Chicken Breast in White Sauce (Low Fat)

Top down view of 4 chicken breasts in white sauce with spoon in large white pan, with green cloth to the right and plates at the top.

This chicken in white sauce is a simple and easy to make dinner recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. Although comforting and deliciously creamy the sauce is low in fat and does not contain heavy cream.

Course Dinner

Cuisine International, Low fat

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 387kcal

Author Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts skinless, whole or cut down the middle
2 tablespoons butter
2¾ tablespoons flour
1½ cups less 2tbsp semi-skimmed/light milk or half milk half vegetable stock (and omit the stock cube below)
4 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ vegetable stock cube crumbled
¼ teaspoon onion granules
3 tablespoons fromage blanc/fromage frais or light sour cream
2-3 tablespoons olive oil or use cooking spray if you've got a non-stick pan
pepper to taste plus a little sea salt if needed and fresh herbs for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large shallow pan heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil and fry the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side over a medium heat (or until golden brown). Transfer the chicken onto a plate, cover and set aside (leave the juices, if any, in the pan).
In the same pan melt the butter over a fairly low heat, add the flour and whisk together until a thick, smooth paste forms (this is roux).
Add the wine, stir, then add half of the milk, increase the heat and whisk until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the rest of the milk, crumbled stock cube, mustard, onion granules, pepper to taste and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and starts bubbling up. Whisk in the fromage frais, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Place the chicken back in the pan, coat in the sauce, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Add a splash of water if needed, stir and serve immediately.

Notes

Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts. If you want to shorten cooking time cut the chicken breasts down the middle before frying. You can also flatten and tenderise the chicken using a meat mallet (or rolling pin) before cooking. This will also shorten cooking time.
The sauce will thicken after a while so add a splash of water to loosen it (stir it in using a whisk). It is important to use a whisk, rather than a spoon, to make the sauce (to ensure it’s smooth).
Gluten free white sauce: You can replace the wheat flour with corn flour (use 20 g) to make this sauce gluten free.
Substitutions: Add half the amount of milk and top up with chicken/vegetable stock.
Seasoning: You may not need to add any salt into the sauce as the stock cube is quite salty. Add plenty of pepper though.
Best served immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. Add a splash of water when reheating the sauce (you may have to adjust the seasoning too).

Nutrition