White Wine Chicken Recipe (2024)

byBeth Le Manach

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If you are looking to get out of your weekly rotation of chicken recipes, my white wine chicken recipe is a great one for switching things up! It’s tender and flavorful thanks to the sautéed mushrooms and shallots and the sauce is delicious when combined with some crusty bread or mashed potatoes!

I find it’s one of the easiest white wine chicken recipes because it doesn’t take many ingredients and can be prepared easily on a weeknight if you plan ahead! This is also ideal if Valentine’s Day or a birthday falls on a weeknight. For more romantic dinner ideas see my 7 Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas post.

For another easy chicken recipe try my Lemon Thyme Spatchco*ck Chicken, an easy sheet pan dinner where the chicken and potatoes roast all on one pan.

White Wine Chicken Recipe (1)

What to Serve with This Recipe?

  • Any type of potato side dish pairs beautifully with this recipe.
  • My personal favorites are Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes for a smooth creamy texture that soaks up the white wine sauce nicely
  • Or for a crispy crunch try my Crispy Smashed Potato Recipe
  • For something fancy try my Twice Baked Potato Recipe
  • Or you could also serve this with buttered rice and parsley

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below

Step #1: Cook The Chicken Breasts

  • For this recipe, I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
  • I find it’s easier to buy them already pounded into cutlets, because not only does it save time but they will also cook quicker than regular chicken breasts.

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Benefits of Sautéing with Butter and Oil?

  • When sautéing chicken breasts I like to use a combination of olive oil and butter.
  • The olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, so you can heat the oil to a higher temperature than butter.
  • But the butter adds some nice flavor that will eventually contribute to the sauce.

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A Soft Sear Creates Tender Chicken

  • Cooking the chicken gently in oil and butter protects the chicken from scorching and results in a more tender piece of meat.
  • At this stage, the chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked through, just lightly sautéed on each side.
  • You’ll cook it completely at a later stage. Then you can transfer the chicken to a plate to rest, while you prepare the sauce.

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Step #2: Cook the Shallots and Mushrooms

  • I really love the addition of shallots and mushrooms in this recipe. I find it adds a bit more interest and texture to the dish.
  • To begin, you’ll sauté up some shallots on medium-high heat until they are translucent and fragrant. I like to give those a head start before adding the mushrooms, to bring out their best flavor.

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Why Slicing Your Own Mushrooms Works Best

  • It’s best to slice the mushrooms yourself, as opposed to buying them pre-sliced, because you can control the thickness that way.
  • Thinner mushrooms will create a better texture with the sauce and is easier to eat that way too.
  • They also cook quicker the thinner they are as well!
  • And if you have leftover mushrooms you can also try my Cream of Mushroom Soup with Crispy Leeks, a great soup recipe for the fall!

Make-Ahead Tip:

  • You can pre-slice the mushrooms and chop the shallots in advance and keep them covered and refrigerated.
  • That way it’s a bit easier to throw together once it’s time to cook.

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#3: Create the White Wine Sauce

Once the mushrooms and shallots have cooked down you’ll season them with salt and pepper and then add the white wine.

What is the Best White Wine to Cook With?

  • When preparing chicken dishes, I find Chardonnay to be the best choice because the flavor is deeper and will create a more flavorful sauce.
  • However crisper white wines like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc would also work.

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Reducing the Wine Sauce

  • Cook your sauce until you’ve reduced the wine to about a third.
  • This will cook off the alcoholic taste and deepen the flavor of the sauce.
  • Then you can transfer this mixture to a bowl to rest while you create the rest of the sauce.

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Seasoning the Sauce

  • Once the base of the sauce has been made you will season with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and some flat-leaf parsley.
  • At this stage, you’ll add back in the mushroom and shallot mixture, stirring to combine and warm the veggies through.

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Cooking the Chicken Breasts Through

After the sauce is prepared, you can then add the chicken breasts back in, spooning the white wine sauce over the chicken and simmering until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

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Plating this Recipe:

  • I like to serve this recipe in a shallow dish, and garnish with some more flat-leaf parsley.
  • You’ll love this recipe because it’s super easy and delicious and always wows a crowd!

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Please let me know if you make this recipe

by leaving a rating and review below

White Wine Chicken Recipe (12)

White Wine Chicken Recipe

Yield: serves 4

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

White Wine Chicken is a great chicken recipe for a weeknight meal that's also elegant enough for entertaining too.

Ingredients

  • 4 (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
  • 4 tbsp (60 g) butter, separated
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 shallot, mined
  • 1 cup (150 g) white mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, separated
  • 2 tbsp (15 g) flour
  • 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
  • 3 dashed Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh parsley, minced
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, both sides. Heat 1 tbsp (15 g) butter and 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil in a large skillet. Once sizzling, place chicken in skillet and sauté on both sides until almost cooked through but not completely. Set chicken aside on a plate to rest.
  2. Meanwhile, sauté shallots and mushroom in the pan drippings until soft and tender. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Then deglaze pan with ¼ cup (60 ml) of the wine, scrapping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the mixture by 1/3 and then transfer it to a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a cleaned-out skillet, melt 3 tbsp (45 g) of butter. Once foamy add the flour, cook for 1 minute until a paste forms. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and remaining ¼ cup of wine and simmer, whisking all the while, until thickened. Then whisk in the garlic, milk, Worcestershire sauce and parsley. Then add in the cooked shallots and mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
  4. Add the chicken to the sauce, spooning it over the chicken, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, to finish cooking the chicken all the way through.
  5. Transfer chicken to a small platter or shallow casserole dish and spoon sauce over it.
  6. This dish pairs really well with my smashed or mashed potato recipes!

Notes

To save time you could cook the mushroom shallot mixture in advance.

If you don't drink alcohol you could replace the quantity of wine with more chicken broth

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 231Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 373mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 20g

White Wine Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is white cooking wine good for chicken? ›

That's right, wine—especially dry whites—make a great companion to poultry while it's still in the oven. Here, we share our favorite recipes and which wines work best to bring out the best in chicken.

What is the best white wine for cooking chicken sauce? ›

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are dry white wines but add different flavor notes when cooking based on their sugar content. Chardonnay pairs well with poultry or when reduced in a cream sauce, while Sauvignon Blanc adds a crisp, fruity, floral, and herb flavor to vegetables.

How to make white meat chicken taste good? ›

The key is marinating the chicken in a mixture of garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, and allspice. The acidity of the orange and lime juice prevents the meat from becoming mushy when cooking.

Does wine tenderize chicken? ›

Wine is a great ingredient in marinades.

Wine is basically an acid ingredient (which helps tenderize the outside of the meat) and it has a lot of flavor.

What happens when you cook with white wine? ›

Using wine in place of some or all of the vinegar in classic beurre blanc and Béarnaise sauces will make them less acidic and more complex. Wine also adds depth to and cuts the richness of cream-based sauces. You might even want to try whisking a little white wine into your scrambled eggs or omelet before cooking.

What white wine is best for baked chicken? ›

White Meat vs. Dark Meat – As a general rule, white meat such as chicken or turkey breast pairs well with white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, while dark meat like duck and other game go well with medium-bodied red wines such as Pinot Noir or Zinfandel.

Can you use white cooking wine instead of chicken broth? ›

Yes, you can use white wine in place of broth in a recipe. White wine can be used as a stand-in for broth when used to deglaze a pan or as a 1:1 replacement in most dishes . However, keep in mind that using white wine in place of broth will result in a slightly different flavor profile in the recipe .

What does cooking wine do to chicken? ›

The main thing wine provides in cooking is acidity, which helps break down tougher cuts of meat when used in a marinade or keeps them tender in longer-duration cooking methods like braising.

Can you use old white wine for cooking? ›

The truth is that you can use old wine for cooking a variety of dishes. Whether you use red or white wine doesn't matter. You can cook with wine for up to two months or longer after the bottle has been opened. Even if the wine you use for cooking is unfit for drinking.

What is the most flavorful way to cook chicken? ›

Getting a good sear through medium high heat, then reducing the heat to LOW and COVERING the chicken while it cooks. The butter, oil, and chicken juices create a super flavorful liquid that acts as a way to steam the chicken at a low temperature, ensuring that it is moist & tender on the inside.

What brings out the flavor in chicken? ›

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

How do you keep white meat chicken moist? ›

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook. The simplest way to do this is with a dry brine — unwrap the chicken breasts, salt them on both sides and let them sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Can you marinate chicken in wine too long? ›

Information. Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

How long can you marinate in wine? ›

Marinate for a long time- It makes sense to marinate meat or veggies that you will cook with red wine for a couple of hours or more. The longer you soak, more pronounced the flavors emerge. To cook meat like lamb and beef, the ideal marinating duration is 4-5 hours and you can also opt for overnight marinade.

What do you soak chicken in to tenderize? ›

By the six-hour mark, the most tenderizing marinades were the same—orange juice, lemon juice, tomato sauce, and yogurt—with the addition of rice vinegar. The buttermilk-marinated chicken was a bit more tender than before, but still not quite as soft as the others.

Which wine is best for chicken? ›

A simple roasted chicken, for example, pairs equally well with a full-flavored red, a medium-bodied rosé, or a dry white. Also, an oaked Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir will be great. If you have a dark, savory gravy, go for a medium-bodied red like a Côtes du Rhône.

Is cooking white wine the same as white wine? ›

Cooking wine tends to be higher in alcohol, coming in at around 16 to 17 percent. This is intentional, since alcohol burns off during cooking— the higher the alcohol level, the longer it takes to burn off. A cooking wine also contains salt, some preservatives and in some cases, a sweetener.

What alcohol is best for cooking chicken? ›

Southern France is known for chicken cooked in red wine, but in northern France, chicken is often cooked in dark beer with onions to get a rich, caramelized flavor. Non-alcoholic version: Use a dark non-alcoholic beer or 1 cup of chicken broth in place of the dark beer.

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