Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms ~ this earthy, stick-to-your-ribs chicken thighs and rice skillet is one pot comfort food for a busy weeknight. The whole family loves this meal.
When Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms is on the menu, I look forward to dinner all day long.
When you say ‘comfort food’ this is the kind of thing that springs to my mind ~ tender chicken (crispy skin, of course!) with earthy mushrooms and wild rice swimming in that creamy sauce. Yum!!
Have you tried my creamy Tuscan chicken thighs? Or my chicken in lemon sauce with olives? Chicken just loves a creamy sauce, and so do I 🙂
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.
What you’ll need:
- chicken thighs ~ I use bone in skin on.
- shallots ~ a flavor builder.
- mushrooms ~ really any type you like.
- Marsala or other fortified wine like a dry sherry. This contributes much of the flavor to this dish, so don’t skip it.
- cream ~ or half and half.
- chicken broth
- wild rice
- flour
- butter, olive oil
- salt, pepper, and fresh thyme
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.
How to cook wild rice
Use a ratio of 3 to 1 water to rice.
Bring the water to a boil, add rice, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 40-50 minutes, or just until tender. Be sure to taste to check, different types of wild rice cook differently.
Drain the rice. Use right away for chill for salads.
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 and basmati and wild rice with chickpeas are naturally vegan and gluten free and would be a fabulous addition to any fall or winter menu.
Cook’s tips for creamy chicken and rice
- To keep the chicken skin crispy, nestle the chicken into the sauce but don’t cover the top of the thighs with sauce.
- 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.
- You can substitute regular rice for the wild rice, if you like.
Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms
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
garnish
- 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.
Nutrition
You’re right, perfect Fall comfort food!
This is my kind of dinner too, especially on a cool, crisp evening. It looks so fancy too!
I 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.
I like chicken and wild rice, but I love mushrooms. Sounds like a winner!
Oh my creamy goodness, this looks so satisfying. I don’t make wild rice enough! Thanks for the reminder!
Sue, 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!
Oh Natalie, my day will be alot brighter after reading this — thank you!
Love 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!
I have a weakness for chicken dishes as well, creamy or not creamy… 🙂 This looks so delicious and I just love the list of ingredients!
I love anything with wild rice in it these days, thanks for stopping by Adina 🙂
My mouth is watering terribly, Sue. Gorgeous shot of those wild rice and this dish looks to die for!!
Wow – just wow! I love this pan of gorgeous chicken, mushrooms and all that wild rice – perfect comfort food! Pinning!
Thanks Tricia!