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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!
I saw this recipe online…..looks Delicious. I can’t wait to try it. I also shared it with some friends who are going to try it too.I have never cooked with wine and wanted to know what is the name of the wine you used? Thanks
Hi Erica! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Oh geez… honesty I have no idea what wine I bought. I usually just buy whatever’s on sale or whatever my husband picks (he’s the wine expert in our family haha). Any dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio will be fine. 🙂 Let me know how the recipe goes!
What herbs are in the herbs de Provence? Can I use normal seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, onion) and a drop of lavender essential oil? I haven’t cooked with lavender before.
Hi! I wouldn’t use the lavender oil because it’ll be way too strong. Also, not all essential oils are food grade. I’d just use a standard Italian seasoning blend if you don’t have herbs de Provence. The lavender is really subtle (it’s just dried lavender) in herbs de Provence.
Thanks, I have food grade E.O.’s! I look forward on trying this tonight!
Let me know how it goes! ❤️
I tried this recipe tonight and was blown away on how tasty it turned out. Two twist on the recipe for me, first I used fresh garlic after scraping the brown bits. Second, I also had the chance to try a home made heavy cream from YouTube since I didn’t have any at hand. Lots of first tonight. Thank you for this recipe! 🙂
I am so pleased to hear it, Nancy!! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Cooked this today for a big extended family lunch. Thank you for making our meal delicious and also stress free as it was such an easy recipe to follow 👍🏻 Definitely a keeper.
I am so pleased to hear it!! Thanks for leaving me a comment. 😀
Pamela…. try again with less heat… and waaaaayyyyy less sass…. you had the cooking temperature up way too high…
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was great (and got compliments from family without me having to ask “how is it?”). My only change was sautéing diced onion and garlic after the chicken was browned and before adding the chicken stock/wine. I unfortunately didn’t cut my chicken thin enough (and it was not fully thawed, my bad!) so I ended up putting the pan in the oven for 15 minutes to cook more thoroughly. The sauce ended up reducing a bit too much because of that, so I’ll probably make more sauce than needed next time, because the sauce is DELICIOUS!!
Excellent… so happy everyone liked it!
Made this tonight, doubling everything and it was amazing!! I did cut up asparagus and mushrooms into small pieces and added it when I added the chicken back in. Cooked slightly longer to soften Andy it was awesome!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Danielle!
Made this with my own twist! Usually make something similar but this was totally different and yummy!
I am so happy you gave this a try and liked it, Maddison! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
That was delicious. Thanks.
Served it with green beans and roasted potatoes. Mmmmm
Awesome, thanks for leaving me a comment, Allan! So pleased you liked it.
this was DELICIOUS! thank you so much!!
You are very welcome, Alex!