Dinner, Recipes · April 23, 2021

Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken

Name: Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 27 min
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided; 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs (You can use ones with bones too.); 1 shallot; 1/2 white onion; 3/4 cup white button mushrooms; 8 sliced of bacon, cooked; 1 cup heavy cream; 2.5 tsp. ground Italian seasoning (I use McCormick Italian Seasoning in a grinder); 5 fresh sprigs of thyme; 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped; 1/2 cup chicken broth; Salt and pepper to taste; Fresh parsley

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Sometimes you find those recipes that are Earthy, full of comforting things and just all-around delicious. Meals that become part of your regular rotation, that the whole family loves and something that can be made year-round. This Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken is one of those recipes.

A reason to love chicken thighs

For some reason, this reminds me of my childhood. Maybe it’s because I made it with chicken thighs – something my grandmother often cooked with but I shied away from making in my adult years due to the bad rap dark meat got in the late 90’s and early 2000s.

However, dark meat chicken cuts – found in places like the thighs and legs – are often richer in nutrients and more flavorful. Yes, it contains a bit more fat and saturated fat than white chicken cuts. However, it’s not much. And it’s that extra fat that gives the cuts more moisture and makes them more flavorful.

I don’t tend to shy away from other things loaded with fat (Hello, heavy cream!). So instead of using white chicken breasts for my Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken, I went with chicken thighs. I think you should too because the flavor is moist and almost melt in your mouth perfection.

Simple, fresh ingredients always make it best

When it comes to the other ingredients in the Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken, I kept it simple and it includes some of my favorites. Shallots, onion, fresh sage, fresh thyme sprigs, bacon, mushrooms, a touch of heavy cream and a bit of chicken broth are really all that is required to make this.

I will tell you, generally mushrooms are not an ingredient I love. However, I will eat them in certain dishes because I love the flavor and Earthiness they provide to a dish. Kevin doesn’t love them either, but we both agree that in the Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken, they’re delicious!

Does Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken fit into your diet?

I’m not big into diets (Maybe you saw the comment above about how I love fat?}, but this recipe on its own is Keto. You can serve it over broccoli, spinach or kale and keep it Keto too.

How did I eat it? Over mashed potatoes. 🙂 I also think it would be wonderful over spaghetti, egg noodles or rice. But of course, then it’s no longer Keto.

If you’re not fully eating a Keto diet then you can also serve this over roasted cauliflower for just a lower carb meal too. This Italian Roasted Cauliflower we have {HERE} would be a delicious side dish option too.

You can also serve this on a platter like I did and let people pick their option. This serving platter {HERE} is one I often love to use for family style!

Tips for making Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken

This recipe calls for cooked back so factor that into the overall cook time. I make my bacon in the oven on a baking sheet (at 400 degrees for about 15-18 min) and always just cook it while my chicken is cooking. But you could make it ahead of time too to save yourself a step.
Chicken thighs often have skin on them so don’t skip the first step that’s all about making a slightly crispier skin on the chicken. It might be tempting to just bake it but this step is important!
If you are really not a mushroom person – like if you completely hate them – then you can leave them out. But I just wouldn’t recommend it.
Make sure to use a good, quality olive oil for this recipe.
When cooking the sauce it’s important to keep the heat low from start to finish to avoid burning any of the ingredients. A nice simmer is all you ever need to make this sauce cohesive.
I recommend using fresh herbs in this as well as some pre-jarred Italian herbs. But the fresh herbs really make the dish. Don’t forget the parsley at the end. It really brightens everything up.

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends! You can find the full, printable recipe below. I hope that you will come back again to see what we’re up to at Sugar Maple Farmhouse.

Oh! And don’t forget to check out the other farmhouse recipes {HERE}. If you have kids I bet they’ll love these Homemade Crispy Chicken Nuggets {HERE}.