Chicken Supreme Is the Easy French Classic I Make All the Time

It’s safe to say that perfectly cooked chicken paired with a luscious, creamy pan sauce is universally appealing. While the flavors and vegetables used to accent can go in various directions (find examples here, here, and here), chicken supreme is made that much better thanks to just two simple adds: sautéed mushrooms and crispy bacon.

Chicken supreme is an old-school French classic featuring seared chicken breasts in a creamy mushroom pan sauce topped with pancetta. The name “supreme” could come from one of two things: either the specific French cut of skin-on chicken breast (called a supreme) or from the French classic “daughter sauce,” also called supreme.

I gave this French classic a modern update by swapping out the namesake chicken supremes with easier-to-source and more economical boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I also streamlined the pan sauce, making it simpler than a traditional supreme sauce. The result is a recipe that requires much less effort to make but is just as delicious as the classic.

Make It Your Own

If you want to switch things up a little bit and add to our streamlined recipe, here are some things to try:

• Use skin-on, boneless chicken breasts or “cotelettes” with the little wing attached. The cook time may vary and you should always start with the skin side down in the pan
• Add thyme or rosemary
• Add minced onions or shallots
• Use your favorite variety of mushroom
• Deglaze the pan with a splash of brandy instead of white wine and double the amount of chicken stock to compensate
• Add chopped carrots
  

What Sides to Serve

Chicken supreme is nothing if not a super saucy dish, so when deciding what to serve with it, think of things that will help you soak up all the sauce. Mashed potatoes are a classic (and absolutely stunning) choice, but oven-roasted or smashed potatoes would also do the trick. If you want to keep it even simpler, steamed rice or boiled egg noodles would be nice, too.

Prepare the chicken:

Place the chicken breasts on a plate and sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper. Flip and season the other side with the remaining salt and pepper. Set aside and let sit at room temperature.

Crisp up the bacon:

Add the bacon to a large (at least 10-inch) frying pan or cast iron skillet. Set over medium heat. Move it around the pan every so often. As the fat renders out of the bacon, it will start to crisp up. Once crispy and brown all over, about 8 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Sear the chicken:

Use a fresh paper towel to pat the top side of all the chicken breasts dry. Add dried side down, to the frying pan you crisped the bacon in. Let cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 minutes more. Once both sides are well seared, transfer to a plate; the chicken will not be fully cooked at this point, and that’s okay.

Make the sauce:

Add the olive oil to the pan, then place the mushrooms cut side down into the oil. Let cook until they start to shrink, soften, and brown, about 4 minutes. 

Add the garlic and let cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute, then deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has reduced by about half (about 2 minutes), add the chicken broth and the heavy cream.

Finish and serve:

Nestle the chicken breasts back into the pan and turn the heat up to high to bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low or low and let simmer until the sauce has thickened and reduced and the chicken is cooked through (registers 165°F in the thickest part), about 10 to 15 minutes.

Before serving with your choice of sides, season the sauce to taste with more salt and pepper and top with the crispy bacon and fresh parsley or chives (if using).

Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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