My Wine Braised Chicken Breast Recipe is the most mouthwatering, savory main dish you'll ever try! Slow simmered in red wine, this fall-apart-tender chicken is an easy dinner recipe the whole family will love. Slow cooked to perfection in about 1 hour.
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Why You'll Love Red Wine Chicken:
One of the most popular recipes on this site is my Drunken Pork Chops. It makes sense — thin-sliced pork chops are braised in a savory red wine sauce that is so good you'll want to drink it with a straw. And when the cooking time is up, you're left with the most fall-apart-tender meat.
I knew I had to try it with chicken. And I'll be honest, I was a little nervous before testing it. It can be easy to overcook stovetop chicken breast, and I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since it was for our dinner that night.
But my fears were unfounded! This chicken in red wine sauce translated so beautifully to a skillet chicken recipe and the results were absolutely mouthwatering! It's also:
- Very easy to make once you get going
- Impressive enough for guests
- Hearty and comforting
- Full of incredibly delicious, savory flavors
- So tender and juicy
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Chicken Breasts- I'm using chicken breasts because they're always readily available at the supermarket and are easy to filet. Fileting is super important here — thicker pieces will end up drying out!
- Red Wine- You can use whatever dry red wine you usually cook with. I like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Merlot.
- Chicken Broth- You need to make sure to add enough liquid to the pan to properly braise the red wine chicken! Chicken broth is the obvious choice, but you could use beef or vegetable if that's all you have.
- Tomato Paste- For a bit more color and flavor in the wine sauce.
- Onion & Garlic- To sauté with the chicken breasts to add even more flavor to this dish.
- Seasonings- I keep it simple with Kosher salt and ground black pepper.
How To Make My Chicken and Red Wine Recipe
Step 1- Sear the chicken.
Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season well with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear each piece of chicken until golden brown, and remove from the pan.
Step 2- Sauté the onion and garlic and add tomato paste.
Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until fragrant.
Move the onion and garlic to the edges of the pan and add the tomato paste to the middle and cook for a couple minutes. Stir the paste into the vegetables.
Step 3- Deglaze the pan.
Pour the red wine into the pan to deglaze it, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Let the wine simmer for a few minutes.
Step 4- Add the broth and chicken.
Add the chicken broth and stir well to combine. Introduce the chicken pieces back into the pan and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 5- Simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and allow your chicken and red wine sauce to simmer for about an hour. If it starts to dry out, you can add a little water to the pan. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and slice through the middle horizontally to create two thin pieces. It's that easy!
Braising is a cooking process where you sear/brown the meat in a small amount of fat at a higher heat and then cook it slowly in a braising liquid over lower heat. This slower cooking helps to break down the tissue, resulting in fall-apart-tender meat.
Yes. Braising is an excellent way to have flavorful tender meat with a minimal amount of added fat.
Technically you can substitute with additional broth. But this chicken and red wine recipe is really built around wine, so I wouldn't encourage it.
Around 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator.
I do it in individual portions in the microwave or in a large portion over medium heat on the stove, stirring frequently.
Yes, but I'd encourage you to freeze it after cooking and cooling. Be aware, the onions might break down even more once thawed.
Tips For Making This Braised Chicken Recipe
- Filet the chicken so that the pieces are nice and thin. Try to make the pieces around the same size for even cooking.
- Slice the onions into rings. I find that this helps them stay together a little easier. They will still break down as they cook, which is totally okay.
- If you aren't a big fan of the texture of the onion, slice them thin and they'll melt into the sauce as they braise.
- Once the chicken is covered and cooking, check on it and stir about halfway through. You want to make sure it hasn't dried out. If necessary, add a little water — I've never had to but know that this is an option if necessary.
- Make sure you serve a nice, crusty loaf of bread with your red wine sauce with chicken to sop up all those amazing juices.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can slice the chicken and onions and peel the garlic ahead of time.
- Leftovers and storage- Remember to place any leftover red wine chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3-4 days, and I recommend reheating in a skillet for the best results. You can freeze this recipe, but note that the texture of the onion in particular may change after freezing, thawing, and reheating.
What To Serve With Red Wine With Chicken
This recipe makes for a wonderful main dish, but what to pair it with? Any of the following would be totally delicious:
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- French Onion Mashed Potatoes
- Peas with Onions
- Homemade Three Cheese Garlic Bread
Other Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try
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Wine Braised Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large chicken breasts fillet into 6 thin cuts of chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion sliced into thin rings
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 cup red wine
- 14.5 ounces chicken broth (you can also use beef broth if that's what you have on hand)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Water (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towel and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In batches, sear each chicken piece until browned on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side and then place them into a side plate. Make sure you don't overload the pan!
- Once all the chicken is browned and out of the pan, add sliced onion and smashed garlic. Season them with salt and pepper to taste and sauté them stirring constantly for a minute or two.
- Move the onion and garlic to the edges of the pan and place the tomato paste into the middle. Sauté for a couple minutes stirring often and then stir into the onions and garlic.
- Add the wine to the pan and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan.
- After the wine has simmered for two minutes, add broth. Stir well to combine and add the chicken pieces back into the pan. Bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring periodically. If it starts to dry out, add a little water (I didn't run into this issue). Serve immediately after the hour is up.
Video
Notes
- Filet the chicken so that the pieces are nice and thin. Try to make the pieces around the same size for even cooking.
- Slice the onions into rings. I find that this helps them stay together a little easier. They will still break down as they cook, which is totally okay.
- If you aren't a big fan of the texture of the onion, slice them thin and they'll melt into the sauce as they braise.
- Once the chicken is covered and cooking, check on it and stir about halfway through. You want to make sure it hasn't dried out. If necessary, add a little water — I've never had to but know that this is an option if necessary.
- Make sure you serve a nice, crusty loaf of bread with your red wine sauce with chicken to sop up all those amazing juices.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can slice the chicken and onions and peel the garlic ahead of time.
- Leftovers and storage- Remember to place any leftover red wine chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3-4 days, and I recommend reheating in a skillet for the best results. You can freeze this recipe, but note that the texture of the onion in particular may change after freezing, thawing, and reheating.
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