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This bacon mushroom chicken recipe is loaded with tender melt-in-your mouth chicken, a creamy balsamic sauce, and fresh spinach. It’s the ultimate 30-minute comfort food meal!
You might also like my Creamy Garlic Chicken for another decadent dinner.
Why you’ll crave it
My Creamy Bacon Chicken recipe is well loved, so I was inspired to make something that’s similar but possibly even better. Like, totally over-the-top delicious with all the best flavors in a single dish. You can’t go wrong with bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and cream… so I decided to go for it. This is easy comfort food at its best.
I also love adding balsamic vinegar to recipes. It gives it an extra unexpected flavor boost, a special something-something that tastes amazing! It mellows out when cooked and becomes a touch sweet with that signature hint of balsamic flavor in the creamy sauce. SO good. All in all, this is one easy chicken recipe that is sure to impress guests but is equally simple to make after work for your family.
What you’ll need
- Bacon – everything is better with bacon. I like to use kitchen shears to cut it into small pieces.
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 4 thinner cutlets that cook nice and quick
- Garlic powder and pepper – to infuse savory flavor directly onto the cutlets
- Flour – it helps the chicken to get that delicious golden crust when pan seared
- Olive oil – for pan frying
- Mushrooms – we’re sautéing cremini aka baby bella mushrooms
- Chicken broth – it adds depth of flavor for the base of the sauce
- Balsamic vinegar – our signature ingredient to make the sauce next level tasty! Don’t worry, it doesn’t make it sour.
- Heavy cream – for that luxurious quality
- Spinach – a pop of freshness to tie it all together
How to make creamy bacon mushroom chicken
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cut up the bacon, fry until crispy, and set aside. Leave some of the bacon fat in the skillet. Slice the chicken in half lengthwise, and season the 4 cutlets with pepper and garlic powder. Dredge in flour.
- Cook the chicken until golden, and set aside. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil until the water has cooked off and they’re nicely seared. Set them aside.
- Stir in the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it bubble until reduced by half. Add the cream, and return the chicken, bacon, and mushrooms to the pan. Let it thicken, add in the spinach until wilted, and enjoy!
Substitutions and variations
- Substituting the heavy cream for anything with a lower fat content isn’t a good idea because the sauce may curdle, and it just won’t be as thick or delicious. I use heavy cream for a reason. Yes, this is for sure a treat meal!
- If you can’t find cremini mushrooms, white button will do in a pinch.
- You can use chicken thighs instead if you prefer. They’re more forgiving when it comes to overcooking.
Tools for this recipe
- To make this and other recipes hassle-free, I love using a splatter guard for less clean-up.
- These cooking tongs are a fantastic tool for any home cook. I use them to easily turn the chicken.
- I always use an instant read thermometer to take the guesswork out of knowing when it’s done. Chicken is safe to eat at 165F.
- This is the Le Creuset skillet I used for this recipe.
What to serve with bacon mushroom chicken
- The irresistible cream sauce is so good with a mountain of Garlic Mashed Potatoes or over a bed of rice.
- For a veggie side, I like something really simple to complement it like these Easy Green Beans or Maple Roasted Carrots.
- A side salad is another option. Use your fave mixed greens with my homemade Copycat Olive Garden Italian Dressing for an unforgettable meal!
Leftovers and storage
- You can store leftovers of this creamy balsamic chicken in the fridge for 3-4 days, but it’s best enjoyed fresh.
- Reheat in a saucepan slowly over a low heat until warmed through so that the sauce doesn’t separate.
- I generally don’t recommend freezing anything with a cream-based sauce. The texture is liable to change.
More chicken recipes to discover
Questions, or did you make this simple skillet chicken recipe? Let me know in the comments below and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Creamy Balsamic Spinach Bacon Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into small pieces (I do this with kitchen shears). Fry it over medium-high heat in a deep skillet until crispy. Take it out of the pan and set it aside on a plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces. Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and pepper and coat them in flour on all sides.
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side until golden and take it out of the pan (ok to put it on the same plate as the bacon).
- The pan will likely be quite dry, so add a splash of olive oil (about a tablespoon) prior to adding the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until the water has cooked out and they get a nice sear (about 6-8 minutes). You may need to turn down the heat a bit if the pan becomes too hot/smoking.
- Take the mushrooms out of the pan (adding them to the same plate as the chicken and bacon is fine).
- Stir in the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble until the liquid reduces by half (about 2 minutes or so).
- Stir in the cream, and then add the chicken, bacon, and mushrooms back to the pan. Cook it for 5 minutes or so until the sauce thickens and the chicken cooks through.
- Stir in the spinach (I lift the chicken up with tongs and tuck it underneath to make it easy!) and cook for another minute or two until it's wilted. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for half-and-half or milk as the sauce may curdle and it won’t be as thick.
- I find the sauce salty enough with the bacon and chicken broth, but feel free to season the chicken with some salt as well if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have made this recipe several times and it’s always delicious!!
Wonderful!! 🙂
Omg to die for. Was so yummy and easy to make. Will be making this again.
Yay!! 🙂
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it out!
Do you know if you could freeze this dish?
Thanks! I don’t usually recommend freezing dishes with cream sauces as they can separate when you reheat them, and I think this one might get a little soggy (the spinach etc). With that said, if you have a piece left over, give it a try and see how it goes. The worst that can happen is you’ll want to throw it out.
Amazing! So delicious and easy. I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream (only because I had it on hand). The creamy, balsamic-flavored sauce is divine! Thank you!
So glad you liked it and the substitution worked well! Thanks for commenting, Julie 🙂
I made this for Father’s Day. It was absolutely delicious and a hit with the family . The balsamic really adds a layer of hmmm and yummm!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this tonight for dinner. My husband, son & I loved it! Delicious and so easy to prepare. I served over angel hair pasta with roasted sweet potatoes on the side; I will definitely make again. Thank you!
That makes me so happy! Thanks for taking the time to comment. XO
Both the main ingredients are my favorite chicken and mushrooms I will try it at home.
Let me know how you like it, Simon!
Hi’ Natasha
Thank you, again (!), for a super meal. It was so good – and – again my kids were happy too!
BW
Pia
You’re very welcome!! I’m so happy they liked it, Pia! 🙂
Tried this today and it was amazing!!
That’s awesome!! Thanks for commenting – really appreciate it! 🙂
Just tried this recipe !!! I never know that this combination of balsamic vinegar and cream will be this good , it was amazing !! This is third recipe that i tried from your blog and all becoming big hits in my house.
Thank you for your recipes.
Thank you so much for commenting! ♥️🤗 I’m so happy that you liked it and the other recipes.