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Creamy Chicken Riesling

Creamy Chicken Riesling is a German-American skillet dinner with wine-braised, golden skin-on chicken thighs in a pale golden Riesling cream sauce. You’ll simmer the chicken until juicy and then swirl in butter for a glossy, fragrant finish with mushrooms, shallots, and fresh tarragon.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 0.25 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
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (or dried) or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 Fresh tarragon for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Pat them dry so the skin browns properly.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then place chicken skin-side down. Sear for 7-8 minutes until deeply golden.
  3. Flip the chicken and sear the other side. Sear for 4 minutes until it looks browned.
  4. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Keep any rendered fat in the pan for flavor.
Build the mushroom shallot base
  1. Add the minced shallots and sliced cremini mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes over medium-high heat until golden.
  2. Add the minced garlic and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Make the Riesling cream sauce and braise
  1. Pour in the Riesling wine and let it cook off for 3 minutes. Simmer until the raw alcohol smell dissipates.
  2. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, fresh tarragon (or dried), and Dijon mustard. Stir until the sauce looks smooth.
  3. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up. Cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Swirl 1 tbsp butter into the sauce until glossy.
  2. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the glossy Riesling cream sauce over top. Garnish with fresh tarragon and serve.

Notes

For the richest sauce, keep the chicken skin intact and don’t move the thighs during the first sear—leave them undisturbed until deeply golden. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat until warmed through (avoid boiling so the cream stays silky). Freezing is not recommended because the sauce may separate after thawing. If you need a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and simmer a couple minutes longer to thicken.