Do you need a quick and easy meal that is good for a weeknight dinner? Mexican Chicken Crema Recipe checks all the boxes! This traditional Mexican dish known as pollo ala crema, can be served on a plate with rice, rolled into warm tortillas, or be made into chicken tacos.
With strips of boneless chicken breasts, tender white mushrooms, bell peppers, sweet onions and a rich, creamy sauce, this one-pan wonder is the perfect way to turn simple ingredients into a flavorful meal. This creamy chicken and mushroom recipe is a weeknight dinner that the whole family will enjoy. This simple recipe will become a favorite dish for you to prepare fast on a busy weeknight as it on the table in 3o minutes!
Discover the rich and comforting flavors of this Mexican Chicken Crema Recipe. With tender chicken and a creamy, spicy sauce, this great meal is delicious! Check out Black Bean Mexican Rice if you are looking for something to serve with it. Made with white rice, tomatoes, black beans, onions, garlic and spices, it would be a good addition.
If you would like to try some other creamy chicken dishes that are quick meals, check out Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken, Creamy Mushroom Spinach Chicken and Creamy Lemon Chicken.
If you would like to try some other creamy Mexican-inspired recipes for crema style, check out Caldo de Queso and Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. You might also like Avocado Crema.
SOME THINGS TO KNOW: FAQ’S
INGREDIENT TIPS:
- Make sure your sour cream and heavy cream are at room temperature before adding them to the hot skillet to prevent curdling.
- Sweet onions are great for a mild, sweet flavor, but you can experiment with red onions for a slightly sharper taste or white onions for a more traditional, pungent flavor profile. Read What Are Sweet Onions?
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
- Large Skillet or Frying Pan:A large skillet or frying pan is needed for sautéing the chicken, vegetables, and for combining all the ingredients to create the creamy sauce. A pan with a heavy bottom is ideal as it provides even heat distribution, preventing hot spots that could burn the food.
- Cutting Board: A good-sized cutting board is necessary for chopping and preparing the chicken, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions. Having a stable and ample workspace makes prepping ingredients safer and more efficient.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife: A sharp chef’s knife will make quick work of cutting the chicken into strips and dicing the vegetables. A well-maintained knife also ensures precision cutting and is safer to use.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measuring cups and spoons are crucial for measuring the olive oil, heavy cream, sour cream, and spices. This precision ensures the balance of flavors in the recipe.
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula: A wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula is useful for stirring the ingredients in the skillet. These tools allow you to mix the ingredients without scratching the surface of your pan.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- If you prefer dark meat chicken, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can also use cooked leftover chicken that has been shredded. Simply skip the first step of the recipe instructions and stir the chicken in at the end.
- If you chose to serve the chicken wrapped in a tortilla, either flour tortillas or corn tortillas would be fine.
- If you do not have heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or half and half that has been combined with a tablespoon of butter (melted) would be good substitutions.
- Chili powder can be substituted for the Smoky Paprika.
- You can substitute red epper Flakes for the Cayenne Pepper.
- If you do not have red onion, yellow, white or green onion can be substituted.
- Some good substitutes for the sour cream would be plain yogurt (whole milk), cream cheese, or Crema Mexicana.
HOW TO STORE THE MEXICAN CHICKEN CREMA RECIPE:
- You can store any leftovers from this Mexican Chicken Crema recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- You should not try to freeze the leftovers. The sour cream and heavy cream in the cream sauce can separate when thawed and the dish will not be the same.
HOW TO REHEAT THE MEXICAN CHICKEN CREMA RECIPE:
- You can reheat the leftovers covered in the microwave. The times will vary depending on how much you are reheating.
- You can also reheat it in a skillet one the stovetop at medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until it is heated through.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute chicken until it is golden brown and no longer pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
In the same skillet, add the sliced mushrooms, diced bell peppers, and sweet onions. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in the chicken bouillon, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir everything together well so that the vegetables are evenly coated with the seasonings.
Lower the heat and stir in the sour cream and heavy cream. Stir until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, stirring to coat the chicken in the sauce. Let everything simmer for a few minutes so the flavors of the Mexican Crema Chicken recipe can combine together.
Mexican Chicken Crema Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 " strips
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup green bell peppers or red bell peppers, diced
- ½ cup sweet onions or red onions, diced
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cut your chicken breast into 1″ strips, slice the mushrooms, and dice your bell peppers and onions.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute chicken until it is golden brown and no longer pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. The chicken strips should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
In the same skillet, add the sliced mushrooms, diced bell peppers, and sweet onions. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in the chicken bouillon, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir everything together well so that the vegetables are evenly coated with the seasonings.
Lower the heat and stir in the sour cream and heavy cream. Stir until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it with a little bit of chicken broth or additional heavy cream.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, stirring to coat the chicken in the creamy sauce. Let everything simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can combine together.
Taste the Mexican Chicken Crema recipe and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve your Creamy Mexican Chicken Crema Recipe hot, garnished with fresh cilantro. You could also squeeze a bit of lime juice over it to add some brightness.
