This Creamy Chicken with Morels is a rich and elegant dish featuring tender chicken simmered in a velvety, morel mushroom cream sauce. Known for their earthy, nutty flavor, morel mushrooms add depth and a gourmet touch to this comforting yet refined recipe.
Want to learn more about morels? Check out Morel Mushrooms and find out what they are.
Unlike common mushrooms, morels are not reliably cultivated on a large scale. Most are foraged in the wild, which limits supply. Luckily, you only need a small amount to make a big impact.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Love earthy morels
- Company-worthy recipe
- Chicken is tender and juicy
- Easy to make
- Sauce is amazing
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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Morel Mushrooms, 2oz pack of Dried Morel Mushrooms
Set of 3 Glass Measuring Cups with Measuring Spoons & Whisk
HexClad Hybrid Nonstick 7-Quart Sauté Pan with Tempered Glass Lid
What Ingredients are in Creamy Chicken with Morels?
Ingredients
Dried morels – These unique and wonderful mushrooms need just a soak in very hot water to have them come alive again.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – I love using chicken breasts this way. They are cut in half horizontally and then quick fried. They keep their juiciness, and one breast is now two servings.
Kosher salt and Fresh ground pepper – You will be seasoning to taste.
All purpose flour and Butter – The flour is used to dredge the chicken and the butter to fry it in.
Shallot and Garlic – The shallots are chopped and the garlic is minced.
White wine – This is used for acid to balance the cream and for flavor.
Sour cream and Heavy cream – These ingredients give the dish the luxurious creaminess it needs.
Fresh tarragon – This herb is chopped, plus more for garnish. Tarragon has a unique, slightly sweet and aromatic flavor that’s often described as a mix of anise (licorice-like) and fresh herbs. It marries gorgeously with the morels.
Lemon juice – The lemon brightens the whole dish up.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Morels
Preparing Morels
Place the dried morels in a large bowl and pour in the hot water. Allow them to soak in the water for 30 minutes.
Lift the morels out of the water and rinse them a few times to remove any residual grit that may be on the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms on a paper towel and set them aside. Slice the large mushrooms in half; you can leave the small morels whole. Discard the water.
Preparing the Chicken
Slice each of the chicken breasts in half horizontally; you will now have 4 chicken breasts. Place each breast between two layers of plastic wrap and, using a kitchen hammer, pound the chicken out to about ½ inch thick.
Place the flour in a flat dish or plate and season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper.
Heat 2 tbsps. of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is heated, dredge each chicken breast in the flour and place it in the pan. Cook until browned on both sides and cooked through.
Cook the chicken in batches if necessary, adding 1 – 2 more tbsps. of butter as needed to the skillet. Once all the chicken is cooked, place it on a baking sheet and place it in a warming drawer or low oven to keep warm.
Making The Sauce
Next, add the remaining butter to the skillet along with the chopped shallots and morels, sauté for 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Pour in the white wine and allow to reduce by half, then add the sour cream, heavy cream, lemon juice, tarragon, Kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and continue to gently simmer until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
Serve with a garnish of chopped tarragon.
Recipe Pro Tips
Clean Morels Properly
Fresh morels can hold grit—gently rinse or soak briefly in salted water, then pat dry before cooking.
Sauté Morels First
Cook the morels in butter before adding them to the sauce to bring out their deep, nutty flavor.
Sear the Chicken Well
Get a golden crust on the chicken before adding it to the sauce—this builds incredible flavor.
Build Flavor with Aromatics
Garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs (like thyme or tarragon) add depth and balance the richness.
Deglaze the Pan
Use white wine or a splash of broth to lift all the browned bits from the pan for extra flavor.
Use Good Quality Cream
Heavy cream creates the best silky texture and prevents the sauce from curdling. Don’t skimp on this recipe.
Simmer Gently
Keep the heat low once the cream is added to avoid breaking the sauce.
Season at the End
Morels and sauces can intensify taste, adjust salt and pepper right before serving.
Don’t Overcook the Morels
They should be tender but not mushy; overcooking can dull their flavor.
Serve with the Right Base
You can serve this without a carb and just have nice spring vegetables like asparagus, peas, baby carrots or haricot verts (small green beans).
But you may also like to pair with:
- Pasta
- Mashed potatoes
- Rice
- Crusty bread
Perfect for soaking up that creamy sauce.
WANT MORE SPRING MAINS?
We love spring, and with that comes some great meals. Here are some of our favorites.
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Creamy Chicken with Morels Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried morels
- 3 cups very hot water
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp Kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp Fresh ground pepper plus more to taste
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 6 tbsps. butter
- 1 large shallot chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the dried morels in a large bowl and pour in the hot water. Allow them to soak in the water for 30 minutes.
- Lift the morels out of the water and rinse them a few times to remove any residual grit that may be on the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms on a paper towel and set them aside. Slice the large mushrooms in half; you can leave the small morels whole. Discard the water.
- Slice each of the chicken breasts in half horizontally; you will now have 4 chicken breasts. Place each breast between two layers of plastic wrap and, using a kitchen hammer, pound the chicken out to about ½ inch thick.
- Place the flour in a flat dish or plate and season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsps. of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is heated, dredge each chicken breast in the flour and place it in the pan. Cook until browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Cook the chicken in batches if necessary, adding 1 – 2 more tbsps. of butter as needed to the skillet. Once all the chicken is cooked, place it on a baking sheet and place it in a warming drawer or low oven to keep warm.
- Add the remaining butter to the skillet along with the chopped shallots and morels, sauté for 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Pour in the white wine and allow to reduce by half, then add the sour cream, heavy cream, lemon juice, tarragon, Kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and continue to gently simmer until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Serve with a garnish of chopped tarragon.
Comments & Reviews
Melanie says
This was a hit! The sauce was creamy and full of flavor, and the morels made it feel a little extra special. The lemon and tarragon were perfect. We’ll definitely be making this again.
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! We love it too!