If you like creamy sauces and bacon (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), then this Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce is for YOU!! Very French-country-chic. 😉 And the sauce…..the sauce is ridiculously good.
This is totally the sort of thing I make for company during the cooler months because it’s one of those meals that’s a crowd pleaser, can be prepped in advance then popped in the oven and left without checking on it. Low risk cooking that tastes fabulous – I like!
Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce
If I have a dinner party anytime during June – August (winter here in Sydney), chances are that I’ll make something like this Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce.
I know some people like to serve much more refined food for company. Sous vide fish, confit, and other posh food you find at fine dining restaurants. While learning and trying new techniques interests me, it is not the way I cook on a day to day basis.
I could never work in a fine dining restaurant. I simply don’t have the genes for precision and plating up using tweezers. I have much admiration for those who do, and I’m very fortunate to have dined at some of the top restaurants not just here in Sydney, but in the world. And I learn and admire chefs like Thomas Kellar of Per Se and French Laundry, Tetsuya, Matt Moran, Neil Perry, Guillaume – to name a few. “Serious” chefs!
But for me personally? This is more “my type” of food. Hearty. Want to reach through the screen, lick-the-plate type food. 🙂
This Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce (with BACON because it makes everything better!!) is a variation of a recipe I shared in this month’s Super Food Ideas magazine, Australia’s top selling food magazine. Honestly, every time I go to the supermarket and see the magazine there, I can’t help grinning like a fool. It’s been almost a year since I started my monthly features in Super Food Ideas, and it still makes me do a little jiggy every time the latest issue appears in my letterbox!
This Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce is adapted from a recipe by Nigel Slater, from his cookbook “Real Food”. His sauce is much richer – he uses more than twice as much cream as me and no chicken broth. I made the original then cut back on the cream to adjust to my taste. I honestly find that this sauce is rich enough, and the addition of chicken broth adds even more flavour into this sauce.
White wine is key in this! Wine and alcohol generally adds a wonderful complexity to sauces that cannot be completely replicated by using just broth. But I understand that for religious or other personal choices, some people cannot cook with wine so I have included notes for how to make this without wine.
I served this Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce with Stovetop Glazed Carrots because it’s faster than roasting and I forgot to put the carrots into the oven. 🙂 Plus you get better caramelisation on the carrots when they’re made on the stove. And it’s useful for those times when your oven is jam packed with other things (this is a life saver for Thanksgiving and Christmas).
Chicken + Bacon + Creamy Sauce + Creamy mashed potato.
Pretty hard to go wrong with that combination, don’t you think? 🙂 – Nagi x
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Chicken in White Wine Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 lb / 1.2 kg chicken pieces , bone in thigh & drumsticks are ideal (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp / 15g / 0.5 oz butter
- 3 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 onion (brown, white, yellow), finely chopped (~1 cup)
- 5 oz / 150 g bacon , diced
- 2 cups / 500 ml dry white wine (Note 2)
- 1 cup / 250 ml chicken broth / stock or water
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml cream (pouring or heavy cream, but not low fat cream)
Garnish
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet (with lid) over high heat. Add chicken skin side down and cook until golden brown, then turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. Remove chicken from skillet. Drain excess fat from skillet (do not wipe).
- Reduce heat to medium high. Melt butter then add garlic and onion. Cook for 3 minutes until softened, then add bacon. Cook until golden.
- Add wine. Bring to simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet to mix the brown bits into the liquid. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, thyme and return chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Cover with lid or foil, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, covered, then remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes to recrisp the skin. The chicken should be very tender.
- Remove chicken or move to side. Stir cream into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with plenty of parsley. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes. Mine are pictured with Glazed Carrots.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Save this Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce to your “BEST RECIPES” Pinterest Board!
And let’s be friends on Pinterest so you can see all the delicious food I’m pinning!
Life Of Dozer
Still out of action and feeling sorry for himself. When I took him to the vet, they asked “Does he rumble? Does he chase rabbits, run on gravel, run over the rocks at the beach?”
Errrm. Yes, yes, yes and yes. He is quite a rough-and-tumble sort. No wonder he gets injured so frequently!!! 😉
Can this be made in a crock pot/slow cooker?
I think it will lack flavour Sarah, you need the browning!
Hi Nagi! I go to your website everytime I need help making food! I cant find one of your one pot bone-in chicken recipes though and I’m really craving it recently. I remember it being a soupy, saucy with onions, soy sauce, and chinese cooking wine(shaoxing maybe?) I would really love if you could give me the link! Thanks!
Hmm! Saucy Chinese recipe with bone in chicken?? I honestly can’t think! Oh wait – was it this?? https://promotown.info/sticky-honey-soy-baked-chicken/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hello, this recipe looks very delish. Is there an alternative way of cooking this aside from placing chicken inside oven for 60 min? I don’t have an oven yet. Thanks!
Hi Hazel! Sure thing – pop it in a pot on the stove and simmer (with lid) on low for 1 hour! You will need to top up with water along the way – don’t want that sauce to dry out! N x
I forgot to mention that I had fresh green beans and roasted root vegetables tossed in olive oil, salt/pepper (parsnips, rutabaga, Asian and Yukon potato, leeks, beets, celery.) I had leftover brown rice and placed the chicken and its juices over the rice, so delish!
Love hearing that Andi!!! N xx
Made this last night, followed it as written, and it came out beautifully; it was good. I’ve followed many recipes and it’s very seldom that I like the end result. Your ingredients are simple and easy to find if it’s not in my fridge or cabinet, and the end result is delicious, simply delicious. Thank you, and I’m glad I discovered your website.
So pleased to hear you enjoyed this Andi, thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
Can I render bacon to crisps and pour out bacon fat leaving a small amount to cook onions and garlic? Thanks.
Oooh YES!!!
Can you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and if so, would you adjust the cooking time? Thank you!
Hi! I would brown the breast then only put it in the oven for the last 15 minutes of cook time to finish cooking through. Otherwise it is just too dry 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi
Thinking of doing this in my slow cooker, do you think that’s a good idea?
Hi Alex,
Did you try this in the slow cooker?
Hmmmm, you could do the main baking time in the slow cooker but this recipe really needs to start and finish in the oven 🙂 So for me I wouldn’t bother transferring to slow cooker for that part only, does that make sense? But yes it could be! 60 minutes in oven at 180C/350F – I would do 6 hours on low in slow cooker.
Made this dish tonight with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, leeks, and celery. It was DELICIOUS!! Even my picky teen loved it. Thank you!!
So pleased you and your picky teen enjoyed it Norma! Thanks for letting me know! N xx❤️
What type of white wine should I use? I have a lot of Riesling to use up is that ok? Also I’m making this for a very large group any suggestions?
Hi Tara! Riesling will be great with this 🙂 For making for a large group, just make sure you leave enough baking time. If you double the recipe, it won’t be double the cook time but it will be around 50% longer. 🙂
Hi Nagi, I am new to your website and made this dish last night. We loved the sauce, amazing, just the right amount of cream. I’m making the Asian Glazed Salmon next! I’m so happy I found your website, and love the Dozer updates. Take care.
Well nag that sauce is delicious,simple but BANG ! you don’t forget those. tried it with a pinch of dried tarragon,that works too.thanks xx bade uk
WHOOT! So pleased to hear that Baden, thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi,
Can you use chicken thigh without the bone for this dish?
Thanks x
Hi Maddie! Absolutely, follow the recipe but pop the chicken in halfway through the bake time otherwise they will overcook 🙂
Nagi- I do not have an oven safe pot yet. Can I do the stove top cooking in a pan and then transfer ingredients to baking dish? Thank you!!
Hi Jessie! Yes you most certainly can! if you are after a good value ovenproof skillet, try Lodge cast iron. I LOVE mine and I think it was around $30 from Victoria’s Basement!
Ignore you add ingredients to a baking dish, I assume you just add aluminium foil instead of a lid. Does this change the cooking time in the oven if in a baking dish?
You mean if you skip starting on the stove? 🙂 N x
Amazing recipe. Could not get enough, even my son who is not one for creamy sauces. In our rotation now!
Hi Beatrice, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to let me know – N x
You’e a rockstar at my house Nagi:-) I was cooking for the week ahead yesterday and out of 8 recipes, 6 were from your blog. That’s why I was asking about a recipe book a while ago, we love your recipes – they are great tasting, easy to make, many of them are super fast… talking about fast, my secret dream is that you will come up with a cassoulet recipe that does not take hours of prep. A girl can hope.
Cheers from Canada and thanks for everything,
Thanks Beatrice!! Must admit I haven’t made a cassoulet in ages, we struggle to find all the right ingredients here 🙁
Hi Nagi, can you substitute the cream with yoghurt for this recipe? Trying to cut calories 🙂
Thank you
Hi Flavia! Unfortunately it won’t be the same. This really is an indulgent recipe! However, what I’d suggest is using the Alfredo pasta recipe (link is in the recipe) and using turkey bacon or even ham instead of normal bacon. That will massively cut down on the fat and calories. 🙂 N x
I made this tonight, and it was so good. Husband could not get enough
Woo hoo! I’m so glad to hear that Lisa, thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi,
Tempting recipe like always 🙂
Does this recipe work with “cooking white wine”? I have the Holland House brand, and I wonder if I could just use that.
Hi Vidy! It’s to melt the sugar and bring the marinade together better than just stirring it 🙂
Hi Vidy! I’m sure that’s fine 🙂 I tend to use cheap wines for cooking myself!
Would you recommend making the entire dish up to baking the night before? I love this idea and and think browning the chicken, and making the sauce while keeping these parts separate overnight would still work. Reassemble next day, bake, add cream, and just as good. Any reason to think not?
Hi Amanda! Yes I think that will work great, thought it reheats pretty well in the oven the next day 🙂 The skin of the chicken kind of puffs up again (it gets wrinkly overnight). Your method will look prettier, but there is little difference between it and reheating the cooked dish, especially once the sauce and parsley covers the chicken! 🙂
This dish is a favourite in our house. I cook it in the pressure cooker then finish under a grill to crisp the chicken skin – DIVINE!
Woo hoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Kelly, thanks so much for letting me know! N x