Fork-Tender Braised Chicken Thighs in White Wine Sauce
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Aromatic, tender and delicious bone-in braised chicken thighs cook on the stovetop with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs in a light white wine sauce. This easy, one-pan chicken dinner is bursting with rich flavor and is perfect to serve with pasta or a green salad on the side.
This recipe is one of the best simple chicken dinners. It’s my version of Italian-style braised chicken thighs in a tangy white wine sauce, all cooked in one skillet.
Slow-cooking is all about convenience and simple pleasures, and braised chicken thighs on the stovetop are perfect for this method.
Served over pasta, this recipes is a savory one-dish skillet chicken thigh recipe, which is my favorite way to serve a family-style dinner.
The chicken cooks covered on the stovetop in white wine, aromatic seasonings (garlic and fresh thyme) and sun-dried tomatoes. You end up with moist, fork-tender meat and a delicious tangy pan sauce that’s perfect with fettuccine pasta. Yum!
Ingredients in this recipe:
- Skinless chicken thighs, bone-in or boneless
- Flour
- Olive oil
- Onion and garlic
- Chicken broth
- White wine
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Fresh thyme
- Fettuccine or pappardelle pasta for serving
Chicken thighs are a dinner winner
It’s so easy to rely on chicken when you’re searching for dinner ideas. When creamy chicken pasta or simple skillet chicken thighs aren’t on the menu, this is a recipe I turn to.
Yes, boneless, skinless breasts cook quickly and go with just about everything, but let’s agree to agree that white meat is too often dry and boring.
On the other hand, the “dark” meat parts like chicken thighs and legs are really where the flavor is.
My recipe calls for chicken thighs — either bone-in or boneless — with the skin removed. After about 30 minutes cooking time, the boneless meat becomes tender and saturated in the sauce.
Cook time for bone-in chicken thighs
For bone-in thighs, the meat will fall away from the bone after about 35 minutes of slow cooking. You’ll be able to pull the bones out and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces with little effort.
What’s the best white wine for chicken?
Generally, the best advice I can give is to cook with white wine that tastes great on its own. Look for wines that are on the dry (not sweet) side, such as:
- Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Dry Rosé
Similar recipes I’ve seen for this dish, like “copycat” Olive Garden chicken vino bianco includes cream to enrich the sauce.
I usually prefer a lighter sauce, but sometimes a bit of extra richness is called for — if you like, just stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream into the warm sauce before serving.
More one-dish pasta recipes
- Pappardelle with Portobello Mushroom Ragu
- Baked Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta
- Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Fork-Tender Braised Chicken Thighs in White Wine Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds (1125 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, (or 6 bone-in)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black peppercorns
- 2-3 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (160 g) finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) finely chopped or grated garlic
- 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine (such as pinot grigio)
- ½ cup (125 ml) chicken stock or water
- 1 cup (110 g) sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2-3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream, optional
- 1 pound (500 g) coooked fettuccine or tagliatelle pasta, for serving
- ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season the chicken on all sides with 2 teaspoons of the salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle enough flour over the chicken on both sides until lightly coated.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 3 or 4-quart deep skillet or saute pan until it begins to shimmer. Add the chicken in 2 batches and sear until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a platter.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble 5 minutes. Add the stock or water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes. Put the herb sprigs on top of the chicken.
- Cover the pan and turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Cook 20 minutes for boneless chicken and 30-35 minutes for bone-in pieces. The chicken meat should be tender and falling off the bone.
- Using two forks, break the chicken in the pan into large chunks. If you cooked bone-in thighs, discard the bones and stir the meat to combine with the pan sauce. If you're using cream, stir it in.
- Pour the chicken and the pan sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the cheese and additional thyme leaves if desired. Toss everything together and enjoy!
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Add a pinch of crushed red chili pepper along with the sun dried tomatoes.
- Stir in a handful of baby spinach into the sauce when the chicken is cooked.
- The best pan to use for this stovetop braised chicken is a 3 or 4-quart capacity deep skillet or heavy saute pan with a lid.
- Look for dried tomatoes that are plump, pliant and brightly colored, rather than hard brownish ones.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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We loved this recipe! We used imported pappardelle and it was so beautiful. We also didn’t have sun dried tomatoes that weren’t in oil and it did fine. Brilliant recipe! Thank you ❤️
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Carey!
I can’t wait to try this (or eat it when you make it!). XO
This looks so mouthwatering and tasty. I love dishes like this.