Braised Chicken Thighs in White Wine Sauce (Vino Bianco)
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Tender braised chicken thighs with pasta, and sun-dried tomatoes in a tangy white wine sauce. One pot and dinner is served!
This recipe is my version of an Italian-style chicken vino bianco, or chicken with white wine sauce, all cooked in one skillet.
Slow-cooking is all about convenience and simple pleasures, and braised chicken thighs are perfect for this method.
It’s based on tender, tasty chicken thighs. Served over pasta, it makes a savory one-dish and-done meal, which is our 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.
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 in about an hour and 15 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
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Chicken in White Wine Sauce (Vino Bianco)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds (1125 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 6 bone-in),
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (160 g) finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) finely chopped or grated garlic
- 1 cup (110 g) sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine (such as pinot grigio)
- ½ cup (125 ml) chicken stock or water
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves for serving
- 1 pound (500 g) dried fettuccine or tagliatelle pasta
- 2-3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream, optional
- 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 the flour over the chicken and turn it to coat.
- 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 1 minute. 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 30-35 minutes for boneless chicken and 60-75 minutes for bone-in pieces. The chicken meat should be tender and falling off the bone.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Pull the thyme sprigs out of the pan and discard. 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 and toss everything together. 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
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about making cooking fun and doable, with easy to follow tested recipes and incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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.