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Sage chicken is pan-seared chicken breasts coated in a creamy sauce for a delicious one-pan dinner recipe that’s ready in less than 30 minutes.
Table of Contents
Creamy Sage Chicken
The perfect chicken dinner for any night of the week, this recipe will become a family favorite during the winter months when sage adds such a cozy flavor. Paired with creamy mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes, the creamy sage sauce is one you won’t want to miss a bite of.
You’ll love this sage chicken if you love my creamy rosemary chicken or Boursin chicken recipes! It’s also gluten free with edits, under 30 minutes, and easy to make.
Choosing Chicken Breasts
When it comes to pan-seared chicken breast recipes, I like to choose air chilled chicken. This is chicken that has been processed by running through chambers of air, as opposed to being cleaned in a solution that can be absorbed into the chicken.
Not only will most butchers tell you that it tastes better, but it also cooks better too – particularly for roasting and searing.
You’ll want to check the label and make sure there aren’t any solutions or additives in the chicken. Even in raw chicken, sometimes brands will inject them with flavorings.
Ingredients
Here are a few notes on ingredients to get the best results. You can find amounts to use in the full recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts – Choose raw, air-chilled, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they are very thick, you can slice them in half or choose thin-sliced chicken breasts. Or you can use a meat mallet to pound them out to about 1/2″ thickness. This will allow them to cook through evenly.
- Sage – Fresh sage leaves work best here, although you can use free-dried leaves. Make sure to cut the amount in half if using dried. If using freeze-dried, I recommend Litehouse herbs. If you use ground sage, the flavor may be too strong. It’s recommended to adjust based on personal preference for ground sage.
- Broth – This will work with vegetable broth or chicken broth. I like either homemade broth or Trader Joe’s Hearty Vegetable.
- Heavy cream – Look for a brand without carrageenan like Horizon or Organic Valley. This could also be replaced with milk, but more flour would need to be added to thicken the sauce.
- Butter and olive oil – Both can be used together or you can use all oil if needed.
- Garlic – Adds another dimension of flavor the sauce and compliments the garlic nicely.
- Flour – Use all purpose flour or a gluten free flour that works well for searing. Rice or arrowroot starch tends to work well for me.
How to Make Sage Chicken
Step 1: Sear the chicken
Lightly season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, then place 2 tablespoons of flour on a plate and lightly coat both sides of the chicken. Shake off any excess flour and set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering, but not smoking.
Add chicken breasts and sear on the first side till golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes and then place on a prepared metal cooling rack over paper towels. Cover chicken breasts with tin foil.
Step 2: Make the sage cream sauce
In the same pan, add butter (unless you have a lot of leftover oil), and melt over medium heat, scraping up some of the browned bits from the chicken. Add minced garlic and stir until softened and fragrant, about a minute. Then add chicken broth and fresh sage and bring to a simmer.
Once slightly reduced, add the heavy cream and continue to simmer until thick enough to coat your stirring spoon. Taste and adjust any seasonings to the sage cream sauce, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Step 3: Add the chicken
Return the chicken breasts to the pan with the cream sauce and add chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh sage leaves and parsley.
Expert Tip
For perfectly seared chicken, make sure the pan is hot before adding the chicken breast. Then don’t touch the chicken and start moving it around to check if it’s brown. Let it sit for the full 3-4 minutes. As it browns, the chicken should release from the pan. If it is sticking, you are turning it too early.
Substitutions
If you would like to make this recipe dairy free or gluten free, or with a different option than sage, here are a few substitutions.
- Chicken breasts – Store-bought thin sliced chicken would work here as well as chicken thighs. If using chicken thighs, the cooking time will increase. Make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sage – Dried or fresh can be used, but cut the amount in half if using freeze-dried sage. It can also be substituted for other herbs like basil or rosemary. If using rosemary, refer to my creamy rosemary chicken.
- Butter – Olive oil is my recommended substitute, or ghee can also be used.
- Heavy cream – For a dairy-free alternative, I recommend using oat milk and thickening the sauce with 1-2 teaspoons of flour or cornstarch. Mix this into the broth before adding so it begins to thicken as it simmers.
- For gluten free – Use all purpose gluten free flour or arrowroot starch to coat the chicken breasts.
- For low sodium – Use a low sodium broth or one that’s homemade where you can control the sodium amounts.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend pairing this sage chicken with my creamy Boursin mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower recipes. Some other side suggestions that work well with these flavors are:
Sage Cream Sauce
This sage cream sauce is also delicious paired with pasta! Simply cook about 8oz of any pasta you like and toss with the sauce. You can serve with sliced chicken for a delicious pasta recipe.
This sauce is also delicious on roasted vegetables like zucchini or potatoes.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator – Store chicken with sage in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. The sauce does not need to be separated. Defrost overnight in the fridge or if placed in a freezer bag, placing in warm water for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
To reheat – Microwave in 30 second increments till heated through. Place in a large skillet and heat over medium low heat, stirring often so the sauce is combined. Or place in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil.
Heat at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through. Stir the sauce so it is smooth, if needed. If the sauce is low, you can add a tablespoon or two of broth to increase it.
Chicken Recipes
For more pan-seared chicken recipes like this sage chicken, check out these posts.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review in the recipe card! Don’t forget to tag me @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram, and follow along on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Sage Chicken
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds (or about 4) thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, or pounded to ½-3/4″ thickness
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
Sage Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup heavy cream*
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Fresh sage for garnish
Instructions
- If buying full size chicken breasts, place them between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin or meat mallet (smooth side) to pound them out to about 1/2"-3/4" thickness. Season both sides of chicken breasts with kosher salt and fresh pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of flour on a plate and lightly dust both sides of chicken, evenly coating. Shake off any excess.
- In a large frying pan or cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add chicken breasts and sear on the first side (don't peek!) about 3-4 minutes. Check to see if it's golden brown, then flip. Cook another 3-4 minutes and then place on a prepared metal cooling rack over paper towels. Cover chicken breasts with tin foil.
- In the same pan, add butter or oil (unless you have a lot of leftover oil), and melt over medium heat, scraping up some of the browned bits from the chicken. Add minced garlic and stir until softened and fragrant, about a minute. Then add chicken broth and fresh sage and bring to a simmer. Once slightly reduced (after about 2 minutes), add the heavy cream and continue to simmer until thick enough to coat your stirring spoon. This should take about 5 minutes. If it is not thickening properly, it either needs longer to simmer, a lower fat sub was used, or incorrect liquid amounts. This can be remedied with 1-2 teaspoons of flour or cornstarch mixed into the sauce until smooth.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings, adding salt and pepper as needed. Return the chicken breasts to the pan with the cream sauce and add chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh sage leaves and parsley.
Notes
- While you can use lower fat substitutes for heavy cream, they will not thicken the same while simmering. You will need to add an extra 1-2 teaspoons of flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce if this is the case.
- If the sauce has not thickened with heavy cream – be patient! Often it just needs to simmer for longer. Sometimes this is more than 5 minutes depending on your heat level.
- Do not use dried ground sage as a substitute! This will be too strong. It either needs to be freeze-dried leaves at 1/2 the amount or, if using ground, taste and adjust to your own liking.
- Use a heavy cream without carrageenan added like Organic Valley, Horizon, or some high quality store brands.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I would double the sauce.
Always a good idea!! 🙂
This is so good! I have rosemary growing outside and used it instead of sage. Next time I’ll get some sage at the store. I bet that will be as good and a more unique flavor since I don’t use it often.
I actually have a recipe for that haha. It’s my creamy rosemary chicken.
Easy and delicious! I added a tablespoon of dijon mustard for additional flavor. Even after pounding the chicken breasts, they were still thick and so not completely done after searing them. So instead of leaving them out, I put them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 to get them to the right temp. I’ll definitely make again, thank you!
Thank you so much, Anne! That’s usually how I finish my chicken if mine aren’t thin too!
This recipe was absolutely delicious. My husband and I were blown away. Thank you!
Yay! Thank you, Irma!
Do you have any diary free substitution suggestions for the heavy cream? Would coconut cream or soy based heavy cream work?
Hey – Yes I have the recommendation under “substitutions” in the post! Let me know if that doesn’t work for you.
Alicia has done it again with this one! I made this dish last night for my family (which includes a picky eater) and it was such a hit. We’re adding it into the permanent dinner rotation. Super simple to make, so tasty. This time around I subbed the chicken for pork chops, but will definitely be trying it with chicken next time!