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Irish Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce

Irish chicken whiskey cream sauce with golden seared chicken breasts, mushrooms, shallots, and an amber whiskey sauce. Creamy whiskey chicken comes together in one skillet with simmered thyme-flecked sauce that thickly coats the meat.
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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 to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp dried thyme to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
Mushrooms and aromatics
  • 2 shallots finely minced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
Whiskey cream sauce
  • 0.33 cup Irish whiskey Jameson
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Pat the boneless skinless chicken breasts dry, then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear until golden and cooked through to 165°F, 5-6 minutes per side, then remove to a plate.
Build the whiskey cream sauce
  1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same pan over medium heat, then cook the shallots and sliced cremini mushrooms until golden, 5-6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the Irish whiskey. Return to medium heat and let the alcohol cook off for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme leaves. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
Finish and serve
  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, let the seasoned chicken rest 5 minutes while the skillet heats, then sear until the thickest part reaches 165°F. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid thinning the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauces can break after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and simmer 1-2 minutes longer to regain thickness.