Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms ~ this earthy, stick-to-your-ribs skillet dinner is ideal for a chilly fall night!
save the recipe!
I have a weakness for creamy chicken dishes, I think most of us do, it must be in our dna. Have you tried my Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tarragon and Mustard Sauce? Or my Chicken in Lemon Sauce with Olives? When you say ‘comfort food’ this is the kind of thing that springs to my mind, and when I know something like this Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms is on the menu, I look forward to dinner all day long.
It’s the combination of ingredients in this dish that gives it that restaurant quality, but happily there’s no extra effort involved. It’s a simple matter of using a shallot instead of an onion, deglazing the pan with Marsala wine, and using plenty of fresh thyme and heavy cream that elevates this dish and gives it a fancy vibe.
TIP: To keep the chicken skin crispy, don’t cover the top of the thighs with sauce.
Wild rice is one of my favorite fall ingredients…the long dark grains are actually a type of marsh grass native to the Great Lakes. Most stores carry it next to the regular rice, and it usually comes in a slender box.
TIP: To cook wild rice, bring at least 3 times as much cold water to a boil, add rice, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 40-50 minutes, or just until tender, and then drain. The rice should be characteristically chewy, so don’t over cook it.
Wild rice gives a boost of color and nutty flavor to lots of dishes. It looks really pretty and has a firm, chewy texture. Both my Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Nuts and Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currents and Herbs are naturally vegan and gluten free and would be a fabulous addition to any fall or holiday table.
Ingredients
- 8 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 large shallots, finely minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (your choice, I used shitake and cremini)
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
- 1 Tbsp Wondra flour
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth or stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
- more fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Set the oven to 400F
- Season the thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the thighs, skin side down first, for about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Set aside.
- Drain off any excess fat from the skillet, leaving a little behind in the pan. Saute the shallots for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and thyme leaves to the pan and continue sauteing for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture and softened. Add the Marsala wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Remove the shallots and mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter in the pan and add the flour, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the stock to the pan and whisk to combine. Add the cream and stir while the mixture comes up to a simmer. Taste the sauce to adjust the seasonings.
- Put the mushrooms back into the skillet, along with the wild rice. Bring everything up to a simmer. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce, and heat until the chicken is warmed through. Serve garnished with more fresh thyme.
notes:
- The sauce will thicken after chilling, so for leftovers, just thin with a little stock, milk, or cream.
- You can cut calories in this creamy chicken with wild rice and mushrooms by using half and half in place of the cream.
don’t forget to pin it!
I bet you'll love these too!
Portobello Shepherd’s Pies
Wild Mushroom Polenta Packets
Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currents and Herbs (vegan and gluten free)
Lemon Chicken Biryani
Chicken Thighs Marsala for Two- Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
Chicken in Lemon Sauce with Olives
18 Comments
Susan A
October 24, 2016 at 6:35 pmThis was THE PERFECT Monday night dinner! Thanks, Sue, for a new favorite! I love your recipes and beautiful dishes/photography.
Dom
October 17, 2016 at 2:36 amoh yes! You know I do love chicken thighs and this dish simply looks breathtaking. I’m a HUGE wild rice fan too but rarely cook with it which is so bizarre but I will remedy that this weekend! I love how creamy this is too. The Viking and I were just discussing how much we prefer creamy dishes to tomato dishes… SO bad but So good!
Susan
October 13, 2016 at 7:20 amYou’ve set off a Pavlov’s response with these photos, Sue! Gosh, this looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Sue
October 13, 2016 at 7:45 amhaha :)
2pots2cook
October 12, 2016 at 2:02 amOh boy ! Perfect way to make chicken. You are great ! Thank you !
Erin
October 11, 2016 at 7:52 pmYou’re right, perfect Fall comfort food!
Chris Scheuer
October 11, 2016 at 7:59 amThis is my kind of dinner too, especially on a cool, crisp evening. It looks so fancy too!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
October 10, 2016 at 5:55 pmI could go for this dish right about now :) What a comforting and delicious looking skillet that is! Love the the chicken with the wild rice and mushrooms. Such great flavours together.
Matt @ RoughEats
October 10, 2016 at 12:56 pmI like chicken and wild rice, but I love mushrooms. Sounds like a winner!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
October 10, 2016 at 10:53 amOh my creamy goodness, this looks so satisfying. I don’t make wild rice enough! Thanks for the reminder!
Natalie
October 10, 2016 at 10:17 amSue, how many of your recipes have I made? Dozens! They are always exceptionally delicious and I am never afraid to make a first attempt with guests because I know they will turn out perfectly. Thank you for being one of my very favorite sites for great recipes! Please keep sharing!
Sue
October 10, 2016 at 10:20 amOh Natalie, my day will be alot brighter after reading this — thank you!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
October 10, 2016 at 9:45 amLove the creamy and nutty texture of this dish, Sue. So perfect in the fall. I’m a big fan of wild rice and this combo just makes me want to do the happy dance to the dinner table. Sharing!
Adina
October 10, 2016 at 8:57 amI have a weakness for chicken dishes as well, creamy or not creamy… :) This looks so delicious and I just love the list of ingredients!
Sue
October 10, 2016 at 9:24 amI love anything with wild rice in it these days, thanks for stopping by Adina :)
Angie@Angie's Recipes
October 10, 2016 at 6:35 amMy mouth is watering terribly, Sue. Gorgeous shot of those wild rice and this dish looks to die for!!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
October 10, 2016 at 5:13 amWow – just wow! I love this pan of gorgeous chicken, mushrooms and all that wild rice – perfect comfort food! Pinning!
Sue
October 10, 2016 at 8:10 amThanks Tricia!