This bacon mushroom chicken recipe is loaded with tender melt-in-your mouth chicken, a creamy balsamic sauce, and fresh spinach. Ready in about 30 minutes!
My Creamy Bacon Chicken recipe is well loved, so I was inspired to make something that's fairly similar. You can't go wrong with bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and garlic... so I decided to go for it. This is comfort food right here.
I also love adding balsamic vinegar to recipes... it just gives it an extra unexpected little something-something in the flavor department. It doesn't make the recipe sour or anything. I have a recipe for Creamy Balsamic Pork Tenderloin that uses that delicious cream and balsamic vinegar combo that you may also like.
Recipe notes & tips:
- To make this (and other recipes) hassle-free, I love using a splatter guard (for less clean-up) and cooking tongs to easily turn the chicken.
- On any of my creamy recipes, someone always asks whether cream can be substituted for half-and-half or milk. For this particular recipe, I don't recommend it because the sauce may curdle and it just won't be as thick or delicious. I use heavy cream for a reason, and yes this is for sure a treat meal haha. As far as dairy-free alternatives go, coconut milk/cream will give it a different flavor/texture. You could try a dairy-free cream alternative (I know Silk brand makes one), but I haven't tested it myself.
- This is the Le Creuset skillet I used for this recipe.
What to serve with this creamy chicken recipe?
Mashed potatoes, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, rice, pasta/noodles or steamed veggies are always good choices!
Other amazing creamy chicken recipes to try:
I hope you will enjoy this bacon mushroom chicken recipe.
Questions or did you make this dish? Let me know in the comments below and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Creamy Balsamic Spinach Bacon Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 7 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into small pieces (I do this with kitchen shears). Fry it over medium-high heat in a deep skillet until crispy. Take it out of the pan and set it aside on a plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces. Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and pepper and coat them in flour on all sides.
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side until golden and take it out of the pan (ok to put it on the same plate as the bacon).
- The pan will likely be quite dry, so add a splash of olive oil (about a tablespoon) prior to adding the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until the water has cooked out and they get a nice sear (about 6-8 minutes). You may need to turn down the heat a bit if the pan becomes too hot/smoking.
- Take the mushrooms out of the pan (adding them to the same plate as the chicken and bacon is fine).
- Stir in the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble until the liquid reduces by half (about 2 minutes or so).
- Stir in the cream, and then add the chicken, bacon, and mushrooms back to the pan. Cook it for 5 minutes or so until the sauce thickens and the chicken cooks through.
- Stir in the spinach (I lift the chicken up with tongs and tuck it underneath to make it easy!) and cook for another minute or two until it's wilted. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I don't recommend subbing the heavy cream for half-and-half or milk as the sauce may curdle and it won't be as thick.
- I find the sauce salty enough with the bacon and chicken broth, but feel free to season the chicken with some salt as well if needed.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Irna says
Recipe looks delicious, I have no access to fresh mushrooms, could I use rehydrated porcini instead?
Natasha says
You could give that a try, yes. Just be mindful they might be a bit stronger than fresh mushrooms, so I'd adjust the quantity if you've used them before and find that to be true. Hope you enjoy this recipe, Irna! 🙂
Danielle says
Instructions were easy to follow and it was delicious!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Love to hear that, Danielle! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Christine says
Oh my, SO good! An easy and delicious weeknight dinner. Prepared as written, and it was just about 30 minutes to the table. Served with mashed potatoes. Perfect!
Natasha says
Yay!! Glad to hear it! 😀
Khrys Kayne says
I can only rate this recipe as is sounds because I have not made it yet. I have two questions I am hoping can be answered.
Would you recommend a nonstick pan if I do not have a cast iron? Also, the recipe says serve immediately, does that translate to the leftovers not being very good?
Very excited to make this recipe, it sounds amazing!
Natasha says
Hi Khrys! You could use non-stick for sure, but you may get fewer of those yummy browned bits (it'll still be tasty). Sometimes cream sauces don't reheat too well (they can separate or dry out a bit, especially if you don't reheat slowly on a low heat), and it's really easy to overcook chicken breasts. With that said, leftovers should still be tasty as long as you don't boil them when reheating. Re: the rating, you can leave the stars blank if you hadn't yet made a recipe. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Gracie says
I was just wondering if you knew how many calories per serve this was? I am hoping to make this tonight
Natasha says
Hi! Just added it for you. Please keep in mind it's just an estimate. If you need the info for health reasons, I recommend weighing out the exact ingredients you're using.
Susan says
Absolutely delicious!
Natasha says
Thank you, Susan! 😀
Mary says
Could you substitute the Heavy whipping cream with Full Fat Coconut Milk due to dairy sensitivity?
Natasha says
Hi! It won't be the same, and I can't say the taste will be as good since it'll be a bit coconutty, but I know readers have subbed it in various recipes and it's worked out, so let me know if you do try. 🙂 I also heard Silk brand makes a dairy-free whipping cream... you may want to try that if you can find it locally.
Maureen A Terhune says
Absolutely, positively, out of this world!!! It should be on a menu in a Michelin star restaurant!
Natasha says
Aww thank you! You're too kind. 🙂
Nicole says
I made this recipe and it turned out AMAZING! I made it with extra chicken (i also cut into thinner slices) and I added peppers along with the mushrooms. I did add a little bit more chicken juice and I used coconut milk instead of cream and I added a little bit more than one cup as well since I had more chicken. I will Be making this again.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂
Maureen says
I so want to make this recipe for guests this weekend but would prefer to make it ahead of time. I have this thing about not wanting to "cook" in front of the guests. What would you think if I prepped all the ingredients (mushrooms, bacon, chicken, etc), made a larger amount of the sauce and then put it all together in a casserole dish in the oven? Have you ever tried that?
Natasha says
Hi! I think that could possibly work, yes... but I would probably add the spinach in when you're close to serving. And be careful not to overcook the chicken in the oven. I'd basically just let it warm through. Or maybe use chicken thighs instead if you're going this route, since they're less likely to dry out.
Maureen says
Made this yesterday for family-they all loved it, even the 4 yr old! I followed your suggestions: made it on the stovetop, just increased ingredients for the sauce. When guests arrived put it in a 200 degree for about 15 minutes. Sauce thickened perfectly. Thanks for your feedback. Will definitely make again!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! I'm so happy to hear that. Thanks for reporting back!
Nina says
This was a hit in my house! Absolutely delicious. I drizzled some balsamic vinegar over my piece just before eating which put it over the top. Thank you! Looking forward to a Salt & Lavender cookbook. 🙂
Natasha says
Great!! I'm so happy you enjoyed this dish, Nina. Cookbook - no immediate plans, but never say never. 😉
Caryn Reveling says
This was amazing. My husband loves mushrooms and this was a perfect blend of tastes. The sauce was creamy and coated the chicken just enough to add to juicy chicken. I only have lean bacon, so I added 1Tbsp and a half to thicken what was left of the bacon fat. Fabulous and he just said, "that recipe is a keeper! "
Natasha says
That's awesome!! So happy you both enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting, Caryn!
Joanna Colton says
This dish is so savory and delicious! You will need some crusty bread to clean your plate and make sure you get every last bite of the cream sauce. This will definitely become a regular dish in my weekly meal planning. My husband said it was the perfect fall/winter dinner. I didn't have cremini mushrooms but used organic baby bellas which seemed to work well. Can't wait to make it again!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Martina Creevey says
when you say a cupful, how many mills approx is that Natasha, want to make this today, looks yummy
many thanks
Natasha says
Approx 250 🙂 I believe technically is 237 ml, but 250 is fine.
Aisha says
I only have apple cider vinegar. Would that work?
Natasha says
I am not sure that it would. Balsamic vinegar mellows out when cooked and adds a unique flavor. I'd probably just leave out the vinegar if not using balsamic.
Hope says
I have made this recipe several times and it’s always delicious!!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂
Trace says
Omg to die for. Was so yummy and easy to make. Will be making this again.
Natasha says
Yay!! 🙂
Dee says
This looks delicious! Can't wait to try it out!
Do you know if you could freeze this dish?
Natasha says
Thanks! I don't usually recommend freezing dishes with cream sauces as they can separate when you reheat them, and I think this one might get a little soggy (the spinach etc). With that said, if you have a piece left over, give it a try and see how it goes. The worst that can happen is you'll want to throw it out.
Julie says
Amazing! So delicious and easy. I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream (only because I had it on hand). The creamy, balsamic-flavored sauce is divine! Thank you!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it and the substitution worked well! Thanks for commenting, Julie 🙂
Shirl says
I made this for Father’s Day. It was absolutely delicious and a hit with the family . The balsamic really adds a layer of hmmm and yummm!
Natasha says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Lisa says
Made this tonight for dinner. My husband, son & I loved it! Delicious and so easy to prepare. I served over angel hair pasta with roasted sweet potatoes on the side; I will definitely make again. Thank you!
Natasha says
That makes me so happy! Thanks for taking the time to comment. XO
simon andrew says
Both the main ingredients are my favorite chicken and mushrooms I will try it at home.
Natasha says
Let me know how you like it, Simon!
Pia says
Hi' Natasha
Thank you, again (!), for a super meal. It was so good - and - again my kids were happy too!
BW
Pia
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! I'm so happy they liked it, Pia! 🙂
Erika says
Tried this today and it was amazing!!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! Thanks for commenting - really appreciate it! 🙂
Angie says
Just tried this recipe !!! I never know that this combination of balsamic vinegar and cream will be this good , it was amazing !! This is third recipe that i tried from your blog and all becoming big hits in my house.
Thank you for your recipes.
Natasha says
Thank you so much for commenting! ♥️🤗 I’m so happy that you liked it and the other recipes.