Pan-Seared Chicken with Creamy Pear Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This pan-seared chicken recipe features juicy chicken cutlets in a rich, velvety cream sauce infused with sweet pear, garlic and thyme. The sauce is perfectly balanced with a touch of Dijon mustard and a splash of white wine vinegar, creating a sophisticated flavor that’s both comforting and elegant.

Serve the chicken over a bed of buttery garlic mashed potatoes and pair it with a crisp mixed greens salad tossed in a tangy Dijon vinaigrette and topped with fresh pear slices. Every element comes together for a complete, restaurant-quality meal that’s surprisingly simple to make at home.

Log in to save recipes and build weekly shopping lists.

Ingredients

3 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce PotatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce Cream Sauce BaseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit PearView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 teaspoon White Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce Mixed GreensView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 teaspoon Dried ThymeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 clove GarlicView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Chicken CutletsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 teaspoon Dijon MustardView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon (tbsp) Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon (tbsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 tablespoon (tbsp) ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. Peel and dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Place in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid (1 cup for 4 servings), then drain. Return potatoes to pot and mash with sour cream and 2 tablespoons butter (4 tablespoons for 4) until smooth and creamy, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
2. While potatoes cook, trim, peel and thinly slice shallots. Place half the shallots in a small bowl with cold water; set aside to soak. Peel and mince or grate garlic. Halve, core and thinly slice pear.
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer chicken to a plate. Wipe out pan.
4. While chicken cooks, in a large bowl, whisk together half the mustard, half the vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper (2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon sugar for 4 servings). In a medium bowl, combine cream sauce base, stock concentrate, remaining mustard and remaining vinegar. Set aside until ready to use in next step.
5. Heat a large drizzle of oil in pan used for chicken over medium heat. Add garlic, half the pear, half the thyme (all for 4 servings) and remaining shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and pear begins to soften, 2-4 minutes. Add sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce begins to thicken, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter (2 tablespoons for 4). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; turn chicken to coat in sauce.
6. To bowl with dressing, add mixed greens, soaked shallot (draining first) and remaining pear; toss to combine. Divide chicken and mashed potatoes between plates in separate sections. Top chicken and mashed potatoes with pear sauce. Serve with salad on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use chicken breasts instead of cutlets?

Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets or pound them to even thickness for faster, more even cooking.

What can I substitute for cream sauce base?

If you don’t have cream sauce base, you can make a quick substitute by whisking together 4 ounces of heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch until smooth. This will thicken similarly when heated.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

To make it dairy-free, substitute the butter with a plant-based butter or oil, use a dairy-free sour cream alternative and replace the cream sauce base with full-fat coconut milk or a dairy-free creamer. The flavor will change slightly but will still be delicious.