Copycat Mushroom Chicken
Making copycat mushroom chicken that tastes better than take-out? You bet! This one is fresh, tasty, and easy to make. It’s no wonder this recipe is a hit!
Loaded with fresh vegetables, and tender chicken, this is a family favorite for sure! It is the one we always get when we go out, so why not make it at home for less than $20.00?
Did I just say you can feed a family of 4 for under 20 bucks? Yes, I did! I spent 19.69 on all of the ingredients and had extra chicken too! I paired it with some quick rice cooker fried rice whipped up with ingredients from the pantry to make it a full meal.
What You Need
Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless. I cannot seem to find these in small, one dish sized packages. That’s fine though, I can grill the extra for quick lunches anytime, or save for a future meal. Thighs have a better flavor and retain moisture better than breasts, so go for the dark meat for this dish.
Fresh vegetables highlight this meal with the dark green from the zucchini, and the tenderness of the mushrooms. I always opt for fresh vegetables as they are better for you and taste much better than either frozen or canned.
Add in a few pantry staples like soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, rice vinegar and oyster sauce and you’ve got it made! Do those not sound like pantry staples? Yeah, before I started cooking from scratch and expanding my pallet, they weren’t for me either. Now I have a very well stocked pantry filled with amazing flavors.
Putting it Together
Start by mixing up the marinade and cutting the chicken thighs. Combine all the ingredients together and let the chicken soak up the flavors for about 20 to 30 minutes while you prepare the rest.
As the chicken marinates, cut up your vegetables and mix up the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet and add the chicken to brown. Once the chicken is about 3/4 cooked through, add in the vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetable mixture and stir to coat well. Reduce heat and cover to allow the vegetables to steam as the sauce thickens. After about 10 minutes, you are ready to serve.
Tomorrows Lunch
Pack any leftovers into an airtight container to take to work the next day. This dish will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Heat thoroughly and enjoy while making your friends at the office jealous.
This is seriously one of my favorites. I can see making a half batch just for lunch one day. For the twenty dollars I spent, we had plenty left over to eat the next day. A go to flavorful, healthy meal on a budget for sure!
Copycat Mushroom Chicken Better than Take Out
Ingredients
Ingredients
Marinade
Sauce
Instructions
- Dice Chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Combine Soy sauce, Rice vinegar, Sesame oil and Corn starch for the marinade. Mix well, add chicken, and toss to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Clean and cut Zucchini and Mushrooms. Mince Garlic and Ginger. Set aside.
- Combine Water, Soy sauce, Oyster sauce, Rice vinegar, Brown Sugar, and Corn starch. Set aside.
- Heat Vegetable oil in large skillet, add Chicken. Brown on all sides, stirring frequently. About 5 minutes.
- Combine Zucchini, Mushrooms, Garlic, and Ginger with Chicken. Lightly brown zucchini for 5 minutes.
- Pour sauce over mixture, stir. Reduce heat and cover and let thicken. About 10 minutes.
- Serve warm over noodles or rice. Enjoy!
More Budget Meals:
Times are hard, food is expensive. Try out these other great meal ideas that you can make for under $5.00 a plate!
Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches with a Tangy Twist
The Most Amazing Crockpot French Onion Pork Tenderloin
Easy and Delicious Slow Cooker Poblano Chicken with Rice
Easy and Delicious Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo