Creamy Champagne Chicken
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Champagne chicken is a wonderfully creamy chicken recipe made with mushrooms and a luscious sparkling wine cream sauce. It sounds and tastes fancy but it is an easy, 30-minute dinner recipe.
Complete the meal with a side of basmati rice and some sauteed asparagus with garlic and parmesan.
Champagne chicken
Champagne chicken is a wonderful recipe to make with that half-full bottle of bubbles that you have in your fridge. Or open a fresh bottle, use some in this recipe and enjoy the rest with dinner!
Champagne chicken sounds like a fancy meal, and you could absolutely feel proud to serve this to guests. But it is also so easy to make that you can whip this up after an evening of celebrating ā using that half drank bottle of sparkling wine, of course.
The creamy sauce with mushrooms tastes amazing spooned over past, rice, or mashed potatoes and the chicken is wonderfully tender. If you like creamy chicken recipes, you'll love champagne chicken!
What is champagne chicken
Champagne chicken is a creamy chicken and mushrooms recipe made with a delicious sparkling wine cream sauce. While it's surprisingly simple to make, it tastes like a real treat.
If you've ever wondered what to do with leftover champagne, this is the recipe you want to make!
How to make this champagne chicken recipe
You'll be amazed at how quickly this fancy-tasting recipe comes together!
- Start by breading the chicken in cornstarch seasoned with a few spices then sear it in a pan until it's golden.
- Next, you'll cook the mushrooms in the same pan and season them with thyme.
- Using the same pan once again, you'll saute a small onion then make the sauce with champagne, chicken stock, and cream.
- Then the chicken and mushrooms get mixed into that tasty sauce while it simmers for a few minutes and gets thicken with cornstarch.
That's it! You've just made champagne chicken.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken breasts ā You'll want to use two large chicken breasts as we cut them in half to make four servings. If you only have small ones, you can use four and pound them thinner instead.
- Cornstarch, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper ā This is what we use to coat and flavor the chicken. The cornstarch makes a nice crust on the chicken and will help to thicken the sauce.
- Butter and olive oil ā We use butter to add a rich flavor and oil to make it a little healthier.
- Mushrooms ā Both white and brown mushrooms both work well.
- Thyme ā We like to use fresh thyme in our recipes as store-bought dried thyme can sometimes have a musty flavor. The extra thyme that you buy but don't use can be left to dry uncovered in your fridge. Unlike store-bought thyme, thyme you've dried in your fridge at home always tastes great.
- Onion ā We use a small yellow onion. A large shallot can also be used.
- Champagne ā Don't actually use champagne; it's far too expensive for this recipe. Use a bottle of sparkling wine. Brut works best as it's not as sweet as cava or prosecco.
- Chicken stock ā Homemade chicken stock will give you the best flavor, but store-bought works, too.
- Heavy cream ā This is what makes the recipe taste indulgent. To lower the calories, you can use milk + an extra 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this recipe without cream?
Yes! For a lighter version, opt for milk then use an extra 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
Is it possible to make this recipe dairy-free?
While this recipe does taste best as written, it is possible to make some modifications so that it's dairy-free. Instead of butter, use olive oil. And instead of cream, use 2 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed into unsweetened diary-free milk ā oat milk works best.
How long do the leftovers last?
Leftover cooked chicken will keep well for 3-4 days kept in a sealed container in your fridge.
What kind of champagne should I use?
Don't waste your money using real champagne in this recipe! Sparkling wine is delicious and much cheaper. We prefer to use brut, which is not as sweet as cava or prosecco.
What to serve with champagne chicken
You'll definitely want to serve something to spoon the delicious sauce over. Some simple buttered pasta is wonderful with this recipe. Some basmati rice, low-carb cauliflower rice, or creamy mashed potatoes are also excellent options. Here are a few veggie sides that go well with champagne chicken:
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Champagne Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half horizontally to make 4 flat pieces)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (divided)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 3 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 small onion (finely minced)
- 1 cup champagne (sparkling wine)
- 1 cup EACH: chicken stock and heavy cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half horrizontally to make 4 thin pieces.2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- In a shallow bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion, powder, sea salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and coat it well.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan then add the mushrooms and let them cook for about 5 minutes, until they're softened. Stir the thyme into the mushrooms then transfer them to the plate with the chicken.3 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook until it is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the champagne to the pan, bring it to a boil, and scrape up any bits that are stuck on the bottom of the pan.1 small onion, 1 cup champagne
- Add the chicken stock, cream, chicken, and mushrooms to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.1 cup EACH: chicken stock and heavy cream
- Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a little water and add it to the pan to thicken that sauce.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our chicken recipes!
