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This white wine chicken melts in your mouth and has a unique smooth flavor you can only get from wine simmered in a pan.
Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Pan-seared chicken is great, but when you add this white wine sauce, chicken reaches a whole new level of deliciousness.
White wine helps dissolve fats and release flavors, but the magic happens when the alcohol evaporates: the meat takes on a unique flavor from the concentrated components of the wine, making it tastier, moister, and softer!
Ingredients
For cooking the chicken breasts, you’ll need salt, pepper, and flour. For the sauce, you’ll use butter, onion, garlic cloves, store-bought or homemade chicken broth, white wine, cornstarch, and fresh or dried thyme (or poultry seasoning). The green beans will also be seasoned with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes (optional), and lemon.
What Wine is Best for Chicken Breast
When choosing the best white wine for chicken, consider varieties with less sugar, like sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. 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.
How to Make Chicken in White Wine Sauce
Here’s how this delicious chicken dinner comes together:
- Butterfly the chicken breasts for even and quicker cooking. Then pat dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken with flour on both sides. Flour helps prevent the chicken from drying out and adds a nice golden-brown layer.
- Sear the chicken in a hot pan without moving it. Once golden and seared, flip it over and keep cooking until the chicken breasts’ internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Make the sauce in the same pan. Sauté the aromatics, add the chicken broth and white wine, and simmer the alcohol off for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has also reduced to half to ⅓ the original amount.
- Prep the green beans in another skillet with melted butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, and seasonings. Add the water to the pan and simmer covered for 10 to 12 minutes. Once ready, squeeze half a lime over.
- To thicken the sauce, combine cornstarch with water and add the mixture to the pan. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan, and simmer for 2 minutes to heat everything through.
- Serve the chicken with the cooked green beans and lemon wedges.
How to Store Leftover Chicken and Green Beans
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, like my Southern mashed potatoes, roasted curried cauliflower, 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
Prep 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.
- 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.
Cook the chicken:
- 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.
Make the sauce:
- 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.
Cook 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.
- 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.
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, 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.
Justine says
I absolutely LOVED the flavor in this!
Lauren says
This chicken and green beans recipe was perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. The sauce is so good! I’d make this again.
Ned says
This flavor packed chicken was incredible! Thank you for this awesome dinner meal!
Nicole says
It’s so nice to have a new way to cook chicken breasts, that everyone will eat! Delicious!
Sara Welch says
This was such a quick and easy recipe that does not disappoint! Turned out tender, juicy and delicious; the perfect meal for a busy weeknight, indeed!