This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
This sauce pairs great with seared chicken breasts or tossed with pasta to build a simple and delicious meal.
Can You Make White Wine Sauce Without Cream?
Yes! You can enjoy a delicious white wine sauce that feels rich without adding any cream. In this lighter version, the sauce has the classic flavors you love.
Instead of cream, this sauce is made with chicken broth and cornstarch, which gives it a rich and velvety texture that pairs great with pasta and proteins. All the flavor with fewer calories!
Ingredients
Use up your white wine leftovers plus a few staples to make a mouthwatering sauce you’ll want to serve with everything. You’ll find the measurements in the printable recipe card, but first, learn about the ingredients:
- Butter: adds a delicious flavor when you sauté the aromatics.
- Onion: adds flavor to the sauce, chop it as fine as possible.
- Garlic: another great aromatic to make this sauce super tasty!
- Chicken broth: make your own or use one from the store.
- White wine: the reason why this sauce is soooo delicious.
- Cornstarch: helps thicken the sauce.
- Fresh thyme: you can swap it for dried thyme or poultry seasoning.
Best White Wine for Wine Sauce
While you can use any white wine to make this delicious sauce, the best varieties for this recipe are the ones with less sugar, such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio.
And no, you don’t have to use THE best wine from the wine shop for cooking. You can, of course, but you don’t have to! Save that one for sipping, and use any white wine or leftovers to make this sauce.
How to Make White Wine Sauce
What I love so much about this White Wine Sauce recipe is that you simply combine ingredients and let it simmer! An effortless and luxurious sauce is always a win! This is what happens in each step:
- Sauté aromatics
You’ll melt the butter and use it as the base to sauté the onions and garlic. - Simmer
Once the aromatics are tender, you’ll add the liquids and the herbs to the pan. Simmering the sauce on how heat will burn off the alcohol and reduce the sauce. - Thicken the sauce
Instead of using cream to make this wine sauce richer, we’re using a slurry made with cornstarch in this step to thicken it up. It only needs to simmer in the sauce for a few minutes to thicken up. - Enjoy!
The sauce is now ready to be tossed with cooked pasta or over your favorite protein.
What Does Adding White Wine to Sauce Do?
The white wine is a flavoring liquid used to build this sauce. The alcohol, which burns off during the simmering process, enhances the flavors of the butter, aromatics, and herbs in the sauce. In traditional cooking, it’s used to enhance and concentrate the flavors in a recipe.
How to Thicken White Wine Sauce
Sauces, just like soups and stews, need some kind of starch to get a thicker consistency. For this recipe, I combine cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, and then I add it to the sauce while it simmers to thicken it.
Keep in mind that the cornstarch slurry needs to be mixed in a separate bowl or dish first, and once mixed, then it’s added to the sauce. Otherwise, the cornstarch won’t dissolve, and the sauce will have lumps.
How Long to Cook Off the Alcohol in White Wine Sauce
In this recipe, I add the white wine and let the sauce simmer at medium-low heat to cook off the alcohol. In about 10 to 15 minutes, the alcohol evaporates, and the sauce absorbs all the concentrated flavors from the white wine.
Can you make white wine sauce without alcohol?
For an alcohol-free version, use cooking wine, which is located near the balsamic vinegar and oils at the grocery store. It has a nearly identical flavor profile, and it’s free from alcohol.
How to use White Wine Sauce
Wait. Put down that spoon! I know you want to enjoy this white wine sauce by the spoon, but just imagine tossing it with pasta. Totally a feast! And what about serving this sauce with baked salmon, or shrimp? I’m drooling!
If you crave this sauce over chicken, it’s a terrific idea. You can cook my White Wine Chicken and Green Beans recipe and you have a complete meal in less than 30 minutes. Want a meatless dinner? No problem. Even roasted veggies taste amazing with this sauce!
White Wine Sauce (No Cream)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup finely 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
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt it. 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, until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth and white wine to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring. 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.
- 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 simmer for 2 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- The sauce is now ready to be tossed with cooked pasta or over your favorite protein.
Naelle Yoshimura says
Delicious! I used it on baked salmon and it made for a pretty healthy meal I can add to the rotation!
Sara Welch says
This was such a quick and easy recipe that does not disappoint! Perfectly juicy and flavorful; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
suja md says
This looks amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Dina and Bruce says
This is a delicious sauce that we served with scallops!
Fiona Maclean says
A great idea – and I can imagine it’s delicious over chicken or fish too!