Lightly battered chicken with mushroom mustard sauce

Name: Lightly battered chicken with mushroom mustard sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound / 450 grams chicken breast fillets (cut into bite-sized pieces); 1 medium egg; 4 tablespoons cornflour or cornstarch (more or less to make a smooth pourable batter with the egg); ½ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (for frying the chicken); 7 ounces / 200 grams mushrooms (wiped and sliced); 1 medium onion (thinly sliced); 1 ounce / 30 grams butter; 1½ cups / 360 ml chicken stock (yoou can make it with a stock cube); ½ cup / 120 ml double or heavy cream; 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves); 2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch (for thickening (optional))

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This recipe for mustard chicken with mushroom sauce is an absolute winner! This quick and easy recipe for lightly battered chicken in a tangy mustard mushroom sauce is the perfect solution for busy weeknights. Made with simple pantry staples, this delicious family-friendly meal comes together in just 30 minutes - ideal for when you're short of time but still want something hearty and satisfying.

A dark blue serving dish filled with mushroom chicken in mustard sauce. There is a dish of peas in the background.

This lightly battered chicken in mushroom mustard sauce is one of those recipes that looks and tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen, but it actually comes together in around half an hour.

The chicken is coated in a light tempura-style batter, which is made with just an egg and cornflour, then lightly fried until golden. It's a light batter, not heavy or greasy, and soaks up the delicious sauce perfectly.

The creamy sauce is what makes this dish special. With caramelised onions, mushrooms, a touch of Worcestershire sauce for depth and wholegrain mustard for a slight tang, this sauce is finished with a swirl of cream to round out the flavours. It's rich and flavourful without being too heavy.

Serve it over rice or mashed potatoes (to soak up all the yummy sauce) with a helping of peas on the side, and you have an easy, fuss-free meal.

Mushroom chicken with mustard sauce spooned over a helping of rice on a white dinner plate with peas on the side.

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Recipe information
Ingredients
Instructions
Tips for a successful outcome
Serving suggestions
Equipment
Storage
FAQ
Save for later
Related recipes
📋The recipe

Recipe information

Prep time - 5 minutes

Cooking time - around half an hour

Yield - 4 people

Scalability - To scale the recipe up, simply add extra chicken, mushrooms and onions. To increase the amount of sauce, add an extra cup of stock and perhaps and extra splash of Worcestershire sauce. The average serving of chicken is 100 grams or 3.5 ounces per person.

Ingredients

chicken breast fillets - these should be cut into bite-sized pieces. Depending on the size of the breasts, one fillet should be sufficient for 2 people.
mushrooms - you can use whatever mushrooms you prefer. I used brown chestnut mushrooms, but white closed-cap or even button mushrooms will be perfect. The mushrooms should be thickly sliced.
onion - white or red onions, whatever you have in your vegetable rack.
thyme - this is dried thyme, but you could substitute with fresh. The thyme is fried with the onions as they are softening.
oil - sunflower oil - used to brown the pieces of battered chicken.
butter - for frying the onions and mushrooms.

Sauce

chicken stock - we don't always have fresh chicken stock to hand, so you can use a chicken stock cube to make it. Substitute with vegetable stock or use a vegetable stock cube. Beef stock might be a little overpowering in this recipe.
wholegrain mustard - this has a mild taste and doesn't overpower the sauce. You can substitute with Dijon mustard, or for a stronger mustard flavour, use English mustard.
Worcestershire sauce - this adds a salty element to the sauce, and for this reason, I haven't included any salt in the sauce. I would be inclined to make the dish and then taste and season if necessary.
cream - I like to use double or heavy cream as this helps to thicken the sauce. You can substitute with single or pouring cream, or even milk if you prefer. If you do this, you will find you need to thicken the sauce with a little extra cornflour and water mixture.

Batter

egg - one whole egg, small, medium or large.
cornflour - or cornstarch - the amount of cornflour will depend on the size of the egg. You will need sufficient cornflour to mix into the egg to form a smooth coating batter.
salt - not pictured - I like to season the batter with a little salt, but this is to your own taste.

**You can find the exact ingredient measurements for making this battered chicken in mushroom mustard sauce on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Instructions

Chicken pieces in batter in a small glass bowl.

Step 1: Break the egg into a small mixing bowl, add sufficient cornflour to make a smooth coating batter and season lightly with salt. Add the diced chicken pieces and stir to coat the chicken completely.

Lightly battered chicken pieces browning in a frying pan.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken pieces on moderate heat for about 5 minutes, turning with a spatula, until they are browned on all sides. Transfer them to a plate. Reserve any remaining batter to thicken the sauce.

Onions frying in a pan with a sprinkling of dried thyme.

Step 3: Melt the butter in a pan (you could use the same one) and fry the sliced onions and thymel over moderate heat for 6 to 8 minutes until they start to soften and turn translucent.

Step 4: Add the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their moisture.

Stock, Worcestershire sauce and cream added to the mushrooms and onions in a pan.

Step 5: Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard, then stir in the cream and reserved batter.

Fully cooked mushroom chicken in mustard sauce in a pan.

Step 6: Add the chicken pieces, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Tips for a successful outcome

Here are my top tips to ensure your mushroom chicken in mustard sauce always turns out perfectly.

Pat the chicken with a paper towel to remove any surface moisture before cutting it into bite-sized pieces. This will help ensure the batter sticks to the chicken.
When frying the chicken pieces, don't have the oil too hot - it should just sizzle gently when you add the chicken pieces.
Take the pieces of chicken one at a time from the batter, and place them individually in the frying pan - this will ensure the chicken doesn't stick together in clumps.
As soon as the chicken starts to brown on the underside, turn it with a spatula so that it browns evenly on all sides. The chicken does not have to be cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking when it gets added back to the sauce.
Fry the onions slowly and don't allow them to brown - they should just turn translucent.
Let the mushrooms release their moisture before adding the stock.
If the sauce doesn't thicken sufficiently (or there wasn't any batter leftover) you can thicken the sauce with one or two teaspoons of cornflour (or cornstarch) mixed with a tablespoon of water to a smooth paste. Drizzle it slowly into the sauce over a low heat, stirring until the sauce is nicely thickened. You may not need all the cornflour mixture.
Before serving, taste for seasoning and add salt and if necessary.

Serving suggestions

Serve the mushroom chicken in mustard sauce spooned over a mound of creamy mashed potatoes or fluffy white rice. I like to add green peas on the side, but you could serve any vegetable. Here are a few ideas:

If you don't want to serve rice or mash, you could spoon the chicken over one of these vegetable mash dishes:

And if you want to serve the dish over rice, my microwave rice is ready in less than 10 minutes.

If you would like to serve this dish with crusty bread (to mop up all the delicious sauce), I've got you covered too! Why not try one of these recipes for homemade bread rolls?

A spoonful of mushroom chicken being lifted from a pan.

Equipment

To make the creamy mushroom chicken with mustard sauce, you will need these main items of equipment:

Small mixing bowl to make the batter.
Frying pan or saute pan for cooking. Make sure your pan has a lid as you will need to cover the pan for some of the cooking time.
Sharp knife and chopping board for cutting up the chicken and vegetables.
Spatula for stirring.
Serving dish (optional) - you could serve the chicken directly from the pan in which it was cooked.

Storage

Once any leftovers have come to room temperature, they can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.

The creamy mushroom chicken freezes well. Transfer room temperature chicken (along with any leftover sauce) into a suitable freezer container and freeze for up to three months. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.

FAQ

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Absolutely - boneless chicken thighs would be perfect for this recipe. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, batter and fry them according to the recipe instructions.

Why doesn't the batter stick to the chicken?

Make sure the chicken is dry before you add it to the batter. Also, don't let it sit for too long in the batter before frying it.

Why isn't my chicken browning properly?

Perhaps the oil wasn't hot enough when you added the chicken. The oil should be at a temperature to sizzle gently when the chicken is added. Also, avoid overcrowding the pan with chicken as this will cause the temperature to drop. If you have a lot of chicken, it would be best to cook it in two batches.

I accidentally made the sauce too thick - how can I thin it down?

Stir in a little milk or chicken stock, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce thins to the desired consistency.

Save for later

If you would like to make this creamy mushroom chicken with mustard sauce, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

Visit my chicken and poultry recipes page for other delicious ideas with chicken. Here are a few you might enjoy:

📋The recipe

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