If chicken is your go-to protein for dinner and you need more delicious ways of enjoying it, you’ll love this melt-in-your-mouth chicken with a white wine sauce.
This white wine chicken is tender and has a unique smooth flavor you can only get from wine simmered in a pan. Sounds luxurious? Then get ready to eat because this recipe is ready in 30 minutes!
Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Pan-seared chicken is great, but THIS pan-seared chicken in white wine sauce is a whole new level of deliciousness. The best part is that you don’t need fancy ingredients or a lot of time to make it happen.
White wine gives the chicken a unique acidity note and delicious flavors once the alcohol is evaporated and the sauce is done. I also use flour to coat the chicken breasts for a divine golden brown layer.
Add to this epic combo herbs, aromatics, and green beans as a side, and you have a mouth-watering dinner that tastes even better the next day!
White Wine Sauce Ingredients without Cream
With simple staples, you can cook this drool-worthy white wine chicken everyone will rave about!
Here is what you need:
- Chicken breasts: 2 of them, butterflied into 4 pieces.
- Salt & pepper: for seasoning.
- Flour: it helps to prevent the chicken from drying out and adds a nice golden brown layer.
- Olive oil & butter: for cooking.
- Onion: a small one, chopped.
- Garlic: minced cloves add tons of flavor!
- Chicken broth: you can use store-bought or homemade chicken broth.
- White wine: adds a slightly acidic flavor to the sauce, making this dish delicious!
- Cornstarch: to thicken the sauce.
- Thyme: you can use fresh or dried thyme or poultry seasoning instead.
- Fresh green beans: washed, ends trimmed optional.
- Italian seasoning: adds more flavor to the green beans.
- Red pepper flakes: just a pinch, optional.
- Lemon: adds a citrusy and fresh flavor.
For the ingredient measurements check the recipe card below.
What Does Adding Wine to Chicken Do?
Adding wine to the chicken gives the meat more flavor. First, the alcohol helps to dissolve fats and release flavors, but the magic happens when the alcohol evaporates: the chicken takes a unique taste from the concentrated components of white wine.
Wine adds acidity and a variety of flavor notes to chicken meat, making it tastier, moister, and softer!
What Wine is Best for Chicken Breast
White wine is mostly used for light-colored meat like chicken and fish, while red wine is a better option for dark meat like beef. When choosing the best white wine for chicken, consider varieties with less sugar, like sauvignon blanc and chardonnay.
And what about the saying “Only cook with wine you’d drink”? It’s a good idea to taste the wine you are going to use for cooking, but it doesn’t mean that you have to spend the most expensive one on the chicken. Better save that one for sipping!
This recipe is one of my favorite ways of using up that leftover wine from the night before too!
How to Make Chicken in White Wine Sauce
No one will believe it only took you 30 minutes to make this ridiculously good chicken in white wine sauce!
Here is the step-by-step:
1. Butterfly the chicken
On a flat surface, butterfly the two chicken breasts into 4 thinner pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Learn how to butterfly chicken in this post.
2. Coat the chicken
Place the flour in a shallow dish and (dredge) lightly coat the chicken with flour on both sides. Shake off excess flour and set chicken breasts onto a plate.
3. Prep the pan
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat it up.
4. Sear the chicken
Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and cook, without moving them, for 4 minutes on the first side. Once golden and seared, flip them over and continue cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken breasts’ internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove from pan onto a plate. Want to learn how to sear chicken? Check out this post.
5. Sauté the aromatics
To the same pan, add the butter and melt it, using the back of a spatula to grease the entire surface. Add the onions and sauté, for 3 minutes, until they turn translucent and golden. Add the garlic, and stir to cook the garlic for about 30 seconds.
6. Make the sauce
Add the chicken broth and white wine to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring the tidbits from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer the alcohol off for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has also reduced to half to ⅓ the original amount.
7. Prep the green beans
Meanwhile, prepare the green beans by heating up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
8. Cook the green beans
Add the green beans to the pan, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to distribute. Add the water to the pan and cover it immediately. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, opening up the cover to stir occasionally.
9. Add lime
Once the green beans are ready, remove the lid, squeeze half a lime over the top, stir, and turn off the heat.
10. Thick & Combine
Once the white wine sauce is ready, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and mix until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and mix to combine. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan, spoon the sauce over the top, and simmer for 2 minutes to heat everything through.
11. Serve
Serve the chicken with the cooked green beans and lemon wedges from the remaining ½ lemon sliced into wedges.
How to Store Leftover White Wine Chicken and Green Beans
I don’t think you will have leftovers, but in case that happens, store the chicken in an airtight container once cooled and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also store these chicken leftovers in the freezer for up to a month.
What to Serve with White Wine Chicken
In this recipe, I serve this white wine chicken with green beans, but it pairs great with many other side dishes!
My Southern Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Curried Cauliflower are terrific options for a cozy dinner. If you want to keep it light, pair this chicken with Sautéed Cabbage or a Simple Bruschetta Salad!
White Wine Chicken & Green Beans
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 chicken breasts, butterflied into 4 pieces
- Salt & pepper, for seasoning
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped onion, about 1 small onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped or
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme or poultry seasoning
For the green beans
- 1 lb fresh green beans
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 1 lemon, divided
Instructions
- On a flat surface, butterfly the two chicken breasts into 4 thinner pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place the flour in a shallow dish and (dredge) lightly coat the chicken with flour on both sides. Shake off excess flour and set chicken breasts onto a plate.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat it up.
- Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and cook, without moving them, for 4 minutes on the first side, then once golden and seared, flip them over and continue cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken breasts’ internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove from pan onto a plate.
- To the same pan, add the butter and melt it, using the back of a spatula to grease the entire surface. Add the onions and sauté, for 3 minutes, until they turn translucent and golden. Add the garlic, stir to cook the garlic for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth and white wine to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring the tidbits from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, stir to combine, and reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer the alcohol off for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has also reduced to half to ⅓ the original amount.
- Meanwhile, prepare the green beans by heating up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the green beans to the pan, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to distribute. Add the water to the pan and cover it immediately. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, opening up the cover to stir occasionally.
- Once the green beans are ready, remove the lid, squeeze half a lime over the top, stir and turn off the heat.
- Once the white wine sauce is ready, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and mix until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan, mix to combine, and add the chicken breasts back to the pan, spoon the sauce over the top and simmer for 2 minutes to heat everything through.
- Serve the chicken with the cooked green beans and lemon wedges from the remaining ½ lemon sliced into wedges.
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