Chef John from Food Wishes presents a delightful twist on a comfort classic: Chicken Salisbury Steak. This approachable recipe keeps the soul of the award-winning Salisbury steak but swaps beef for chicken, delivering tender patties and a rich mushroom pan sauce. It’s perfect for home cooks looking for comforting flavors without complicated technique — a shining example of cooking, easy recipes that everyone can make.
Step 1: Gather the ingredients
Keep things simple. The core components are ground chicken (Chef John uses boneless skinless chicken breast in this version), pantry seasonings, a binder, and ingredients for a classic mushroom gravy. Exact amounts can be adjusted to taste, but the basic list includes:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs for more richness)
- Bread crumbs
- Dried mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper and a few shakes of cayenne
- Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce
- One egg
- Ketchup
- Vegetable oil and butter for browning
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
- Onion or the light part of green onions
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Juice of half a lemon (optional but recommended)
- Mashed potatoes for serving (highly suggested)
Step 2: Make the chicken mixture
Place the chicken into a food processor along with the bread crumbs, dried mustard, black pepper, cayenne, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and ketchup. Pulse the machine on and off until the mixture is coarsely ground — not a puree, but not chunky either. Aim for a texture that will hold together when formed into patties.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, press it flat, cover with plastic, and chill for about 20 minutes. Chilling firms the mixture and lets the flavors meld, making it much easier to shape.
Step 3: Shape the patties
Wet the hands with cold water to prevent sticking and form the mixture into oval patties about 1/2 inch thick. Lightly season both sides with kosher salt — Chef John tasted a small cooked piece of the filling and chose to add a sprinkle of salt externally, but seasoning can be adjusted either way.
Step 4: Brown the patties
In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm a mix of vegetable oil and butter. Brown the patties about 2–3 minutes per side until they develop good color. They will be mostly cooked through at this stage but should not be fully done — they’ll finish cooking while simmering in the sauce. Transfer browned patties to a plate and reserve.
Step 5: Make the mushroom pan sauce (roux method)
Turn the heat back to medium-high and add the sliced mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Cook the mushrooms, stirring, until they’re deeply browned — the darker they get, the more flavor and color they’ll contribute to the sauce. Add the onion (or light green onion parts) and cook briefly to remove the raw edge.
Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for about two minutes to toast the flour and form a roux. This step removes the pasty taste and builds body for the sauce. Gradually add chicken broth while scraping the browned bits from the pan to dissolve all the caramelized goodness into the liquid.
Once back to a simmer, stir in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and the juice of half a lemon. The lemon adds a bright lift that contrasts nicely with the savory mustard and Worcestershire — a small but impactful tweak. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about four minutes until the mixture reduces slightly and begins to thicken.
Step 6: Finish the Salisbury steaks in the sauce
Lower the heat to medium-low, nestle the browned chicken patties back into the sauce, and baste them generously. Simmer for about five minutes, basting occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked and heated through. Adjust sauce thickness by reducing longer for a thicker gravy or shortening the reduction if a thinner sauce is preferred. As Chef John says, home cooks are the "kitchen fairies" — they get to decide the final texture.
Step 7: Plate, garnish, and serve
Spoon the mushrooms and gravy over the patties for an attractive presentation. Garnish with the green tops of the green onions for a fresh pop of color. Serve over a big pile of mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce — the classic and most satisfying pairing.
"The breast meat worked out beautifully." — Chef John
Expert tips and variations
- Try thighs: If you want more richness and less worry about dryness, use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breast — the recipe will be even better.
- Chill for easy shaping: Pressing the mixture flat and refrigerating makes forming neat patties much easier.
- Test and adjust salt: Cook a small pinch of the mix before shaping to check seasoning, then adjust as needed.
- Control sauce thickness: Reduce longer for a glossy, thick gravy or stop earlier for a looser sauce.
- Serve classic: Plate over mashed potatoes — the best vehicle for this mushroom-laced sauce.
Why this is a great example of cooking, easy recipes
This Chicken Salisbury Steak shows that comforting, homey dishes don’t need to be fussy. With a handful of pantry staples and straightforward techniques — pulsing the chicken, chilling the mix, browning, making a roux, and simmering — the result is a fast, easy, and beautiful meal. It’s a delightful addition to any weeknight roster and proof that small swaps (like using chicken) can yield surprisingly excellent results.
Happy cooking and enjoy this tasty, approachable spin on a classic comfort dish.
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