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Irish Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce

Irish chicken whiskey cream sauce—golden seared chicken breasts finished in an amber, thyme-flecked whiskey cream sauce with mushrooms and shallots. Sear, simmer, then spoon the thick sauce over each breast for a restaurant-style main dish.
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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
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F; remove.
Build the whiskey cream sauce
  1. Melt butter in the same pan and cook the shallots and cremini mushrooms for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat, carefully pour in Irish whiskey, then return to medium heat and let it cook off for 1-2 minutes until the bubbling calms. Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme leaves.
  3. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens and looks amber with visible herb flecks.
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 right before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: When you add the Irish whiskey, take the pan off the heat briefly so the pour stays controlled; then return to medium to cook off the alcohol and leave a fragrant amber sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat to keep the cream sauce from breaking; freezing is not recommended due to texture changes. For a lighter option, replace heavy cream with half-and-half and simmer a minute or two longer to help it thicken.