That holiday kitchen chaos? This Christmas chicken with white wine cream sauce is your shortcut to a feast that feels fancy. No stress, all smiles.
You want crispy skin, juicy meat, and a glossy sauce that makes your guests swoon.
No fuss, no burnt edges—just simple steps, pantry staples, and a sauce you can brag about.
That’s the plan: roast, deglaze, simmer, slice, smile.
Contents
Equipment
Must-haves
- Roasting pan large enough for a whole chicken
- Meat thermometer (instant-read makes life easier)
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Basting brush
- Kitchen twine (optional, for neat legs)
Nice-to-haves
- Oven-safe thermometer with alarm
- Extra pair of tongs
- Fresh herbs scissors or a small herb bouquet
- Rubber spatula for scraping sauce from the pan
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4-5 lb)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Pro tip: pat the chicken dry so the skin gets nice and crackly. Nobody wants soggy holiday vibes.
Notes: this sauce really shines with a good white wine—use something you’d drink with friends, not something you’d recycle for cleaning windows.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry inside and out; season generously with salt and pepper. If you like a neat look, truss the legs with kitchen twine.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil and place it breast-side up in a large roasting pan. Roast 20–25 minutes to bronzy skin; you’re basically auditioning for a bakery reality show.
- Reduce oven to 350°F and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Baste every 20–30 minutes with the pan juices for extra gloss and mood lighting.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce: place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat and pour off most of the fat into a measuring cup (save a couple tablespoons for flavor).
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add garlic and shallot, then pour in the chicken broth. Simmer a minute or two, then stir in the heavy cream; simmer until lightly thickened. Whisk in butter, thyme, and lemon zest. Finish with lemon juice and salt to taste.
- Slice the chicken and spoon the rich sauce over the pieces. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping. Voilà—holiday dinner, debonair and delicious.
That gloss of the sauce? it’s all about a gentle reduction and a last-minute pat of butter. It’s basically lip gloss for your chicken, but edible.
What You Need To Know: This dish shines when you let the sauce do the heavy lifting, so don’t rush the reduction. Also, resting the chicken locks in juices—think of it as a tiny spa break for your bird.
Good to Know
This recipe yields a show-stopping chicken with a silky wine cream sauce. If you want lighter, swap half the cream for milk, and keep the rest to taste. The timing can flex a bit based on your oven, so use that thermometer and don’t rely on vibes alone.
Tips
For extra crispy skin, roast the chicken first at 425°F until the skin is evenly bronzed, then finish at 350°F to cook through. If you’re feeling fancy, crisp the skin under the broiler for 1–2 minutes at the end—watch it like a hawk so it doesn’t burn.
Variations
Want a mushroomy twist? Sauté sliced mushrooms in a little butter and add them to the sauce right before the cream. Prefer a brighter note? Add an extra squeeze of lemon at the end and a splash of white wine to deglaze for more zing.
Serving Suggestions
Pair with roasted potatoes, buttered green beans, or a simple arugula salad to cut the richness. A crusty loaf is perfect for sopping up that last perfect drop of sauce.
