Chicken in White Sauce is irresistibly good — a creamy, garlicky, comforting dish ready in about 30 minutes.
This savory chicken works beautifully with pasta, rice, steamed vegetables, or roasted potatoes, making it an easy addition to your weekly meal plan.
Built from pantry staples, this recipe is simple enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for company. No unusual ingredients or complicated steps required.
When you make this dish you’ll be proud of the result — tender chicken in a sauce that resembles a light béchamel, silky and flavorful. It’s straightforward and consistently well-rated.
Serve with sides like garlic herb rice, buttermilk mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes, or toss cooked pasta with the sauce for an excellent meal.
For other restaurant-style dinners, consider trying fish or shrimp prepared in similar white sauces.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken in White Sauce
- Variations For Chicken In White Sauce
- Serving
- Recipe FAQs
- Storing Leftovers and Reheating
- Watch How To Make It
- More Chicken Dinners To Try
- Chicken in White Sauce Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredibly delicious: The sauce is creamy and garlicky while the chicken stays tender and juicy — a restaurant-style meal you can make at home.
- Easy to follow: Brown the chicken, make a simple flour-based sauce, add cream, and simmer. The steps are straightforward and friendly for beginner cooks.
- Versatile: Add vegetables or extra seasonings to suit your taste. It adapts well to what you have on hand.
- Family friendly: Mild, comforting flavors appeal to most palates, and the dish often disappears quickly at the dinner table.
The simple combination of onion, garlic, butter, flour, and cream produces a rich sauce similar to classic chicken fricassee but with fewer steps and ingredients.
If you enjoy easy creamy chicken dinners, try recipes like chicken drumsticks in creamy sauce or Marry Me Chicken for other weeknight favorites.
This sauce is rich and velvety and makes it easy to go back for seconds.
The Ingredients
You’ll need simple ingredients you likely have on hand:
- Chicken thighs: Boneless skinless thighs are preferred for juiciness and forgiving cooking; breasts or tenders can be used if preferred.
- Onion: Diced onion gives the sauce a savory base.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds bright flavor; jarred minced garlic works in a pinch.
- Chicken bouillon powder: Concentrated flavor that enhances the sauce.
- Salt and pepper: Season to taste; white pepper is a subtle alternative to black.
- Flour: A small amount of all-purpose flour thickens the sauce.
- Butter: Used for sautéing and adds richness.
- Heavy cream: Makes the sauce smooth and silky; evaporated milk can be a substitute if necessary.
- Fresh parsley: Chopped and sprinkled at the end for a fresh finish.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Chicken in White Sauce
Steps at a glance:
1. Sear the chicken. Season the chicken and cook in a wide pot or skillet over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté aromatics. In the same pot, melt butter and sauté diced onion and garlic until fragrant.
3. Build the sauce. Stir in flour and cook briefly, then whisk in water and chicken bouillon until smooth. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer to cook through.
4. Finish with cream. Stir in heavy cream, adjust seasoning, and simmer a few more minutes until the sauce is silky. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Tip: Garnish with fresh parsley for a bright, professional finish.
Variations For Chicken In White Sauce
Try these simple variations to change the flavor and texture:
- Mushrooms: Add sliced mushrooms for a meaty texture.
- Parmesan: Stir in grated Parmesan for a nutty, cheesy sauce.
- Heat: Red pepper flakes add a pleasant kick.
- Acidity: A spoonful of sour cream or a squeeze of lemon brightens the sauce.
- Cream cheese: Adds extra richness and body.
Serving
This makes a terrific pasta sauce or a stand-alone main served with rice, mashed potatoes, roasted baby potatoes, or garlic butter rolls.
Easy Coconut Rice
Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Butter Rolls
Browse easy family dinner recipes for more inspiration.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken in white sauce uses chicken, butter, flour, cream, aromatics, and seasonings to create a rich, silky sauce.
If you choose to cook with wine, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc work well.
A basic white sauce (béchamel) is butter, flour, and milk or cream. Alfredo includes cream, butter, and Parmesan for a richer, cheesier result.
A good white sauce is buttery, silky, and creamy, and it takes on the flavors of herbs and seasonings you add.
Storing Leftovers and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The sauce thickens when cold; add a splash of water or milk when reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat for best texture.
Watch How To Make It
Watch a step-by-step video demonstration below for a visual guide.
More Chicken Dinners To Try
If you love chicken, try other easy recipes like pan-seared boneless thighs, one-pot chicken and rice, lemon pepper drumsticks, or Marry Me Chicken.
Pan Seared Boneless Chicken Thighs
One Pot Chicken Thighs And Rice
Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks
Marry Me Chicken
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Chicken in White Sauce
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken thighs (about 5–6)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white or black pepper divided
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 sprigs parsley, minced
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Heat a wide pot or large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken and sear on one side about 7 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce heat slightly and add butter to the pot. Sauté diced onion and minced garlic about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups of water until smooth, then add chicken bouillon powder and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine.
- Return the chicken to the pot, ensuring it’s mostly covered by the liquid. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes, then uncover and stir.
- Stir in the heavy cream and simmer another 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Add chopped parsley, turn off the heat, and serve with rice or pasta. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.
Notes
2. Add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for heat if desired.
3. If using very firm (older) chicken, precook it in salted water with stock cubes and use that stock in place of water for best results.
4. If adding mushrooms, sauté them after the chicken, set aside, and return them to the pot when you add the chicken back.
Nutrition
Additional Info
“When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.” Psalm 126:1