Chicken Pinot Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil
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Chicken Pinot Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil is a dish with a European flair, blending the richness of a French-inspired wine sauce with the earthy flavors of wild mushrooms and the brightness of fresh basil. Serve with twice-baked mashed potatoes and a wedge salad with the best blue cheese dressing on the side!
“Oh my!! Delicious and not that difficult to make. My family loved it!”
The inspiration behind this recipe:
Before we left on a recent amazing European trip, we had a crazy time trying to come up with ways to use up our late summer produce. That’s when Chicken Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil was born.
When deciding what to cook this time of year, I often feel torn between the seasons. The calendar shows that summer is over, but the weather will continue to be nice for at least another month or two. I mean…it’s 84 degrees today here!
Although it’s still warm outside, it’s hard to resist hearty, cold-weather comfort food. Except, we’re still enjoying some fresh summer produce from our garden!
Chicken Pinot Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil is a dish with a European flair that’s perfect for transitioning from summer to fall. It has the summer produce we were trying to use up before our trip such as fresh tomatoes and basil.
This dish also incorporates cool-weather elements such as braising for the cooking technique, red wine and mushrooms.
Tips for making Chicken Pinot Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil:
- I used Pinot Noir because it’s a light to medium-bodied dry red wine and doesn’t overpower the delicate taste of white-meat chicken. If you prefer dark-meat chicken, pinot noir is still fine, or you could use a more full-bodied wine such as merlot.
- Dried herbs, such as the dried oregano and thyme used here, should be added early in the cooking process. Fresh herbs, such as basil, are best added at the very end.
- Cover the dish tightly to minimize the evaporation of the braising liquid before placing it in the oven. I like to place a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper over the pot before placing the lid on the pot.
- Although cremini (baby portobello), oyster and shiitake mushrooms are often referred to as “wild,” they are cultivated.
- Whether you wash mushrooms or not is a personal preference. Mushrooms already have a lot of water in them, so it’s difficult for them to absorb more water.
- If you prefer to wash them as I do, only wash whole mushrooms (not sliced). Do it shortly before using them then blot dry with a paper towel.
What to serve with this dish:
- Cauliflower White Bean Puree
- Asparagus Cordon Bleu
- Celery Root Puree
- Roasted Green Beans with Tomato Caper Relish
For more easy and delicious chicken recipes, be sure to try:
- Easy Skillet Mediterranean Chicken
- Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
- 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
- Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash Chickpeas and Olives
Chicken Pinot Noir with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Basil
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 split chicken breasts, (bone in, skin on)
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, halved
- 3 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 1 cup drained, canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 cup dry red wine, preferably pinot noir
- 1 can (14.5-ounce) chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, cremini, oyster and shiitake, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and black pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven.
- Place chicken breasts skin side down in the hot oil and brown 4-5 minutes or until golden. Turn and brown the other side approximately 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the Dutch oven and add the onion.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook onion 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and cook 1 minute.
- Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add the chicken broth, oregano and thyme and return to a boil.
- Place chicken skin side down in the pot, cover tightly and place in the oven. Cook 1 hour, turning once or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender. Transfer Dutch oven to the stovetop.
- Combine 1 tablespoon butter with flour. Add to pot with chicken and bring to a simmer to thicken.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in a skillet or saute pan.
- Add the mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to pot with chicken, stir in chopped fresh basil, adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper and serve.
Notes
- Can also use bone-in chicken thighs.
- Pinot Noir is a light to medium-bodied dry red wine that doesn’t overpower white-meat chicken’s delicate taste. If you prefer dark meat chicken, Pinot Noir is still fine, or you could use a more full-bodied wine such as Merlot.
- Dried herbs, such as the dried oregano and thyme used here, should be added early in the cooking process. Fresh herbs, such as basil, are best added at the very end.
- Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil or parchment paper before placing the lid on to minimize the evaporation of the braising liquid before placing it in the oven.
- Can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cool and refrigerate.
- Heat covered in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through (30-35 minutes).
- Cool thoroughly, place in an airtight container and freeze up to 2 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator and heat covered at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Absolutely fabulous! A flavourful, cosy meal. Perfect for the first cool day in September. I’m looking forward to more of your delicious recipes. Thank you 🙏
Hi, Susan, Thanks so very much!! Aaah…. we’re still waiting for a cool day here! I appreciate you giving the recipe a try, your kind words and rating, and hope you find many more recipes to enjoy!
I made this tonight with a little modification. I used chicken thighs because they were on sale when I went to the store and fresh thyme from my garden because I prefer it to dried thyme. But the main modification I made was after the chicken had been braising, tightly covered, for 45 minutes, I added a cup of orzo to the braising liquid, which was perfectly cooked after the last 12-15 minutes in the oven. As there seemed to be more than enough liquid when I added the orzo, I cracked the lid a little so some liquid could evaporate. Even so, it was still a little soupy, so I did add the tablespoon of butter mixed with a tablespoon of flour to thicken it a little. It turned out great, and it saved having to make a separate side dish of pasta or potatoes or something. I would absolutely make it again!
Hi, Laura, Thanks so much, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. I love how you adapted it to what you had on hand. Adding the orzo is a great way to turn it into a complete one-pot meal. Appreciate you trying the recipe and for taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
There is no way the picture for the finished dish shown could be accurate if the lid was on the entire time. That consistency would require the lid off to evaporate some of the moisture. I followed the recipe to a tee and I had broth. It was very good, but even with thickening you couldn’t get the consistency that’s in the picture.
Thank you for your feedback, and I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor! The dish shown in the photo was made following the recipe as written. That said, two cooks can make the same recipe exactly as written and still get slightly different results because of differences in ingredients, cookware, heat levels, and even how much moisture the ingredients release. Removing the lid toward the end of cooking to allow some of the excess liquid to evaporate is a great solution.
Really good indeed. Only difference is I didn’t have skin on, but they were original Norfolk raised corn-fed free range chickens. Love this recipe.
Hi, John, Thanks so very much and happy you enjoyed! Sounds like a lovely type of chicken; reminds me of what I grew up with. Thanks again and appreciate you trying this recipe and for taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Could this be done in a slow cooker?
Hi, Nicki, Thanks so much for your question and yes, it absolutely can. The only thing is, slow cookers have a way of watering down flavors because they retain almost all the moisture, so flavors don’t concentrate the way they do in a Dutch oven. If you can, reduce the red wine and chicken broth by half in a small saucepan before adding them to the slow cooker. Thanks again, please let me know if you have any other questions and let me know how it goes.