Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce

Poulet à la Crème or crusty chicken thighs with mushroom sauce is a one-skillet meal with a rich and creamy sauce, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.

How to Make Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce (Poulet à la Crème) 

My dilemma recently was what to do with skinless chicken thighs. The answer: Poulet à la Crème or Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce. It’s a French recipe that uses basic ingredients but, of course, tastes so decadent.

For this recipe, I added Brussels sprouts, along with a couple of  other “secret” ingredients not usually associated with the classic recipe, although you could use broccoli, sliced bell peppers, or even sugar snap peas. Whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed.

And, I serve this dish alongside white rice, although you could easily exchange it with amaranth, farro, quinoa, or brown rice.

Quick and easy, for sure, since this one-skillet meal makes enough for 8 servings–in other words, no cooking for tomorrow! Sweet!

To Make:

For this recipe I used ingredients I already had on hand. And, believe it or not, I had just the right amount of white wine (from Portugal), for this recipe.

I used my handy Cuisinart Electric Skillet for this recipe. I love how well it browns up meat and in this case crusty chicken thighs. The trick to getting the perfect browning is to allow the meat to cook on one side for about 8 minutes. My skillet temp is set at 350 degrees F.

I know you’ll be tempted to turn it, but trust me, you’ll want to let the meat cook until it gets golden brown. If you’re really worried about burning it, turn the skillet heat down a bit.

Once the chicken is deliciously browned and starting to cook on the other side, that’s when I add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cream. All the while, I have the skillet cooking with the cover on.

That way, the meat retains its juiciness and cooks through faster.

By halving the Brussels sprouts, I save time cooking and by the time the meat has cooked completely through, they are cooked perfectly.

Add the cream just before you’re ready to shut off the heat. Allow the creamy rich wine sauce to cook through. Add salt and pepper to taste and you’re done.

I usually serve this with white rice, alongside a lettuce-tomato salad, lightly dressed with champaign vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

As, you can see, it’s definitely a quick and easy one-skillet meal that’s ready in under 25 minutes.

For more delicious main course recipes, be sure to check out my Pinterest Board: Dinner Recipes from Wisconsin Homemaker.