Chardonnay Chicken

If you’re looking for a fancy, sophisticated, DELICIOUS, but easy dish – look no further.

This Chardonnay Chicken is so much fun to make and it comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or elevated enough for a dinner party!

The sauce. We need to talk about the sauce. You may want to double the recipe just for the sauce alone because it’s so good you’re going to want to pour it over your entire plate. It’s perfectly complex, creamy, slightly tangy, and utterly delicious. I really hope you try this one out!

chardonnay chicken

Why You’ll Love Chardonnay Chicken:

  • Sophisticated Yet Simple: This recipe offers a gourmet taste that’s easy to achieve in your home kitchen.
  • Perfectly Balanced Flavors: The creamy, buttery sauce enriched with Chardonnay and a hint of dijon mustard gives a beautifully balanced flavour that complements the succulent chicken breasts.
  • Versatility in Serving: Whether it’s a fancy dinner party or a casual family meal, this dish fits perfectly. It pairs well with various sides, from classic rice to steamed or sautéed vegetables.
  • Customizable: Easily adapt the recipe to suit your taste or dietary needs with simple substitutions, making it a go-to choice for any occasion.
  • Quick to Prepare: Despite its luxurious taste, the recipe is surprisingly quick to prepare, making it ideal for both busy weeknights and relaxed weekend dinners.
prep for the chardonnay chicken: finely minced shallots, garlic, lemon and chives for garnish

How to Make Chardonnay Chicken:

Step One:

Start by prepping your chicken: pat dry and slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have two thinner pieces. To do this you’ll place one hand on top and use a sharp knife to carefully slice through starting from the thicker end to the thinner end. Season with salt and pepper.

sliced chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper

Step Two:

In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter until melted. Carefully add in the chicken breasts (place away from you so you don’t get any splatter on you!) and sear for about 3 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through. You want a nice golden exterior but don’t want it too hot where it starts to burn. Set to the side and you can loosely cover while we make the sauce.

searing the chicken breasts in a skillet

Step Three:

Reduce the heat and add in the finely minced shallot and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes until softened. Deglaze with half a bottle of Chardonnay and increase heat back up to medium so it comes to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, let that reduce by half (this should take about 5-7 minutes but could take longer depending on your pan/stove! Turn up the heat slightly and stir continuously to help if it’s not reducing quickly enough).

starting the pan sauce with the shallots and garlic

Step Four:

Add in the chicken stock and let this reduce for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once all of the liquid has reduced by half and has thickened (continue to cook until you reach this point) then you can slightly reduce the heat. Add in a squeeze of lemon juice, the dijon, and 1 tbsp of butter. Stir well to incorporate.

chardonnay sauce

Step Five:

Take off the heat and finish the sauce with some heavy cream or creme fraiche. You can nestle the chicken breasts back into the sauce, or you can pour the sauce right over the chicken breasts. I like serving over rice with some sautéed asparagus and chives to garnish on top.

creamy chardonnay sauce

How to Store Chardonnay Chicken:

  • Refrigeration
    • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
  • Reheating
    • In the Oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Place the chicken and sauce in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. The foil helps keep the chicken moist.
    • On the Stove: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally, adding a little extra chicken stock or water if the sauce has thickened too much during storage.
    • Microwave: For a quick option, reheat in the microwave, covered, on medium power. Stir every minute to ensure even heating and prevent the sauce from splattering.
chardonnay chicken

Substitutions for Chardonnay Chicken:

When cooking Chardonnay Chicken, you can easily adjust the recipe to meet various dietary needs or preferences. Here are some substitution ideas:

    • Wine Alternatives: If you prefer not to use alcohol, a substitution for Chardonnay you could try is a mixture of white grape juice with a tablespoon of vinegar added to it, which will mimic the acidity and sweetness of wine.
    • Dairy-Free Options: Replace butter with a plant-based butter alternative, and use a dairy-free cream or full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream to keep the rich texture of the sauce.
    • Vegetarian: Although this recipe features chicken, you can create a vegetarian version by using thickly sliced portobello mushrooms or firm tofu as the protein. Adjust cooking times accordingly.
    • Low-Sodium Adjustments: To reduce the sodium content, use a low-sodium chicken stock and unsalted butter. 
chardonnay chicken

What to Serve with the Chardonnay Chicken:

Chardonnay Chicken is a versatile dish that pairs really well with a variety of sides. Here are some ideas!

  • Starches:
    • Rice: Jasmine or basmati rice makes a fluffy base that absorbs the creamy sauce wonderfully
    • Pasta: Serve over a bed of linguine or fettuccine to make it a hearty meal
    • Potatoes: Mashed potatoes or boiled baby potatoes
    • Polenta: The creamy texture is a nice contrast to the succulent chicken
  • Vegetables:
    • Green Beans: Sautéed or steamed green beans 
    • Asparagus: Lightly grilled, sautéed, or roasted asparagus
    • Spinach or Kale: A quick sauté of greens like spinach or kale in garlic and olive oil makes a healthy and vibrant addition
    • Roasted Vegetables: A medley of roasted carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers 
  • Salads:
    • Caesar Salad
    • Arugula Salad
  • Breads:
    • Garlic Bread: Serve with a side of warm garlic bread to soak up the delicious sauce
    • Baguette: A crusty baguette, either plain or lightly toasted, is perfect for dipping into the creamy sauce
chardonnay chicken

As always, if you try this recipe out please tag me on social! Nothing makes me happier than seeing you make these recipes <3

chardonnay chicken

Chardonnay Chicken

A sophisticated and flavourful dish that comes together in under 30 minutes!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally
  • ½ bottle of Chardonnay
  • 1.5 cups chicken stock I used Kettle & Fire
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Juice from ¼ lemon
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • cup heavy cream
  • Chives or italian parsley to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Start by prepping your chicken: pat dry and slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have two thinner pieces. To do this you’ll place one hand on top and use a sharp knife to carefully slice through starting from the thicker end to the thinner end. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter until melted. Carefully add in the chicken breasts (place away from you so you don’t get any splatter on you!) and sear for about 3 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through. You want a nice golden exterior but don’t want it too hot where it starts to burn. Set to the side and you can loosely cover while we make the sauce.
  • Reduce the heat and add in the finely minced shallot and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes until softened. Deglaze with half a bottle of Chardonnay and increase heat back up to medium so it comes to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, let that reduce by half (this should take about 5-7 minutes but could take longer depending on your pan/stove! Turn up the heat slightly and stir continuously to help if it's not reducing quickly enough).
  • Add in the chicken stock and let this reduce for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once all of the liquid has reduced by half and has thickened (continue to cook until you reach this point) then you can slightly reduce the heat. Add in a squeeze of lemon juice, the dijon, and 1 tbsp of butter. Stir well to incorporate.
  • Take off the heat and finish the sauce with some heavy cream or creme fraiche. You can nestle the chicken breasts back into the sauce, or you can pour the sauce right over the chicken breasts. I like serving over rice with some sautéed asparagus and chives to garnish on top.

Leave A Comment

  1. Erica June 2, 2024 at 7:08 pm - Reply

    1 star
    I don’t know if the proportions were incorrect but the dish was inedible follow this recipe

  2. Linda Hastings June 6, 2024 at 7:50 pm - Reply

    4 stars
    The flavors were there but even though I followed recipe exactly my sauce was very thin. I will make again but will add a bit of pasta water to hopefully thicken it up a bit. Any other suggestions?

    • Brita June 7, 2024 at 1:41 pm - Reply

      Hi there! Sorry to hear that 🙁 I’d recommend reducing it longer to thicken it up. Perhaps turn the heat up slightly to help out!

  3. Jamie W June 8, 2024 at 7:35 pm - Reply

    5 stars
    I’m not sure what the first commenter was talking about, calling the dish inedible following this recipe, but the dish turned out perfectly well following this recipe when I made it. The flavor of the sauce reminds me somewhat of the flavor of a beef stroganoff, which I wasn’t expecting.

    I’d just note that you can probably cut the sauce recipe in half, unless you typically like to drown your chicken in sauces; we found that it made way more sauce than we needed for a single recipe. And the sauce came out unusually thin, by the way. We liked that just fine, but if you don’t, you could spend longer reducing the wine and the broth, or try adding a bit of flour to thicken it.

  4. Whitney June 22, 2024 at 8:00 pm - Reply

    5 stars
    This was a super easy and delicious recipe! I am always looking for recipes with sauces for chicken that aren’t too creamy and this was perfect. I did have to substitute the Chardonnay for Sauvignon Blanc because that is all I had but it still was very tasty. I paired it with rice and broccoli. I will add this to my recipe list to make again for sure!

    • Brita June 24, 2024 at 12:33 pm - Reply

      Great to know it was still tasty with Sauvignon Blanc! Thanks for trying it 🙂

  5. Peter July 1, 2024 at 4:42 pm - Reply

    4 stars
    Recipe is great, the ads all over your site are a bit of an hinderance.

  6. Darlene Schlagel July 10, 2024 at 9:37 am - Reply

    Made this Chardonnay Chicken last night. Flavor was great but couldn’t get the sauce thick. Super thin. I think I will cut liquids in half next time.

    • Brita July 14, 2024 at 8:57 pm - Reply

      Hi there! I’d recommend increasing the heat slightly and reducing for a little longer. Sometimes it can take a bit longer depending on your stove.

  7. Anonymous July 24, 2024 at 9:49 pm - Reply

    1 star
    The dish is inedible.

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