Chicken Strips in Cream Sauce — Tender, in 25 Minutes
Sear the chicken strips in batches in hot clarified butter for 2 minutes and remove. Fry the mushrooms and onion, deglaze with white wine, reduce the cream, return the chicken to the sauce and let it warm through for only 2 minutes. Cook the meat in the sauce and it turns dry.
Chicken strips in cream sauce is the dish cooked most often on Swiss weeknights — and most often turns out tough. The mistake is always the same: the chicken simmers in the sauce until done. It only needs 2 minutes in a hot pan, then a rest, then back in at the end. That keeps it tender, and the sauce is still ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 600 g Chicken breast (cut into strips)
- 250 g Mushrooms
- 1 piece Onion
- 2 tbsp Clarified butter
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1 dl White wine
- 1½ dl Stock
- 2 dl Double cream
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika
- ½ bunch Parsley
Method
- 1
Prepare
Slice the mushrooms, finely chop the onion. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Put the rice or noodles on.
- 2
Sear the chicken
Heat the clarified butter in a large pan until very hot. Sear the chicken in two batches for 2 minutes each until coloured outside, then remove. It can still be slightly translucent inside.
- 3
Fry the mushrooms
Fry the mushrooms and onion in the same pan for 5 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and they brown. Dust with flour and fry briefly.
- 4
Sauce
Deglaze with the white wine, scrape up the browned bits, add the stock and cream. Reduce uncovered for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- 5
Return the chicken
Add the chicken and its juices to the sauce and let it warm through over low heat for 2 minutes until cooked. Season, scatter with parsley.
Tips
- Three variations on the same base: fry 1 tbsp curry powder with the flour (curry), stir 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard into the sauce (mustard), or add lemon juice and chives at the end (lemon-herb).
- Strips from the butcher's are often uneven. Halve the big ones so everything cooks at the same time.
- Keeps two days in the fridge. When reheating, heat only the sauce and add the chicken at the end — otherwise it toughens the second time round.
What can I substitute?
Single cream is lighter and thickens less — reduce 2 minutes longer. Crème fraîche adds a slight tang and thickens at once.
Thigh stays juicier and forgives an extra minute. King oyster mushrooms in strips are the vegetarian version — sear just as hard.
Alcohol-free. The lemon's acidity keeps the sauce fresh rather than heavy.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my chicken strips turn tough?
Because it cooked in the sauce. Chicken breast is done at 72 °C and dry immediately above that. Sear 2 minutes, remove, make the sauce, return the chicken for 2 minutes to finish — that is all it needs.
Why does the cream sauce not thicken?
Not reduced enough, or single cream instead of double. Simmer uncovered until it coats the back of a spoon. Faster: 1 tsp cornflour stirred into a little cold water.
What goes with chicken in cream sauce?
Rice is the classic because it soaks up the sauce. Just as good: noodles, Spätzli, rösti or mash. A green salad or broccoli alongside.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, up to two months. Cream sauces can split slightly on thawing — warm slowly over low heat and stir smooth with a splash of cream or milk.
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