Go Back

Irish Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce

Irish chicken whiskey cream sauce featuring golden seared chicken breasts simmered in an amber whiskey cream with mushrooms, shallots, and herb flecks. The sauce thickens until spoon-coating, making it an Irish-American St. Patrick’s Day chicken dinner worth plating in the pan.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Irish-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Mushroom whiskey sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 shallots finely minced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.33 cup Irish whiskey Jameson
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme to taste, then place them in a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F, then remove to a plate.
Cook shallots and mushrooms
  1. Melt butter in the same pan over medium heat. Cook shallots and mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until golden, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Deglaze with Irish whiskey
  1. Remove the pan from heat briefly and carefully pour in the Irish whiskey. Return to medium heat and let the alcohol cook off for 1-2 minutes.
Simmer to thicken the sauce
  1. Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme leaves. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens to a spoon-coating consistency.
Finish and garnish
  1. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and spoon the whiskey cream sauce over each breast. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve hot.

Notes

For best browning, pat the chicken dry before seasoning so the surface sears golden. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauces can separate after thawing. Dietary swap: use gluten-free Dijon (and confirm all seasonings are gluten-free) for an easy gluten-free variation.