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Creamy Chicken Riesling

Creamy Chicken Riesling is a German-American skillet dinner with golden braised chicken thighs and a pale golden Riesling cream sauce. After wine reduction, the sauce turns silky with mushrooms, shallots, and fresh tarragon for fragrant, spoonable flavor.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: German-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 0.5 tsp Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Searing and aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
Riesling cream sauce
  • 1 cup Riesling wine
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth use 1/2 cup
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (or dried) fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 Fresh tarragon for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Pat off excess moisture so the skin browns.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and place chicken skin-side down. Sear 7-8 minutes until deeply golden, with a clear sizzling sound and browned edges.
  3. Flip the chicken and sear the second side for 4 minutes. Look for a consistent golden color before removing the chicken to a plate.
Build the wine-mushroom base
  1. Add minced shallots and sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the mushrooms are golden and the shallots soften.
  2. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stop as soon as it smells fragrant so it doesn’t brown.
  3. Pour in Riesling wine and let it simmer for 3 minutes. You should see the liquid reduce and the sharp alcohol smell fade.
Simmer and finish
  1. Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, fresh tarragon, and Dijon mustard. Mix until the sauce looks smooth and lightly thickened.
  2. Return the chicken skin-side up to the sauce and cover. Simmer 15-18 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  3. Remove the chicken and swirl in butter to make the sauce glossy. The sauce should turn pale golden and look silky.
  4. Return the chicken to the skillet and garnish with fresh tarragon. Serve right away so the sauce stays poolable and fragrant.

Notes

For best browning, keep the chicken skin dry before seasoning and don’t overcrowd the skillet. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; rewarm gently on low to avoid sauce separation. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can change texture. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for evaporated milk or a cooking cream blend and simmer just until warmed through.