Wine Braised Garlic Chicken

This Wine Braised Garlic Chicken is simple comfort food made chic! Tender chicken quarters are braised in a herbaceous, decadent white wine butter sauce in this simple, delicious one-pot-wonder dinner! 

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Chicken in a wine garlic sauce with a spoon serving the sauce

Perks and Highlights of the Best Wine Braised Garlic Chicken Recipe

Cuisine Inspiration: Mediterranean Bliss
Primary Cooking Method: Braising (Get your simmer on!)
Dietary Info: High-Protein, Gluten-Free Option Available
Key Flavor: Garlicky Goodness with a Wine Kiss
Skill Level: Intermediate (You got this, superstar chef!)

Special Perks:

Elevated Flavors: This isn’t your everyday chicken dish; it’s a culinary journey through the Mediterranean, with each bite offering a symphony of flavors that sing to your soul!

Healthful & Hearty: Lean chicken and the heart-healthy punch of garlic unite, creating a dish that loves you back.

Versatile Wine Pairing: Whether you’re team red or white, this dish is a vino-lover’s dream, pairing superbly with a range of your favorite wines.

Weeknight Winner: Despite its gourmet feel, this wine-braised sensation is totally doable on a weeknight. Yes, you CAN have elegance on a Tuesday!

Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for family dinners or impressing guests. They’ll think you’ve been moonlighting at a top-notch bistro!

Two bowls of braised chicken with garlic wine sauce over creamy grits

This Herbal White Wine Braised Garlic Chicken is a dish that will make those it’s served to smile when you set it down on the table. This hassle-free dinner will make everyone go back for seconds! I highly recommend taking this pan from the oven to the table and letting everyone dig in, make life a little easier for yourself.

Serve this garlic chicken on it’s own or with your favorite sides! Either way, I hope to meet you back here again soon, enjoy!

Ingredients

Alright y’all, let me give you the low down on this recipe! Not only is the chicken tender and bursting with flavor, but the white wine, butter and herb sauce that coats the chicken is to die for! Do yourself a favor and don’t let a single drop of the sauce go to waste. Grab some crunchy bread and dip it in! You won’t regret it.

But, before we get to the super good stuff, let’s do some ingredient talk! Here’s what you’re gonna need today:

  • Chicken Thighs & Legs both contain more fat than white meat; they become tender and juicy when cooked properly. These cuts also boast more flavor than white meat. Be sure to buy fresh, skin-on pieces!
  • Olive Oil can be replaced with avocado, grapeseed or canola oil in this recipe. Just be sure to use something subtle in flavor.
  • Onion & Garlic are both aromatics that add the perfect BITE. Not only is your kitchen gonna smell glorious but the bright, almost sweet flavors are going to make the chicken that much tastier.
  • Rosemary & Thyme have pronounced herby, citrusy flavors. Their addition makes a more complex sauce and a pungent yet delightful bite.
  • AP Flour helps to thicken the sauce! Add more, a teaspoon at a time, if you prefer a thicker consistency.
  • Crisp White Wine contains the delicious, fruity flavors of crisp apples and succulent pears. Bursting with zesty lemon-lime fizz, this spritzer introduces a radiant, delectable flavor that highlights the herbs perfectly.
  • Chicken Stock adds depth of flavor! Vegetable or beef stock can be used in its place.
  • Parmesan Cheese is salty, tangy and oh so good! Add as much or as little as you’d like because you deserve it.
  • Heavy Cream is what makes this sauce so darn creamy and indulgent.
  • Unsalted Butter creates a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
garlic cloves and herbs sauteeing in a pan

How to Make Braised Garlic Chicken

  1. Season & Sizzle: Kick things off by giving your chicken a good ol’ rub-down with salt and pepper. Heat that oil in your trusty saucepan over medium-high heat, then add your chicken. You’re looking for a golden brown perfection on both sides, which’ll take ya about 3-5 minutes per side. Once you’ve achieved that crispy excellence, set your chicken aside because it’s veggie time.
  2. Veggie Takedown: Toss those onions and garlic into the pan and sauté them until they’re as tender as a love song and lightly browned, which should take another 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle in the thyme, rosemary, and flour, letting them get cozy with the veggies for a minute.
  3. Wine Time: Here’s where the magic happens! Pour in that divine wine and stock, making sure to stir and scrape up all those tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This deglazing wizardry is where the flavor jackpot lies.
  4. Creamy Dreamy Goodness: Now, whisk in the parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and butter, stirring until it all melds into a sauce that dreams are made of. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as your heart desires. Want more saucy goodness? Feel free to double the ingredients because it will thicken and cook down while you daydream about the feast to come.
  5. The Oven’s Embrace: Return your chicken to the pan, lovingly cover it with a lid, and pop it into a preheated 400F oven. Let it roast for 15-20 minutes until it’s so tender and perfectly cooked, it nearly falls apart at your gentle touch.
  6. Smooth Moves: If your gravy decided to separate during its oven adventure, no stress! Just bring it back to the stovetop and mix it back into one velvety, unified concoction.
  7. The Grand Finale: Serve this garlicky, wine-infused wonder over a bed of creamy grits or fluffy mashed potatoes for a meal that’s sure to wow your taste buds and comfort your soul. Bon appétit!
 
 
A large bowl of grits with wine chicken and garlic sauce

Can Use Chicken Breasts Instead?

I’d like to say yes!  Though the best of cooks struggle to consistently make moist, flavorful chicken breasts; they just have a nasty habit of drying out without absorbing much taste.

If you’re gonna go for it, be sure to use skin-on breasts. Leaving the skin on the chicken is essential to this recipe. The chicken will be first cooked, skin-side down, in the pan. The fat from the skin will melt and render into the pan, and be used later to caramelize the onions and garlic, and as a base for the sauce. It will contribute greatly to building flavors in this dish. You can choose to remove the skin later on – in your plate, once the dish is served.

TIP: Salt your chicken beforehand (2 to 3 hours before), to allow the salt to penetrate into the meat. Salt is used to build and enhance flavor in food (especially for meats)

How to serve

This juicy, flavorful chicken can be served with just about anything! Serve over grits or mashed potatoes for a comforting meal.

Or simple with some rice and veggies or go all out and create the spread of your dreams. And y’all, on a rough night, it’s more than okay to eat a couple pieces of chicken, sop up the juices with sliced bread and call it dinner. Been there, done that!

Still stumped? Try out some of the best sides Grandbaby Cakes has to offer:

Best Chicken Recipes

There are just about a million and one ways you can prepare a chicken. Whether fried, baked or shredded, chicken is a great way to make a simple, filling meal. This week, toss out the same-old chicken dinners and try some of my FAVORITE recipes instead!

Try these out:

Chicken in a wine garlic sauce with a spoon serving the sauce

Wine Braised Garlic Chicken

This Wine Braised Garlic Chicken is simple comfort food made chic! Tender chicken quarters are braised in an herbaceous, decadent white wine butter sauce in this simple, delicious one-pot-wonder dinner! #chicken
4.77 from 17 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 (6 oz) bone-in, skin on chicken thighs and 2 legs or quarters at room temperature
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 20 garlic cloves peeled
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
  • 2 rosemary sprigs leaves only, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and brown, about 3-5 minutes per side, before setting aside.
  • Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are tender and everything is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Sprinkle in the thyme and rosemary and flour and cook for a minute.
  • Add the wine and stock and deglaze the pan by scraping the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan with a spoon while the broth is sizzling when added.
  • Mix the parmesan cheese, heavy cream and butter into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want more sauce, double it as it will thicken and cook down.
  • Add the chicken, cover with lid, and roast in a preheated 400F oven for 15-20 minutes until chicken is tender and completely cooked throughout.
  • Add back over stove top if gravy has separated and mix back together.
  • Serve over grits or mashed potatoes.

Notes

CAN USE CHICKEN BREASTS INSTEAD?
I’d like to say yes.
If you’re gonna go for it, be sure to use skin-on breasts. Leaving the skin on the chicken is essential to this recipe. The chicken will be first cooked, skin-side down, in the pan. The fat from the skin will melt and render into the pan, and be used later to caramelize the onions and garlic, and as a base for the sauce. It will contribute greatly to building flavors in this dish. You can choose to remove the skin later on – in your plate, once the dish is served.

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg
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Filed Under:  Chicken, Cooking Methods, Dinner, Main Dishes, Stovetop

Comments

  1. OMG! This is definitely one of the best chicken recipes ever. I doubled the amount of gravy so we had plenty to cover the chicken and potatoes. My dinner guest was still talking about the meal the next day.

  2. We loved this recipe! Made is as directed, but did not use the cheese. I used all thighs and paired with roasted Broccoli and garlic rice. DELICIOUS! Thank you for this recipe!

  3. Oh. My. Goodness. This recipe is the bomb! It comes together so easily and the aroma while it’s cooking has everyone in the house salivating. I served this over barley couscous with a nice fresh side salad. Such a treat & will be in our regular rotation from now on!!

  4. QUESTION re: “If you want more sauce, double it . . .” Does this refer to twice as much of the white wine and chicken stock ingredients . . . or twice as much of the white wine, chicken stock, parmesan cheese, whipping cream and butter (all five) ingredients?

    1. I double all of it so you have all of the incredible flavor but double the sauce.

  5. Delicious and so easy! Thank you- we ate it with some snow peas, and it was a light contrast to the rich flavors of the sauce!

4.77 from 17 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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