Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach, Bacon, and Mushrooms is golden pan-fried chicken breast simmered in a creamy balsamic sauce with crispy bacon, browned cremini mushrooms and wilted baby spinach. It is made in one skillet in about 45 minutes and serves four, so it is a rich, restaurant-style dinner you can make on a weeknight.
How to make smothered chicken with creamed spinach: Crisp chopped bacon in a deep skillet. Brown thin, flour-dusted chicken cutlets in the bacon fat, then brown sliced mushrooms. Deglaze with broth and balsamic vinegar, stir in heavy cream, return everything to the pan to simmer, and wilt in fresh spinach.
Why You’ll Love It
- One skillet: bacon, chicken, mushrooms and sauce all cook in the same pan.
- Layers of flavor: smoky bacon, earthy mushrooms and a tangy balsamic cream sauce.
- Quick-cooking chicken: thin cutlets cook in minutes and stay juicy.
- Low in carbs: serve it over pasta or mashed potatoes, or on its own.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: Two large breasts, sliced in half lengthwise into four thin cutlets. Thin pieces cook quickly and evenly, so the outside browns before the inside dries out. Boneless thighs also work and are a little richer.
Bacon: Six strips, cut into small pieces. The rendered fat is what the chicken browns in, and the crispy bits go back into the sauce at the end.
Cremini mushrooms: Eight ounces, sliced. Cremini have more flavor than white button mushrooms. Cook them until their liquid is gone and they turn brown; I leave them alone in the pan for the first few minutes so they sear instead of steaming.
Broth, balsamic and cream: Chicken broth and a spoonful of balsamic vinegar lift the browned bits off the pan, and a cup of heavy cream turns them into a silky sauce. The balsamic adds a gentle sweet tang that keeps the cream from tasting heavy.
Baby spinach: Two cups, loosely packed. It wilts into the sauce in a minute or two, turning it into a creamed spinach sauce.
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Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Black pepper, to taste
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
How to Make Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach
1. Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon pieces in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet.
2. Prepare the chicken. Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner pieces. Season with garlic powder and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour.
3. Cook the chicken. In the skillet with the bacon fat, cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden and the thickest piece reaches 165°F. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
4. Cook the mushrooms. If the skillet is dry, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms for 6-8 minutes, until browned and their liquid has evaporated. Remove and set aside.
5. Deglaze. Add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the cream. Stir in the heavy cream and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
7. Simmer. Return the chicken, bacon and mushrooms to the skillet and let them simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.
8. Add the spinach. Stir in the spinach, lifting the chicken so it wilts evenly.
9. Serve. Serve the creamy chicken with pasta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
How to Make Smothered Chicken with Mushrooms
“Smothered” simply means the chicken finishes cooking under a blanket of sauce. The trick is to build that sauce in the same pan the chicken browned in, so every step adds flavor to the next.
Brown first, then simmer. The flour coating on the chicken turns golden in the bacon fat and later helps thicken the sauce slightly. The mushrooms brown in the same fat, and the broth and balsamic lift all of those browned bits into the sauce.
Keep the final simmer gentle. Five minutes in the cream sauce warms the chicken through and lets it soak up flavor; a hard boil can make the cream separate and the chicken tough. I turn the heat to medium-low as soon as the chicken goes back in.
Tips for Success
Why is my sauce thin?
It needed a little longer to reduce, or the mushrooms still held water. Simmer a few more minutes, and cook the mushrooms until their liquid is gone.
Why is the chicken dry?
The pieces were too thick or cooked too long. Slice the breasts into thin cutlets and pull them at 165°F.
Why did the sauce separate?
It boiled too hard after the cream went in. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: use boneless, skinless thighs for a richer result.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: add a handful with the spinach.
- A little heat: add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Parmesan: stir in grated Parmesan with the cream for a cheesier sauce.
For another smothered chicken dish, Southern Smothered Chicken and Rice simmers flour-browned thighs in creamy onion gravy.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or cream until the chicken reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over pasta, rice or garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes, with crusty bread for the sauce. For more creamy chicken dinners, try chicken, spinach and mushroom skillet, chicken bacon spinach penne or smothered cheesy sour cream chicken. For a meatless night, there is creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi, and on the side, spinach salad with warm bacon dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make creamy bacon mushroom chicken?
Cook bacon, brown the chicken and mushrooms in the bacon fat, deglaze with broth, stir in cream, and simmer everything together in the sauce.
What is the chicken dish with spinach and mushrooms called?
Dishes like this are often called chicken Florentine when spinach and cream are involved, or simply smothered chicken when the chicken simmers under a sauce.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. Thaw it and squeeze out as much water as possible, then stir it in at the end.
Final Notes
Slice the chicken thin, brown the mushrooms well and keep the cream at a gentle simmer. If you have a question or make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach, Bacon, and Mushrooms
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Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
- all-purpose flour for dredging
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach loosely packed
Instructions
- Cook bacon pieces in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet.
- Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 4 thinner pieces. Season with garlic powder and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour.
- In the skillet with the bacon fat, cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden and the thickest piece reaches 165°F. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- If the skillet is dry, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté mushrooms for 6-8 minutes until browned and the water has evaporated. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add chicken broth and balsamic vinegar to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Let simmer until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and let it cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Return chicken, bacon, and mushrooms to the skillet. Let them simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Stir in fresh spinach, lifting the chicken to help it wilt evenly.
- Serve the creamy chicken with your choice of pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
