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This creamy white wine chicken is incredibly easy to make on a weeknight but good enough for company! It’s ready in only 30 minutes for an impressive yet simple meal.
I think you’ll enjoy my popular Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe, Creamy Mushroom Chicken, or Creamy Chicken Florentine next for a few more hassle-free skillet chicken recipes.
Why you’ll love it
If you’re a regular around here, you’ll know that I really enjoy creating creamy chicken recipes. There’s just something so undeniably special about pairing tender chicken with a white wine sauce, flavorful herbs, and then when you add in a splash of cream, it’s a restaurant-quality dish at home.
This white wine chicken would make a fabulous date night meal, and it also doubles as a fantastic dinner after a long workday! It also happens to be a great and accessible chicken recipe for beginners, and it’s really satisfying to feel like a gourmet home chef. Who knew the simplicity of this easy white wine sauce for chicken could taste so heavenly?
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into four smaller cutlets so they will cook faster
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, we’re seasoning the cutlets directly with it to infuse savory flavor
- Flour – for dredging and getting that irresistible crust when pan searing and thickening the sauce
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying and making the base of the sauce
- White wine – use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay. Make sure it’s one you actually enjoy the taste of since its flavor shines, and definitely don’t use a cooking wine.
- Chicken broth – it adds another deeper, savory dimension to the sauce
- Herbs de Provence – it’s fragrant herb blend that includes dried herbs like thyme and rosemary and then lavender for a special touch. It’s wonderful with poultry, so I always keep a jar in my pantry! You should be able to find it at most grocery stores.
- Heavy cream – to give the sauce its signature luxurious texture and taste
Pro tip
As with any creamy sauce, it’s important to salt this one enough to properly bring out all the delicious flavors.
How to make creamy white wine chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to make four smaller cutlets. Season them with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then dredge with the flour. Pan fry until lightly golden, and then set aside on a plate. In the skillet, add the wine and chicken broth. Let it bubble for a bit, and scrape up the brown bits.
Add the remaining butter and the Herbs de Provence, and simmer. Stir in the cream, and return the chicken to the skillet. Let the sauce thicken and the chicken cook through. Garnish with chopped parsley if using, add extra salt & pepper as needed, and serve right away along with drinking the rest of the bottle of wine!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Chicken is done at 165F internally. Use an instant read thermometer for perfect results every time.
- This is my fave Le Creuset skillet pictured, and this budget-friendly Lodge skillet is another good one.
- Measure out butter easily with this butter dish — it has measurement markings right on it.
Substitutions and variations
- I would advise against substituting the heavy cream for a lower fat alternative like half-and-half. The sauce is very likely to curdle, and nobody wants that to happen. It also won’t have the desired texture, taste, or richness.
- If you can’t find Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning will be a decent substitute. It has a number of the same herby flavors, but keep in mind that it does lack the floral lavender quality.
- You can definitely use chicken thighs, but you’ll likely have to sear them for longer. Just make sure they’re cooked through to at least 175F (I like to go higher for chicken thighs so they end up nice and tender).
What to serve with white wine chicken
- For a starchy option, serve it over pasta like these Quick and Easy Garlic Butter Noodles or with Garlic Mashed Potatoes or my Roasted Potatoes and Carrots. This Stick of Butter Rice is another option.
- You could also steam some broccolini or serve sweet corn or Easy Roasted Cauliflower or Roasted Green Beans with it.
- Or make a side salad for a lighter pairing. Try mixed greens with my Homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- This creamy chicken is best when freshly made, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a very low heat and slowly so that the sauce doesn’t separate.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers. Cream sauces don’t do very well in the freezer.
I hope you’ll give this creamy white wine chicken recipe a try! Please leave a star rating and review below. As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 pinch Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning)
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving optional
Instructions
- Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and garlic powder, then dredge them in flour so they’re nicely coated.
- Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes/side until golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside (chicken shouldn’t be fully cooked yet).
- Add the wine and chicken broth to the pan and let it bubble for about a minute. Stir to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining butter and the Herbs de Provence to the pan, and continue simmering for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cream and the chicken back into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed and sprinkle with fresh parsley if using.
Notes
- I suggest reheating this recipe at a low heat so the sauce doesn’t separate.
- Chicken is safe to eat when it has an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness.
- This recipe also appears in chapter 3 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on February 13, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Absolutely delicious, served this for entertaining. Will certainly use this recipe again.
I’m thrilled to hear that, Margaret! 😀
I stick with the heavy cream, I’ve cooked in many kitchens, and that’s how it’s done. Never heard of the sour cream. I like to saute a little shallots with a couple cloves of garlic right before adding the white wine.. Over all your recipe is darn good.
Agreed. Glad you liked the recipe!
Can this recipe be made for 50 or more people, and if so what is the best way to prepare it?
Hi! Ahhh I haven’t ever cooked for that many people at once. I’m always hesitant to make suggestions since I’d really hate for something to go wrong. Chicken breasts can get overcooked easily, and cream sauces don’t always reheat great. With that said, I’d probably make it in batches and reheat in the oven. I would do a test run with reheating a smaller batch ahead of time so you can ensure that timing is correct.
I have recently been using a sous vide to cook chicken, then a quick sear in a fry pan to finish, and it would be a great technique to use to cook this dish for 50 people. It will cook the chicken and keep it hot without danger of overcooking the chicken.
That’s a great idea!
I make this over and over. One of our favorite quick dinners!
Awesome!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Can you add sour cream
Like instead of the heavy cream? I don’t recommend it.
Another winner! That sauce was incredible. Served ours tonight with mash and green beans. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Yay! You’re very welcome, Amanda! 😀
I put mine in the oven for 20 mins, when it was time to add the cream and chicken back to the pan. I simply heated the cream in the deglazed wine-and-chicken-broth sauce in the pan, then poured it all over the browned chicken breasts in a glass casserole dish. Baked it uncovered for 20 mins @ 350°F in a preheated oven. Perfection! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Another winner! The sauce was probably one of the best I have ever made but it was made slightly differently from yours. My Herbs de Provence was somewhere near twenty years old…so I doubled that. And I recently bought fermented dried black garlic from Trader Joes that I have been working into most of my recipes. I used half of that and half regular garlic powder…I can’t tell you if it made it better, but the dish was delicious :). Thank you, as always.
I’m so happy you liked it! Love the black garlic idea!
This looks awesome but you kill me using heavy cream in so many of your recipes. I would love to make these but need some healthier options or alternatives.
Hi Jodie! I’m an everything in moderation type eater… I’d always rather have a little bit of the real thing in a smaller portion and not eat it every day vs. using lower fat alternatives that don’t taste as good/work as well in recipes such as this one. My creamy recipes are extremely popular, but there are actually hundreds of recipes on here without any cream… try browsing here for all posts in chronological order: https://bit.ly/3Bfs2Ax or check out my “healthy” category: https://bit.ly/3AMQjMV
What can you substitute for the white wine?
Try chicken broth and a half teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard.