Mushroom Chicken
Creamy mushroom chicken recipes often rely on heavy cream or large amounts of cheese, but this skillet version takes a lighter approach without sacrificing richness. A quick pan sauce made with white wine and chicken broth picks up all the flavor from the browned chicken and mushrooms, while a small amount of mild melted cheese adds just enough body to bring everything together.
We make this recipe often because it delivers the kind of layered flavor usually associated with longer-cooked skillet dinners in about 35 minutes. Lightly dredging the chicken helps it brown quickly and gives the sauce a little body, while finishing the tenderloins gently in the pan keeps them juicy and tender. Fresh spinach brightens the earthy mushrooms and savory sauce and makes for a well-rounded meal.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
A few key ingredients make this recipe work – here’s what to know. A complete list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
- Chicken tenderloins: Chicken tenderloins are ideal for this skillet dinner because they cook quickly and stay tender. Boneless chicken breasts or thighs can be substituted – just pound them to an even thickness and cut into similarly sized pieces. Thighs may need an extra minute or two of cooking time.
- Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms add deeper, earthier flavor, though white button mushrooms work well too. Slice them thick enough to hold their texture as they brown.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts easily into the sauce while adding color and freshness. Frozen leaf spinach can also be used. Thaw it first and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- Cheese: Muenster, Havarti, or white American cheese melt smoothly into the pan sauce without becoming heavy. Shredded cheese works too if sliced cheese isn’t available.
A Quick Look at Preparation
How to Make Mushroom Chicken Skillet
Here’s how this dish comes together, along with a few tips for the best results. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Starts by lightly dredging the chicken tenderloins in seasoned flour before browning them in a skillet. The thin coating helps the chicken develop color quickly while also giving the sauce a little extra body later on. To keep the chicken tender, avoid overcrowding the pan and cook in batches if needed.
Once the chicken is set aside, the same pan is used to make the sauce. Onion and garlic are sautéed first, then a splash of white wine loosens the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet – an easy technique that adds depth to the finished sauce. The mushrooms are cooked until their moisture evaporates and they begin to brown, concentrating their flavor instead of steaming.
The chicken is returned to the skillet to finish gently in the broth-based sauce while the spinach wilts on top. A small amount of mild cheese is melted and stirred in at the end, creating a silky finish that ties the mushrooms, spinach, and pan sauce together without making the dish overly rich.
Tested Tips
- Brown the chicken in batches if necessary. Crowding the pan traps moisture and prevents good color from developing.
- Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed for a minute or two before stirring so they can brown properly instead of steaming.
- Add a splash of extra broth before serving if the sauce reduces more than you’d like.
- Roughly chopping the spinach helps it incorporate more evenly into the mushrooms and sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This skillet chicken pairs especially well with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, rice, or orzo – all good choices for soaking up the savory mushroom sauce. For an easy addition, serve it with garlic bread or crusty Italian bread on the side.
A crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette balances the richness of the mushrooms and cheese nicely. Roasted green beans or steamed broccoli also work well if you’d like to add second vegetable to the meal.
More Chicken Dinners with Quick Pan Sauces
If you enjoy skillet chicken dinners that build flavor with simple pan sauces, there are plenty of variations to explore. Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders pair lightly sautéed chicken with bright citrus and cracked pepper; Orange Tarragon Chicken combines fresh herbs and orange in a light savory sauce; Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken balances tangy lime and cilantro with a lightly creamy finish; and Chicken Marsala Pasta with Tomatoes gives the classic wine-and-mushroom combination a fresher, lighter twist.
Mushroom Chicken Skillet with Spinach and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenderloins, about 1-1/4 lbs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 slices Muenster or Havarti cheese, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Trim and discard any white tendons from the chicken tenderloins. In a shallow dish, combine the flour with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.
- Dredge the chicken tenderloins in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Arrange them in a single layer in the pan, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
- Cook the chicken until lightly golden, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point (see notes).
- Add a little more oil to the pan, and add the onion. Sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the mushrooms, and cook until they release their moisture and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the tenderloins into the mushrooms. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Scatter the spinach over the top, cover the pan, and cook until the spinach wilts and the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gently stir the spinach into the mushrooms and sauce mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Reduce the heat to low and distribute the cheese over the chicken. Cover briefly until melted, about 1 minute.
- Stir the melted cheese lightly into the sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love this chicken recipe. I’ve made it twice and served it with egg noodles as suggested. Thank you!
Hi Kellie,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. It’s great to hear you like the recipe. It’s one of our go-to favorites!
This recipe is so delicious! A huge hit for the whole family and easy to make too! This one is definitely going on my “make again” list.
So glad you enjoyed it Lexi. Thanks for taking the time to let us know!
Is it possible to replace the spinach with broccoli instead? My kid loves broccoli but picks out spinach. Would the cook time change?
Hi Dave,
I think broccoli would be a fine substitution, but it would need to be partially pre-cooked so that you don’t overcook the chicken trying to make the broccoli tender. Frozen, microwave steam-in-bag broccoli (unseasoned) might be a good choice for this. I would undercook it by a minute or so, drain it well and then follow the rest of the recipe as written.