Description
Spinach Mushroom Chicken is an easy one-pan dinner featuring tender chicken cutlets in a silky white wine sauce with earthy cremini mushrooms and fresh spinach. Ready in 40 minutes with restaurant-quality flavor, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or weekend entertaining. The pan sauce is made with white wine, chicken stock, and butter, creating a rich and elegant dish that pairs beautifully with crusty bread, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds thin-sliced chicken cutlets, pounded flat (store-bought cutlets work beautifully here)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for a golden, crispy coating)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (divided for cooking)
For the Sauce:
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (white button mushrooms work too)
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced (don’t skip this – it’s the soul of the dish)
- 12 ounces baby spinach (about 3/4 pound or a big handful from the bag)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 3/4 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc is perfect)
- 3 tablespoons butter (for that silky finish)
Optional Thickener:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Cut your chicken cutlets into roughly 3-inch pieces—this makes them easier to manage in the pan and perfect for serving. Pat them completely dry with paper towels (this helps them brown instead of steam), then season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Spread your flour on a plate and dredge each piece of chicken on all sides, then give it a good shake to remove excess flour. You want a light, even coating, not a thick crust.
Heat your large skillet over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 3 minutes per side until they’re golden and cooked through. Transfer them to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
Add your sliced mushrooms to that same beautiful pan. Let them cook undisturbed for a few minutes so they can brown and release their moisture, about 5-7 minutes total. Stir occasionally, but resist the urge to keep moving them around. Once they’re golden and gorgeous, you’re ready for the garlic.
Toss in your sliced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
Season those mushrooms with salt and pepper, then pour in the wine and chicken stock. Turn the heat up to high and grab your wooden spoon. Let this bubble away until it reduces by about half, which takes 3-5 minutes. You’ll see it thicken slightly and smell even more amazing.
Turn the heat down to medium and add your chicken back to the pan along with all that baby spinach. Cover the pan and let everything cook together for 2-3 minutes. The chicken warms through and the spinach becomes silky and tender.
Take a look at your sauce. If it’s nicely coating the back of a spoon, you’re golden. If it seems too thin and runny, mix your cornstarch with water in a small bowl until smooth, then add half of it to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until it thickens up.
Taste and adjust your seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the burner, and stir in those 3 tablespoons of cubed butter.
Spoon everything onto plates or a serving platter and make sure everyone gets plenty of that gorgeous sauce.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when searing chicken—work in batches if needed or everything steams and turns gray instead of golden
- Use a dry white wine you’d actually drink (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)—if you wouldn’t sip it, don’t cook with it
- Keep that butter cold until you’re ready to stir it in at the very end—this helps it emulsify into the sauce instead of just melting into an oily puddle
- If your sauce breaks (looks oily or separated), just add a tablespoon of cold water and whisk vigorously
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop/Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: Italian-American