Discover a tasty and effortless way to elevate your chicken dinner. This white wine chicken recipe is all about simplicity and elegance.
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Why we love this recipe
This white wine recipe was born of the fact that if there are two things I always have in my house, they are chicken and wine.
And the fact that as much as I love cooking, oftentimes I don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen, but I also don’t want to give up a little elegance in my dinner. Even and especially if it is just me and the Southern husband at the table.
This simple recipe features some bone-in chicken breasts that you sear on the stovetop until they are golden and crispy, and then you let them finish cooking in the oven. I always find the oven delivers a super tender and juicy chicken.
When the chicken is done, all that’s left to do is whisk a little flour and wine in with the liquid that is already in the skillet until you have a lovely light gravy. And voila! Dinner party-level chicken that is ready in less than an hour.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substititions
- Chicken: We use bone-in chicken breasts for this recipe. You can swap in chicken thighs if you prefer.
- White Wine: Any kind you have on hand will do – we usually go with a chardonnay.
- Thyme: We always opt for fresh thyme if we can find it – usually in the produce section of your grocery store. If you can’t find fresh, dried thyme will work fine.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a deep oven-safe skillet, and sprinkle in half the thyme. Add the chicken, skin side down, and let it sear until golden (about 6-8 minutes). Don’t move the chicken while it is searing.
STEP 2: Turn the chicken over with tongs and pour 1/2 cup of the wine and all the broth over the top of it. Sprinkle the remaining thyme on top and put it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is done. You can test for done-ness with a thermometer – it should read 165.
PRO TIP: Loosen your chicken from the pan with a spatula before turning it over – this makes flipping it so much easier!
STEP 3: Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm. Put the skillet on medium low heat and whisk in the flour. Bring to a simmer and then whisk in the rest of the wine. Simmer until slightly thickened.
And…you’re done! Serve the chicken with the white wine gravy drizzled on top.
Recipe FAQs
I know, some chicken breasts are too much for one serving, and in those cases I grab my handy kitchen shears and cut right through them so I have two halves. Good shears will cut right through the bone.
You can use an equal amount of chicken broth…the sauce will be a little less flavorful without the wine, so you might want to add in a sprinkle of poultry seasoning to the sauce.
It can! If you are not serving it for a while, store it in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, let the chicken come to room temperature and then reheat it in the sauce on the stovetop – you may need to drizzle in a little chicken broth to loosen it up.
Pop your question or comment in the Comments section below the recipe and I will answer pronto!
Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Kitchen Shears: These sturdy scissors are perfect for cutting up large pieces of bone-in chicken.
- Tongs: We have this essential kitchen tool in all sizes from short to extra long.
- Cast Iron Skillet: We use this classic skillet for everything from making a giant chocolate chip cookie to searing up chicken for this recipe!
What to serve with this recipe
Other easy chicken recipes we love
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.
Chicken with White Wine Gravy
This easy recipe for chicken with white wine gravy is an elegant and simple spin on chicken in white wine sauce!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in chicken breast halves
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a deep oven-safe skillet, and sprinkle in half the thyme. Add the chicken, skin side down, and let it sear until golden (about 6-8 minutes). Don’t move the chicken while it is searing.
- Turn the chicken over with tongs and pour 1/2 cup of the wine and all the broth over the top of it. Sprinkle the remaining thyme on top and put it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is done.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm. Put the skillet on medium low heat and whisk in the flour. Bring to a simmer and then whisk in the rest of the wine. Simmer until slightly thickened.
- Serve the chicken with the white wine gravy drizzled on top.
Notes
- Chicken: We use bone-in chicken breasts for this recipe. You can swap in chicken thighs if you prefer.
- White Wine: Any kind you have on hand will do – we usually go with a chardonnay.
- Thyme: We always opt for fresh thyme if we can find it – usually in the produce section of your grocery store. If you can’t find fresh, dried thyme will work fine.
Kaylee says
Love a wine sauce and this one is particularly great! Easy and delectable!
Thanks Kaylee! Wine makes everything better. :)
grace says
i think wine tastes like vinegar, but i love it as an ingredient! this looks elegant but still doable and delicious, which is always good. :)
Elegant and easy to make is my favorite combo!
Mindy says
I love these types of meals. And oh how I can’t wait for the price of asparagus to go down. It’s one of my faves!
I know, it’s crazy!! But sometimes I just can’t resist. :)
Mir says
Are you ready for all the snow, Kate? I need a big fat stack of books in a situation like this. We’re expecting 2 feet in DC, and let me tell ya, DC can’t handle it.
This chicken looks so amazing! I love making cozy meals like this when Mother Nature unleashes her rage. The creaminess is fantastic!
Books and snow are so perfect! I’m currently reading THE BOYS IN THE BOAT and loving it sooooooo much.
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table says
What a beautiful dinner! Easy but elegant! I love the white wine sauce and yes, I would be drizzling that over some potatoes for sure :) YUM!
That will be me the next time I make this! :)
Amanda says
All you had to say was white wine gravy! Yum! This definitely looks warm and comforting on a cold day.
Right? Wine takes gravy to whole new levels!
Kennedy Cole| KCole's Creative Corner says
Nothing beats a good chicken dinner! It’s cheap, tasty, and extremely flavorful! This looks absolutely decadent and divine! I’m loving that crispy exterior on that chicken!
Gotta love crispy chicken, right? :)
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I always seem to have chicken and wine in my house, too! But that’s never a bad thing, especially with the wine! :) I’m always looking for new ways to prepare chicken, so this looks perfect, Kate!
Hope you love it as much as we do – cheers!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I always have chicken and wine in the house too, Kate. And I have been having a lot of days where I feel exactly like your pup. :) So this chicken is totally calling my name! It looks absolutely delicious and that white wine gravy sounds totally slurp-able! Dinner perfection! Cheers and hugs my dear! < 3
Slurp-able! It’s my mew favorite word! Cheers and hugs right back. :)