Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with Pan Sauce
This chicken and mashed potatoes with pan sauce is a comforting yet elegant meal that feels just as suited for a weeknight dinner as it does for entertaining.
The chicken is pan-seared until golden and crisp, then finished in a rich sauce made with white wine, chicken stock, herbs, and butter, and served over creamy mashed potatoes.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken and Pan Sauce
- Chicken: I recommend using skin-on, boneless legs or thighs. These cuts stay moister than chicken breast, and the skin protects the meat from drying out while adding flavor to the sauce. Boneless pieces also make serving easier since you don’t need to worry about small bones getting lost in the mashed potatoes. If you prefer, you can also use bone-in pieces or chicken breast.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil. These oils are great for searing chicken until golden without burning.
- Onion: Dice the onion very finely so it softens fully and almost disintegrates into the pan sauce. This gives you flavor without noticeable chunks. You can also substitute onions for shallots.
- Garlic: Mince the garlic so it blends smoothly into the sauce rather than leaving big pieces in the sauce.
- White Wine: Use a dry white wine, not a sweet one. Dry wine adds acidity and depth to the sauce, balancing the richness of the chicken stock and butter.
- Chicken Stock: Stock forms the base of the pan sauce and adds savory depth. As it reduces, the flavors become richer and more concentrated.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme gives an earthy, herbal note. Strip the leaves from the stems before adding them to the sauce, or add whole sprigs and remove them before serving.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley brightens the sauce and balances the rich flavors.
- Butter: Cold cubes whisked in at the end give the sauce a silky, glossy finish.
- Lemon Juice: A small squeeze of lemon adds freshness and balances the richness of the butter and chicken stock.
- Salt: Season the chicken at the start so the salt seasons the meat as it cooks. Hold off on seasoning the sauce until the end, as reducing the chicken stock will naturally make it taste saltier.
Mashed Potatoes
- Potatoes: Use a waxy variety like Yukon Gold or Maris Piper. These potatoes give a creamy mash with a smooth texture.
- Butter: Brings richness and flavor. Cutting it into cubes helps it melt quickly and evenly with the hot potatoes.
- Milk: Is used to thin the mash to your preferred consistency.
- Salt: Season the potatoes generously. Add it to the cooking water so the potatoes absorb the salt as they cook, then adjust again at the end to taste.
Chef Tips
Use Skin-On Chicken for Flavor: Searing chicken with the skin on adds richness to the sauce and keeps the surface of the meat from drying out. Even if you prefer to serve it without the skin, cook it with the skin on and remove it afterwards for the best flavor.
Reduce the Sauce Properly: Let the stock simmer until the liquid has reduced by about three-quarters. This concentrates the flavors and helps thicken the pan sauce.
Mash While Hot: Mash the potatoes while they are still hot. Once potatoes cool, the starches firm up and can make the mash lumpy instead of smooth.
How to Make Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with a Pan Sauce
You can make this dish recipe by recipe, which is to finish the mashed potatoes first, then cook the chicken and pan sauce, or you can cook them both at the same time.
Recipe by Recipe: Finish the mashed potatoes first, then cook the chicken and pan sauce. You can keep the mashed potatoes warm over low heat with a lid on, stirring occasionally while you prepare the chicken.
Simultaneously: Start cooking the chicken while the potatoes are simmering. Once you’ve added the chicken stock to the pan sauce and it’s reducing by about 75%, mash the potatoes. This way, both components will be ready at roughly the same time.
Mashed Potato
1) In a large pot of generously salted cold water, add the chopped potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until softened. Drain well.
2) Place the cubed butter and milk into the hot, empty pot. Using a potato ricer, press the drained potatoes back into the pot over the butter and milk.
3) Gently mix until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt. Place a lid and leave over low heat while you cook the chicken and pan sauce, stirring occasionally.
Chicken and Pan Sauce
1) Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Flip and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely, and set aside.
2) Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, until softened.
3) Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Let the wine reduce until nearly evaporated.
4) Add the chicken stock, thyme, and parsley. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by about 75% and slightly thickened.
5) Whisk in the cold butter cubes, stir in the lemon juice, and season with salt to taste.
6) Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan, skin-side up. Warm gently over medium-low heat, then serve with mashed potatoes and the pan sauce.
Storage and Leftovers
Refrigerator: Store the chicken, pan sauce, and mashed potatoes in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. Keeping them separate helps preserve their textures and prevents the potatoes from soaking up all the sauce.
Freezer: Chicken and the pan sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Mashed potatoes can also be frozen, though the texture won’t be as smooth as fresh. If freezing the potatoes, reheat them in a saucepan and stir regularly to bring them back together.
Reheating
Saucepan Method: Warm the chicken and sauce together over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a splash of chicken stock to loosen it back to the right consistency. Reheat the mashed potatoes in a separate pan, stirring until smooth.
Microwave Method: Place the chicken, sauce, and mashed potatoes into a microwave-safe dish. Cover and heat in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring the potatoes and sauce between each interval, until hot all the way through.
More Recipes You May Like
- Baked Chicken Kabobs in the Oven
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
- French Mashed Potato (Pomme Purée)
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken (2 Ingredients)
Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with Pan Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken and Pan Sauce:
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 4 skin-on chicken pieces thighs, leg or breasts
- ½ onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- â…“ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 sprigs thyme leaves removed
- 3 sprigs parsley chopped
- 1 oz butter cubed and chilled
- â…› lemon juiced
- salt to taste
Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and chopped
- ½ pound butter cubed
- ¼ cup milk
- salt to taste
Instructions
Mashed Potatoes:
- In a large pot of generously salted cold water, add the chopped potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until softened. Drain well.
- Place the cubed butter and milk into the hot, empty pot. Using a potato ricer, press the drained potatoes back into the pot over the butter and milk.
- Gently mix until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt.
Chicken and Pan Sauce:
- Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Flip and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely, and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, until softened.
- Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Let the wine reduce until nearly evaporated.
- Add the chicken stock, thyme, and parsley. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by about 75% and slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the cold butter cubes, stir in the lemon juice, and season with salt to taste.
- Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan, skin-side up. Warm gently over medium-low heat, then serve with mashed potatoes and the pan sauce.
