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Irish Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce

Irish chicken whiskey cream sauce made with golden seared chicken breasts, mushrooms, and shallots, finished with an amber Irish whiskey cream sauce. Quick simmer thickens the sauce until it clings to the chicken with visible thyme flecks throughout.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme, then sear in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F; remove to a plate.
Cook the mushrooms and shallots
  1. Melt butter in the same pan and cook minced shallots and sliced mushrooms over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until golden.
  2. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
Build the whiskey cream sauce
  1. Remove the pan from heat, carefully pour in Irish whiskey, then return to medium heat and let the alcohol cook off for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme leaves, then simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Serve
  1. Return chicken to the pan and spoon whiskey cream sauce over each breast until glossy and coated.
  2. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: Keep the sauce moving while it simmers so it thickens evenly and doesn’t split. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat. Freezing is not recommended because the cream may break after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce thickens a bit less).