Light Sautéed Chicken Breasts with a White Wine and Herb Pan Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 29, 2009
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat and tenderloins removedSalt and ground black pepper 4 teaspoons vegetable oilSauce
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)Salt 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)½ cup dry white wine or vermouth1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons whole milk 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves Ground black pepperBefore You Begin
We prefer the flavor of whole milk in the sauce; however, 2 percent milk or half-and-half will also work. Do not use 1 percent or skim milk.
Instructions
- Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess; set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Lay the chicken in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil; set aside.
- Add the shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt to the oil left in the skillet, return to medium-low heat, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until the mixture measures ¾ cup, about 5 minutes.
- Pour any accumulated chicken juices into the simmering sauce. Whisk the milk and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then whisk into the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer the sauce until it has thickened, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
for the chicken
for the sauce
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Chicken
Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken
Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken
Sauce
Why This Recipe Works
When making our light sautéed chicken breasts recipe, we preferred a 12-inch skillet over a combination of medium and medium-low heat to give us a gorgeous sautéed crust with a tender interior: First, we achieved a golden crust on one side of the chicken over medium heat, then flipped the breasts over, turned the heat to medium-low, and continued to cook the chicken through. We uncovered a few tricks to keep our pan sauce for our light sautéed chicken breasts recipe low in fat without losing any flavor. Pan sauces are typically finished with some sort of fat—cream or butter—to add richness and help emulsify the sauce. We tried many substitutes for these ingredients and settled on two winners: A whole milk–cornstarch slurry stood in for the butter and light cream cheese enriched our sauce without adding the excess fat and calories of heavy cream.
Before You Begin
We prefer the flavor of whole milk in the sauce; however, 2 percent milk or half-and-half will also work. Do not use 1 percent or skim milk.
Instructions
- Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess; set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Lay the chicken in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil; set aside.
- Add the shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt to the oil left in the skillet, return to medium-low heat, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until the mixture measures ¾ cup, about 5 minutes.
- Pour any accumulated chicken juices into the simmering sauce. Whisk the milk and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then whisk into the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer the sauce until it has thickened, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
for the chicken
for the sauce
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