Creamy Chicken in White Sauce Recipe
This chicken in white sauce is rich, creamy, and delicious—comfort food at its best. Sometimes called creamy chicken sauce or even chicken in white wine sauce (if you swap broth for wine), this recipe is a weeknight lifesaver. It’s ready in just 20 minutes, made with pantry staples, and perfect over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
One of my most cherished memories is of making creamy chicken in white sauce for my family. It was a dish I stumbled upon during one of my culinary experiments, and little did I know it would become my son’s absolute favorite.
I remember the first time I made it – the kitchen filled with the comforting aroma of onions and garlic sautéing in butter, the sound of chicken sizzling in the pan, and the gentle bubbling of the creamy white sauce as it thickened to perfection.
From that day forward, this creamy chicken recipe was the dish my son requested ever so often, the meal he craved after a long day at school, and the comfort food that never failed to put a smile on his face.
Why make this chicken recipe?
- Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor
- One Pan, No Fuss
- Comfort Food
- Versatile & Family-Friendly
- Endlessly Adaptable – Swap broth with white wine for a chicken in white wine sauce, or whisk in a little Dijon mustard for a creamy Dijon chicken sauce.
- Want to serve it differently? Spoon this white sauce for chicken over spaghetti or penne for a quick chicken pasta in white sauce dinner.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken – The chicken breast works perfectly… You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. This same base white sauce also works for baked chicken or even fried chicken if you’d like to turn it into a white gravy for chicken variation.
- Parmesan – Adds a nice nutty flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic – A little goes a long way. I have used two small minced garlic, which is about a teaspoon. If you like garlic, use 1 tbsp of roasted garlic when possible. Also, you can add 1/4 tsp of garlic powder to the coating mixture.
- Cream – You can use heavy cream between 28 to 38% fat. Any less than that will result in the cream curdling.
- Flour – Since we use milk instead of all cream, we just need a little flour to help thicken the sauce.
- Lemon juice – lemon or lime juice helps cut in the richness of the sauce. For a tangy twist, you can also add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and turn this into a creamy Dijon sauce for chicken.
- Broth / Wine – I’m using chicken broth for the sauce, but you can certainly use white wine, such as Pinot or Sauvignon. That instantly makes this recipe more of a chicken in white wine sauce.
- Herbs – Today, I am using fresh parsley, but you can also use some fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh thyme leaves.
Step-by-step: Chicken with white sauce (over pasta)
Chicken
- Coat chicken – In a shallow bowl, add flour, parmesan, salt, and white pepper. Stir to combine. Coat the chicken evenly on both sides.
- Sear chicken – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook on each side for 2 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
Sauce
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the oil and butter. Then add the onions and saute until translucent. Scrape any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan when searing the chicken.
- Next, add the flour and saute for 30 seconds to a minute on medium heat. Stir to prevent it from burning or becoming too dark.
- Add the chicken broth, followed by the milk and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer chicken on one side for 2 minutes on low heat. Turn over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the cream and parsley. Followed by the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with more fresh herbs. Serve over your favorite pasta, noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.
This dish is best served as soon as it is made. You can cook the chicken ahead of time but make the sauce not too long before you need to serve.
Variations: This creamy white sauce for chicken can be turned into a chicken pasta in white sauce by tossing it with penne or spaghetti. Or use it as a base for chicken lasagna. It’s also great with mushrooms or spinach folded in at the end.
Chicken in White Sauce (Creamy Chicken Sauce)
This chicken in white sauce is rich, creamy, and delicious. Absolute comfort food served over your favorite pasta or mashed potatoes. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples and the process takes less than 20 minutes.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breast split in half horizontally to make 4
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Parmesan grated
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Butter unsalted
- 2 small Garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup Onion chopped finely
- ½ tbsp All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 ml) Chicken broth or white wine
- ½ cup (120 ml) Milk full-fat
- ½ cup (120 ml) Heavey cream (28 to 32%)
- ½ tsp Parmesan
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice or lime juice
- ¼ tsp Salt (if necessary)
- ¼ tsp White pepper
- ¼ cup Parsley
Method
- Coat chicken – In a shallow bowl, add flour, parmesan, salt, and white pepper. Stir to combine. Coat the chicken evenly on both sides.1/2 cup All-purpose flour, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp Pepper, 2 Chicken breast
- Sear chicken – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook on each side for 2 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.2 tbsp Oil, 2 Chicken breast
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the oil and butter. Melts then butter, then add the onions and saute until translucent then add the garlic. Scrape any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan when searing the chicken.2 tbsp Butter, 1/2 cup Onion, 2 small Garlic cloves
- Next, add the flour and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute over medium heat. Stir to prevent it from burning or becoming too dark.1/2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- Add the chicken broth, followed by the milk, and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.1/2 cup Chicken broth, 1/2 cup Milk, 1/2 tsp Parmesan, 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp White pepper
- Return the chicken back to the pan. Simmer chicken on low heat on one side for 2 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, add the cream and parsley. Followed by the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.1/2 cup Heavey cream, 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- Garnish with more fresh herbs. Serve over your favorite pasta, noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.1/4 cup Parsley
Notes
- Thaw the chicken well before cooking. Cold chicken tends to seize in the hot pan so it cooks unevenly.
- Pat the chicken dry before marinating otherwise the marinade will fall off during cooking.
- This dish works great with chicken breast because it cooks quickly but you can still use boneless skinless chicken or legs. Just make sure to cook them fully before you remove them from the pan and add them to the sauce.
- The white sauce is thick and gets thicker as it cools. So, keep it slightly runnier when you take it off the heat. That way at the time of eating it will still be saucy, not lumpy.
- Flour is the thickening agent in the sauce which also gives it that rich and creamy texture but you can also add more butter, and high-fat double cream to make it richer.
- This dish is best served as soon as it is made. You can cook the chicken ahead of time but make the sauce not too long before you need to serve. This way it will still be thick and saucy.
- If for some reason the sauce becomes too thick. Place the pan on gently heat again. Add a little hot milk or hot water and gently shake the pan or stir with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth sauce again. The hot liquid will loosen the starch and make it saucy again.
- This dish is best served as soon as it is made. You can cook the chicken ahead of time but make the sauce not too long before you need to serve.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Tips for Success
- Use room-temperature chicken breasts so they cook evenly in the skillet.
- Whisk constantly when adding flour and broth to prevent lumps in the white sauce.
- Don’t let the sauce boil after adding cream—it can curdle. Keep it to a gentle simmer.
- White wine adds depth to the sauce, but chicken broth keeps it kid-friendly.
- Parmesan thickens the creamy chicken sauce naturally—don’t skip it.
- Serve immediately. This creamy chicken in white sauce thickens as it cools.
Troubleshooting – Cream sauce chicken
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| White sauce is too thin | Not enough flour, or sauce wasn’t simmered long enough | Simmer 2–3 minutes more, or whisk in 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with water |
| White sauce is too thick | Cooked too long or too much flour | Add a splash of hot milk, chicken broth, or white wine to loosen |
| Sauce curdled | Heat too high after adding cream | Lower heat, whisk in a little more cream or milk slowly |
| Sauce tastes bland | Skipped Parmesan, garlic, or seasoning | Add more salt, pepper, Parmesan, or a teaspoon Dijon for tang |
| Chicken turned dry | Cooked too long before adding to sauce | Next time, sear briefly, then finish cooking in the sauce to stay juicy |
| Sauce is lumpy | Flour wasn’t whisked well into butter/onions | Strain the sauce through a fine sieve or blend briefly to smooth |
Frequently asked questions
This chicken will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The sauce will get thicker as it cools and can be thinned with more milk.
Absolutely, you can make it ahead of time. When you reheat it, add a little milk or water to help the sauce loosen up again.
They’re basically the same. White sauce is a simple butter–flour–milk base, and when you add cream, garlic, and Parmesan it becomes a creamy chicken sauce.
Yes! Just boil pasta separately, then toss it with the sauce before serving. It turns into a creamy chicken pasta dish in minutes.
Absolutely, you can use chicken stock instead of wine, as I did in the video.
Absolutely. That variation is often called chicken in white wine sauce and adds a nice depth of flavor.
Whisk a teaspoon of Dijon mustard into the sauce at the end. It balances the richness and gives the chicken a subtle tangy kick.
This is a very versatile dish and can pair with almost any veggies. Try sauteed green beans or asparagus, baked butternut squash, or carrots. You can even try a side of simple salad like celery, carrots, cabbage, etc.
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This recipe is a keeper! I have made it several times and there are no adjustments necessary other than to double or triple the sauce because my family loves it so much. This is definitely in my go to dinner rotation and is great when you’re feeding a larger group as well. One of our favorites!
So glad to hear your family loves this recipe. Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Dina. Appreciate it very much.
I used this for crepes, adding tarragon and a pinch of nutmeg. Wow! Great Recipe.
Sound so good – thanks for the feedback