Tender, seared chicken breasts coated in a blend of spices and tossed in a garlicky white wine sauce is elegant enough for a dinner party, but simple enough for an easy weeknight meal!
The whole family loves chicken but a lot of chicken breast recipes are boring, let’s face it. Easy to make but lacking in flavor or they are dry. This easy chicken recipe is a great option to turn that around. It makes a moist piece of chicken and the creamy white wine sauce is the best (serve it with lots of sauce)!
You can serve this tender chicken (and of course the white wine pan sauce) over wild rice, regular rice, egg noodles, long pasta with some crusty bread and sprigs of thyme for garnish. Delicious with our green beans almondine recipe for a side dish too!
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Recipe Ingredient Notes
Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts. You’ll need four equal size chicken breasts for a total weight of about 2 pounds. Using similar size chicken breasts ensures they will all cook evenly in the same amount of time. Thicker breasts work best to retain their moisture during cooking.
Seasonings. This really turns this chicken dish into a crowd pleaser! Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.
Unsalted butter. This is used in the sauce. Using unsalted butter lets you control the saltiness to taste.
Olive oil. Used for searing the chicken. Any cooking oil will do, but we prefer to use olive oil.
Shallot. Shallots add so much flavor to this dish! They’re mildly garlicky, and add a subtle, savory sweetness to the pan sauce.
Garlic. Garlic adds flavor and pairs well with the wine.
Lemon. You’ll use lemon wedges. Lemon adds a bit of acid and zing to this dish.
Dry white wine. A dry white wine is best for this recipe. Choose a dry chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc.
Dijon mustard. Dijon helps to bind the pan sauce together with great flavor.
Heavy cream: Thickens the sauce and adds flavor.
Chicken Broth or stock. Either stock or broth can be used but choose low-sodium. This again lets you control the saltiness of the dish.
Cornstarch. This will be made into a slurry with water to thicken the pan sauce. We use this instead of a flour slurry because it adds no flavor (flour does) and there is no concern about cooking it to a certain temperature to be safe as there is with flour.
Chopped Italian parsley. Add chopped parsley to finish off this dish. It adds a wonderful pop of color and extra herb-y flavor.
How to make Chicken in White Wine Sauce
STEP 1. Season the chicken
In a small bowl mix the spices together (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, pepper, salt). Pat away any excess moisture on the chicken with a paper towel. Coat the chicken well on all sides with the seasoning mixture (photo 1).
STEP 2. Sear the chicken
Heat olive oil in a large pan or large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken breasts in the pan and sear for 5-6 minutes; flip and sear 5-6 minutes on this side (photo 2). You’ll have a golden brown crust on the outside. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
STEP 3. Make the sauce
Reduce the heat to medium-low (don’t clean the pan) and add the shallot, garlic, and lemon wedges (photo 3). Sauté for 2-3 minutes scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you cook (a wooden spoon works great for this) (photo 4).
Stir in the white wine and cook until it reduces to half. Stir in the butter, Dijon mustard, broth, and heavy cream (photo 5-6).
STEP 4. Thicken the sauce
In a small bowl whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly add it to the sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens (photos 7-8).
Return the chicken to the pan (photo 9), coat with sauce to warm the chicken (the internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degree F), top with chopped Italian parsley (photos 10).
You’re going to love this next-level skillet chicken served over mashed potatoes, cheesy polenta, or with a simple veggie side!
How to Store
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
How to reheat
Reheating in the microwave: Microwave the leftovers on high with a splash of water or broth for 2-3 minutes, or until completely warm.
Reheating in a pan on the stove: Add some water, broth, or wine to a pan over medium-low heat. Cut the leftover chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pan with leftover broth. Cover the pan with foil and let it warm up for about 3-5 minutes. Uncover and serve.
Expert Tips
Use an instant read thermometer. The most accurate way to check if chicken (or any meat) is cooked through is with an instant read thermometer. This type of thermometer is faster than a traditional meat thermometer so the chicken won’t begin to cool while waiting to get the temperature reading. The internal temperature needs to reach 165 degrees F.
Variations & Substitutions
Substituting chicken thighs. If you don’t have or don’t like to use chicken breasts, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs without any additional changes to the recipe.
If you’d prefer to use bone-in thighs, sear them for 7 minutes on each side. They’ll take a bit longer than breasts as the bone slows the cook process a bit.
Cornstarch substitute. Arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch with the same final result.
Don’t want to use wine? You can still make chicken without wine in the sauce. Substitute extra broth for the wine (1/2 cup) and add 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar. The flavor will be different (still good) and surprisingly similar.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can freeze this recipe in an airtight container for up to 2 months. The consistency of the sauce will change when frozen and thawed (that happens with any cream sauce). If you’re making this recipe with the intent to freeze it, leave the heavy cream out (completely) and add it after you thaw and reheat it (Just stir it in at the end of the reheating process).
Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat using the instructions in the How to Store section.
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Recipe
Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 medium-large boneless skinless chicken breasts approximately 2 pounds total
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium to large shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lemon cut into wedges
- ½ cup dry white wine Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or substitute with arrowroot powder
- Optional for topping: chopped Italian parsley or fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the spices (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, pepper, salt). Pat away any excess moisture on the chicken with a paper towel and coat the chicken well on all sides with the seasoning mixture.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 4 medium-large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Heat olive oil in a large pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and sear on each side for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (don’t clean the pan), and add the shallot, garlic, and lemon wedges. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.1 medium to large shallot, 2 cloves garlic, ½ lemon
- Stir in the white wine and simmer until it reduces by half. Add the butter, Dijon mustard, broth, and heavy cream.2 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup dry white wine, 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 cup low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock, ½ cup heavy cream
- In a small bowl whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly add it to the sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens.2 tablespoon cold water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Return the chicken to the pan and warm through. The chicken should register 165 degrees F internal temperature to be considered done. Top with chopped Italian parsley or fresh thyme sprigs and serve!Optional for topping: chopped Italian parsley or fresh thyme sprigs
Notes
- Substituting chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs without any additional changes to the recipe. If you’d prefer to use bone-in thighs, sear them for 7 minutes on each side. They’ll take a bit longer than breasts as the bone slows the cook process a bit.
- Cornstarch: You can use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch with the same final result.
- Wine: You can still make the sauce chicken without wine. Substitute the wine for extra broth and add 2 tsp white wine vinegar. The flavor will come out different but surprisingly similar.
- In the refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Freezing: You can freeze this recipe in an airtight container for up to 2 months. The consistency of the sauce will change a little bit, though. If you’re making this recipe with the intent to freeze it, leave the heavy cream out (completely) and add it after you thaw and reheat it (Just stir it in at the end of the reheating process).
- If reheating from frozen: Before reheating it, leave it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and continue to reheat using the instructions below.
- Reheating in the microwave: Microwave the leftovers on high with a splash of water or broth for 2-3 minutes, or until completely warm.
- Reheating in a pan on the stove: Add some water, broth, or wine to a pan over medium-low heat. Cut the leftover chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pan with leftover broth. Cover the pan with foil and let it warm up for about 3-5 minutes. Uncover and serve.
Brenda R says
What a delicious recipe. It’s loaded with so much flavor and the sauce is amazing!
Dana says
This is absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. The sauce is incredible. Made it for Sunday dinner and everyone raved about it!
Taylor says
Loved the flavors. Great recipe.
Steve says
Great recipe. My wife said if I keep cooking like this there’s no reason to go out to eat!
Savita says
This recipe is so simple yet turned out so delicious. Loved the flavours of it,
Stephanie says
This chicken was absolutely amazing! So tender, and that sauce was to die for! I served it over pasta and my family loved it!