Enjoy this refreshing Chicken in White Wine Sauce on a hot Summer’s Night. Light, bright and easy, the chicken is cooked in a lemon wine sauce then sprinkled with a combo of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
This is a simple straight forward recipe for pan seared chicken & white wine sauce. And with no cream, it’s fresh and light! Quick and easy, it also comes with that special and elegant restaurant feel.
I was browsing a very old Williams and Sonoma cookbook right after the holidays at about the time I needed a break from all that rich food. This recipe was exactly what the doctor ordered.
This fresh lemon white wine chicken recipe will also be perfect for a summer evening meal.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are seared, then simmered in a lemon white wine sauce.
Then topped with a combination of parsley, garlic and lemon zest, a mix reminiscent of gremolata that finishes the famous Italian dish, Osso Buco.
The recipe is so easy, that you’ll find yourself turning to it again and again, no matter how busy your life seems.
Keep things light and serve this chicken with a perfect little tossed salad or a vegetable side dish such as this Green Vegetable Medley.
While you’re shopping for ingredients, pick up a loaf of rustic crusty bread to dip in the lemony wine sauce. You’ll want to sop up every drop of flavor.
I’m obsessed with this recipe on so many levels. Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast. Tip, purchase chicken breast from a reputable, and local (if possible) source. Chicken breasts from factory farmed providers are overly large due to practices to grow chickens larger and faster. In my opinion, they’re harder to cook and keep tender, and many times have a rubbery texture. Stick with the slightly more expensive route and choose a reputable company. It’s especially important for delicate recipes like this pan seared chicken breast. A good example is Red Bird Farms.
- Lemon, for fresh squeezed juice. Don’t try to save time by using bottled lemon juice.
- Chicken Broth
- White Wine
- Parsley
- Flour
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is always a better choice that chopped jarred garlic.
- Olive Oil
Ingredient Substitutions
- White Wine: If you prefer not to use white wine, just substitute with additional chicken broth.
- Oil: Olive oil is used to sautee the chicken breasts. You can substitute canola or vegetable oil.
- If you prefer this recipe to be gluten free, simply dust the chicken with gluten free flour. I wouldn’t skip the flour, because it’s presence on the chicken helps thicken the sauce a bit.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy!
- Step 1: Finely chop the garlic cloves. In a small bowl stir together 2 – 3 cloves of the minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest, reserving two chopped garlic cloves.
- Step 2: Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Spread the flour on a plate and add the salt and pepper, stir to combine. Lightly coat both sides of each chicken breast with the flour. Shake off any excess.
Pro Tip Knife Skills: Always keep the hand that’s gripping the knife clean and dry. A wet hand could cause slips resulting in nicks or worse a nasty slice on your hand.Â
- Step 3: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the chicken and saute, turning once until lightly browned. About two minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 4: Add the chicken stock, lemon juice and white wine. Stir to remove any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about three minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Continue until chicken is cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to determine an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
- Step 5: Remove chicken to plates. Bring the sauce to a boil and pour over each chicken breast.
Presentation Tip: Serve this chicken & white wine sauce in a large shallow white bowl with a few slices or wedges of lemon.
FAQ’s
You can, however, the presentation will not be as pleasing. Bone and skinned chicken thighs are very irregular and odd in shape. However, the flavor will be enhanced by the dark meat and the cooking instructions will stay the same.
Keep it dry. Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. And remember the rule, always cook with wine you’d drink. But no need to break the bank. Save those expensive whites to pair with that special dinner.
Using red wine would change the entire profile of the delicate bright flavors that white wine and lemon brings to this recipe. Stick with white wine.
Tips
- Use a meat mallet to gently pound the chicken breasts to make them more even in thickness. No need to turn them into cutlets, you just want to them to cook evenly.
Leftovers and Storage
- This chicken in wine sauce is best when served fresh. But leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, in an airtight container.
- You can also freeze them. Add chicken and any left over sauce to a zip-lock style freezer bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze for up to three months.
- To reheat, let chicken thaw in the refrigerator overnight. I like to use the microwave and reheat any leftovers at 50% power in one-minute increments. Food seems to react better to the lower temperature reheating.
Side Dishes, What To Serve?
- Keep this dinner fresh and light and serve it with a side salad. Hearts of Palm with Avocado is a nice choice here.
- Potatoes are always a popular side. Check out this recipe for Garlic Butter Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes, or this recipe for Zucchini Potato Skillet.
- A healthy side dish option would be this Martha Stewart recipe for Green Vegetable Medley. It’s wonderful.
- Or how about simple mashed potatoes, or Green Beans.
I hope you give this chicken & white wine sauce recipe a try. Even with my large collection of Chicken Recipes, this is at the top of the list for favorites. And don’t miss the most popular chicken dish on my site for Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Skillet.
More Fresh Chicken Recipes
- Quicker Chicken Bolognese with Spaghetti (using ground chicken)
- Boneless Chicken Thighs with Lemon Cream Sauce
- Grilled Chicken Thigh Kabobs with Greek Yogurt Sauce
- Grilled Chicken Breast Kabobs with Maple Syrup Glaze
Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 – 5 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup Italian parsley flat leaf, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper black or white,
- 4 Chicken Breast Halves boneless, skinless, about 1/2 pound each
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3/4 Cup chicken broth
- 1/2 Cup lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot grigio
Instructions
- Finely chop the garlic cloves. In a small bowl stir together 2 – 3 cloves of the minced garlic, parsley and lemon zest, reserving 2 chopped garlic cloves.
- Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Spread the flour on a plate. Lightly coat both sides of each chicken breast with the flour. Shake off any excess.
- Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the chicken and saute, turning once until lightly browned. About 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the remaining chopped garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice and white wine. Stir to remove any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan and reduce heat to medium Cook until chicken is cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to determine internal temperature is 160 degrees.
- Remove chicken to plates. Pour the sauce over each chicken breast.
- Top each breast with some of the parsley mixture.
Notes
- Use a meat mallet to gently pound the chicken breasts to make them more even in thickness. No need to turn them into cutlets, you just want to them to cook evenly.
- This chicken is best when served fresh. But leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, in an airtight container.
- You can also freeze them. Add chicken and any left over sauce to a zip-lock style freezer bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze for up to three months.
- To reheat, let chicken thaw in the refrigerator overnight. I like to use the microwave and reheat any leftovers at 50% power in one-minute increments. Food seems to react better to the lower temperature reheating.
Nutrition
Chicken & White Wine Sauce … It’s What’s for Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Your first shot sure displays your presentation skills. There is not much about big city living that appeals to me but having places around like Red Bird Farms is one of the advantages. I have to give the breasts we buy a heavy dose of the Jaccard to not have the chicken you described. This dish looks delicious and I think we won’t wait until a warm summer evening to give it a try. Glad you are able to easily access my posts again.