Ina Garten’s Perfect Chicken With Morels Recipe: A Dreamy Meal

Succulent chicken with morels represents a culinary symphony that transforms ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dining experience.

Elegant French-inspired techniques elevate this classic dish beyond simple weeknight fare.

Delicate mushrooms infuse deep, earthy flavors into tender poultry, creating a luxurious meal that feels both comforting and sophisticated.

Sophisticated ingredients like Madeira wine and creme fraiche contribute complex layers of richness and depth.

Fragrant shallots and garlic provide a subtle aromatic foundation that enhances every delectable bite.

Home cooks can easily recreate this restaurant-quality preparation with just a few professional techniques.

Mastering this recipe promises a memorable meal that will impress even the most discerning palates: bon appétit!

Why Ina Garten’s Chicken With Morels Feels So Fancy

• Elevate Gourmet Dining: Transform ordinary chicken into an extraordinary culinary experience with luxurious morel mushrooms and rich Madeira sauce, creating a restaurant-quality meal at home.
• Masterful Technique and Texture: Perfectly brown chicken breasts provide a crispy exterior while maintaining juicy interior, complemented by velvety cream sauce that adds sophisticated layers of flavor and smoothness.
• Quick Elegance Under 45 Minutes: Prepare a stunning French-inspired dish with minimal complicated steps, allowing home cooks to impress guests without spending hours in the kitchen, making gourmet cooking accessible and stress-free.

What You’ll Need to Cook Chicken With Morels

• Chicken Breasts: High-quality, boneless breasts perfect for elegant cooking with a tender texture and mild flavor.

• Morel Mushrooms: Rare, delicate wild mushrooms with a rich, nutty flavor and earthy aroma, requiring careful cleaning.
• Onions, Garlic: Classic aromatic vegetables that provide depth and underlying sweetness to the sauce.

• All-Purpose Flour: Light coating for chicken that helps create a golden-brown crust and thickens sauce.
• Clarified Butter: Pure butterfat with higher smoke point, ensuring smooth cooking and rich flavor.
• Madeira Wine: Sweet fortified wine that adds complex depth and richness to the sauce.
• Heavy Cream, Creme Fraiche: Luxurious dairy products creating a silky, smooth sauce with subtle tanginess.
• Lemon Juice: Bright acidic element that balances the richness and adds freshness.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings for enhancing and balancing overall dish flavors.

Step-by-Step Guide to This Creamy Chicken Favorite

Step 1: Prepare The Oven

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, creating a warm environment for cooking.

Step 2: Clean Woodland Mushrooms

Carefully remove dried morel mushrooms from soaking liquid.

• Rinse mushrooms multiple times
• Ensure no grit remains
• Drain completely
• Pat dry with paper towels
• Set aside gently

Step 3: Season And Coat Chicken

• Sprinkle with salt
• Add fresh ground pepper
• Lightly dust with all-purpose flour
• Shake off excess coating

Step 4: Sear Chicken Pieces

• Use large skillet
• Heat over medium-low temperature
• Cook first batch 8-10 minutes
• Brown both sides evenly
• Transfer to oven-safe dish
• Repeat with remaining chicken

Step 5: Create Aromatic Base

• Add onions
• Include cleaned morels
• Incorporate minced garlic
• Stir continuously
• Cook 2 minutes over medium-low heat

Step 6: Build Luxurious Sauce

• Pour Madeira wine
• Increase heat to high
• Reduce liquid by half
• Add heavy cream
• Include creme fraiche
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice
• Season with salt and pepper
• Simmer 5-10 minutes until thickened

Step 7: Final Cooking Process

• Pour sauce over chicken
• Cover completely
• Bake in preheated oven
• Cook 12 minutes
• Ensure chicken reaches proper internal temperature

Step 8: Serving Suggestions

• Allow slight resting time
• Serve immediately
• Optional: Prepare ahead and gently reheat on stovetop

Secrets for Getting Ina’s Morel Sauce Just Right

• Soak Morels Smartly: Let dried morels rest in warm water for at least 30 minutes to ensure they plump up and release their earthy, woodland flavor without becoming tough.
• Clarify Your Butter Technique: Removing milk solids from butter creates a golden, nutty base that withstands high heat and adds a luxurious depth to the chicken's final taste.
• Balance Madeira's Sweet Charm: This wine brings a subtle sweetness, so taste your sauce gradually and season with a light hand to maintain the delicate flavor profile.
• Simmer with Gentle Precision: Low and slow is the secret to a silky sauce that won't separate or curdle, keeping the creamy texture smooth and inviting.
• Flatten for Flawless Cooking: Gently pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, ensuring each bite cooks uniformly and remains tender and juicy from edge to edge.

Chicken With Morels: Storage That Keeps It Delicious

• Vacuum Sealing: Protect the delicate morel-infused chicken by vacuum sealing portions in specialized bags. This method locks in moisture, prevents freezer burn, and maintains the dish's rich flavors for up to 4 months. Remove excess air to preserve texture and prevent oxidation.
• Portioning Strategy: Divide the chicken with morels into individual meal-sized containers before refrigerating or freezing. Smaller portions cool faster, reduce bacterial growth, and make reheating more convenient. Label each container with the date and contents for easy tracking.
• Glass Container Storage: Transfer the chicken with morels to high-quality glass containers with tight-sealing lids. Glass prevents flavor transfer, resists staining from mushroom sauce, and allows easy microwave reheating. Ensure containers are completely cool before refrigerating to maintain food safety standards.

Looking to Switch It Up? Try These Spins

• Rustic Wild Mushroom Chicken: Replace morels with a mix of shiitake, porcini, and chanterelle mushrooms for a rich, earthy flavor profile that brings woodland charm to the classic recipe.
• Mediterranean Herb Chicken: Swap Madeira with white wine, add fresh rosemary and thyme, and include chopped kalamata olives to give the dish a bright, Mediterranean-inspired character.
• Creamy Truffle Chicken: Incorporate truffle oil into the sauce, use cremini mushrooms, and finish with fresh chives for an elegant, luxurious version of the original recipe that feels like a gourmet restaurant experience.
• Spicy Cajun Chicken Variation: Season chicken with Cajun spice blend, use andouille sausage with mushrooms, and add a splash of hot sauce to create a bold, zesty interpretation of the classic chicken dish.

Wrapping Up the Chicken With Morels Experience

Culinary magic emerges from Ina Garten’s chicken with morels, blending French elegance with home kitchen charm.

Classic techniques dance through each carefully constructed step, revealing gourmet potential within familiar ingredients.

Morel mushrooms whisper woodland secrets into rich cream sauce, elevating simple chicken breasts into sophisticated cuisine.

Delicate techniques transform humble protein into restaurant-quality masterpiece without intimidating home cooks.

Madeira wine adds depth and complexity, creating layers of flavor that sing with each carefully crafted bite.

Passionate home chefs can confidently embrace this recipe, knowing deliciousness awaits – click share, leave comments, spread culinary joy with friends who crave exceptional dining experiences.

Ina Garten Chicken With Morels Recipe

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4.6 from 12 reviews

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s Chicken with Morels elevates classic French cuisine with elegant simplicity. Succulent chicken breasts nestled in a rich, creamy sauce showcase luxurious morel mushrooms that invite you to savor each sophisticated bite.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 ounce (28 grams) dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 cups very hot water
• 1 cup Madeira wine
• 1 cup (8 ounces / 236 milliliters) creme fraiche
• 1 cup heavy cream

Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings:

• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cooking and Preparation Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1 ¼ cup (285 milliliters) clarified butter
• ⅓ cup chopped shallots (2 large)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
2. Carefully remove the morel mushrooms from the soaking water, ensuring no sediment remains. Rinse thoroughly multiple times to eliminate any debris. Discard the soaking liquid and gently pat the morels dry with paper towels.
3. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Coat each piece lightly with flour, shaking off excess. Melt half of the clarified butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Sear the chicken in two separate batches, cooking for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the browned chicken to an oven-safe dish.
5. In the same skillet, add the drained morel mushrooms, onions, and minced garlic. Sauté the ingredients, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes over medium-low heat.
6. Deglaze the pan with Madeira wine, increasing the heat to high. Reduce the liquid by half, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, creme fraiche, fresh lemon juice, of salt, and of ground black pepper.
7. Simmer the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes until it begins to thicken and become slightly more viscous. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the oven-safe dish.
8. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly heated and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate the chicken and sauce, then gently reheat on the stovetop before serving.

Notes

• Pounding chicken breasts to uniform thickness guarantees consistent, juicy results without dry or undercooked sections.
• Clarified butter elevates the dish’s richness while preventing potential scorching during high-heat cooking moments.
• Madeira wine introduces complex sweetness, demanding careful seasoning adjustments to balance overall flavor profile.
• Gentle simmering technique ensures sauce remains silky smooth without separating or developing unappetizing texture.
• Rehydrating dried morels requires precise soaking time to transform them from tough, chewy fungi into tender, flavorful mushroom delicacies.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 577 kcal
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 43 g
• Saturated Fat: 24 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 16 g
• Fiber: 0.5 g
• Protein: 31 g
• Cholesterol: 190 mg