The 30-Minute Chicken Dinner I Make Once a Week

It’s just six ingredients.

One of the most useful things I learned in culinary school was the importance of a good pan sauce. A pan sauce is made with the drippings left behind from cooking a piece of meat (or “fond” if you want to get chef-y). That fond is basically free flavor, and it’s a shame to waste it.

By deglazing the pan with liquid (here, it’s chicken stock and balsamic vinegar) and adding some extra flavorings, you can easily create a sauce that tastes like it took a lot longer to make.

This recipe comes together in 30 minutes and is a family favorite, so it’s been showing up on the meal plan often these days. The tangy vinegar sweetens as it reduces, resulting in a sauce that’s complex and crave-worthy, and the leftovers are delicious the next day on a baguette or over salad greens. For family dinners, I like to serve this over creamy polenta or with egg noodles.

Tips for Making My Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms

• If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, consider giving them a light pounding with a meat mallet so that they will cook more evenly and quickly.

• Though it’s optional, I like to dredge the chicken in all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper before searing. It gives the chicken more of a golden brown crust and helps further thicken the pan sauce.

• Use any mushroom or mix of mushrooms you like. Just make sure the pieces are roughly the same size, about an inch to an inch and a half. Crimini and oyster mushrooms are my favorites for this recipe.

• For a little extra pop of umami flavor in the sauce, stir in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard when you add the chicken stock and balsamic.

• If you like a saucier dish, increase the amount of liquid to a cup each of stock and vinegar.

How To Make My Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms

For four servings, you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds)

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (2 cups)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon salted butter, room temperature

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and black pepper. When the oil is hot, sear the chicken breasts on both sides.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165°F, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on its thickness. Place the chicken on a plate draped with aluminum foil to keep warm while preparing the sauce.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften and develop a little color, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour the chicken stock and balsamic vinegar into the pan, scraping up the cooked bits with a wooden spoon. Let the liquid reduce by half, which should take about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the softened butter. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Add the chicken back to the pan and turn to coat it with the sauce. Serve immediately.