Herbed chicken with white wine sauce

This is one of my all time favorite dinners. Its super quick and yet looks, and tastes, very impressive. Minimal effort for maximum flavor, sounds like a Kitchen Witch essential for sure!

In the summer when my herb garden is in full swing I like to stir up the herbs. One of our favorites is "Scarborough fair chicken" which, not surprisingly, consists of parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme as the herbal additions to my white wine & garlic. They make an amazing combination, Simon & Garfunkel knew a good thing when they sang it apparently. Marjoram, parsley and thyme is also a favorite combo. Marjoram has such a delicate scent & flavor, its great in summer, we really enjoy it! Try your favorite combo of herbs - I promise you can't really go wrong! *NOTE if using fresh herbs DOUBLE the amount of the dried.

In the winter when fresh herbs are harder to come by with out paying a premium I use dried with great success.

Herbed chicken with white wine sauce
2 chicken breasts
1 t dry Italian seasoning blend (oregano, rosemary, basil, marjoram) (or favorite herb blend)
4 pinches kosher salt
4 dashes pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1 t EVOO
3/4 c dry white wine, divided
1 T oil for sautee
2 T butter for sauce

Reserve 1/2 c of the wine for sauce.

Assemble marinade: 1/4 c wine, herbs, salt, pepper, garlic & EVOO, pour over chicken & marinate 2-4 hrs. Pound to 1/4 in thick overall for even cooking (I do this while the chicken is in a zip top bag marinating, no messy chicken spatters that way! Just be sure to use the smooth side of the mallet).


Remove chicken from marinade, remove large garlic pieces from chicken to avoid burning. Pat dry with paper towels to help browning.

Heat a stainless skillet over med heat.**DO NOT USE NONSTICK OR CAST IRON. Non stick won't allow the fond (browned bits) to form on the pan so you can't make a pan sauce. Cast iron will react with the wine giving the dish a metallic taste.

Add 1 T oil to pan, once it shimmers add chicken. Allow chicken to cook on 1st side about 4 min or until golden brown and chicken easily lifts from pan. If it won't release its not ready to flip.

Flip chicken & cook to an internal temp of 160* (about 4-5 min longer). Remove chicken & cover loosely with foil while sauce is being made. *NOTE: take temp of the chicken in the thickest part of the chicken, placing the thermometer in through the side wall of the chicken breast.



This yucky looking pan plus that glass of white wine will equal this wonderful brown liquid!

Deglaze pan with 1/2 c wine. Scrape bottom of pan with whisk or wooden spoon to loosen all cooked on browned bits. Simmer over med heat until reduced by 1/2. Add butter stirring well to incorporate into sauce. The butter will help thicken sauce further & add a nice gloss.


This sauce is more of a jus, or finishing sauce, so a little goes a long way. It is not a thick gravy. 1 to 2 T per person is usually plenty. Pour the sauce over the chicken after plating for best presentation.



Nutrition Facts
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359.3
Total Fat 20.0 g
Saturated Fat 8.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.7 g
Cholesterol 99.5 mg
Sodium 1,245.5 mg
Potassium 310.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 3.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 0.6 g
Protein 27.5 g.