Welcome to a recipe that proves simple ingredients can create something truly elegant! Chicken with Béchamel Sauce is a classic dish with French roots that feels both comforting and sophisticated. The star of the show is, of course, the Béchamel—one of the French 'mother sauces'—a creamy, velvety sauce made from butter, flour, and milk, delicately spiced with nutmeg. It beautifully coats tender pieces of chicken, turning a simple weeknight meal into a gourmet experience. Let's dive in and master this timeless classic together!
Chicken with Béchamel Sauce
Ingredients for Chicken with Béchamel Sauce
- 2 chicken breast halves (about 500g / 1.1 lbs)
- 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 25g (about 2 tbsp) butter
- 30g (about 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 400 ml (about 1 2/3 cups) milk
- salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- ¼-½ tsp nutmeg, depending on how intense you want the flavor
How to Make Chicken with Béchamel Sauce
First, rinse the chicken breast and cut it crosswise into small pieces, about 1-1.5 cm (around 1/2 inch) thick.
Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan, add the chicken breast, and sauté, stirring, until the fillet turns white. Then, season with salt (about 2/3 tsp), stir, cover with a lid, and let it simmer over low heat. While the chicken is simmering, let’s prepare the sauce.
Slice the chicken and sauté it
It’s best to cook the sauce in a non-stick pot with thick walls, like a cast-iron pot (kazanok) or a Dutch oven. You will also need another small saucepan for the milk.
Heat the milk until it is very hot, but do not let it boil. Simultaneously, place the cast-iron pot over the lowest heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir thoroughly. This will form a thick paste, known as a roux.
Keeping the pot on very low heat, begin to add the hot milk—a little at a time, about 2 tablespoons per addition. Whisk thoroughly after each addition to ensure a smooth consistency without any lumps.
Melt the butter
Add flour to the melted butter
Lightly cook the resulting mixture
Continue this process until all the milk has been incorporated. The result will be a light, not-too-thick mixture. Cook the sauce for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Don’t forget to stir the chicken occasionally.
When the sauce starts to bubble, it’s almost ready. Season with the remaining 1/3 tsp of salt, add the nutmeg (this spice is the heart and soul of Béchamel sauce!), stir, and let it cook with the spices for another couple of minutes before turning off the heat.
Adding milk to the base for the Béchamel sauce
Stirring constantly, bring the sauce to a smooth consistency
Adding nutmeg to the sauce
Pour the sauce over the chicken, mix well, and simmer covered over low heat for another five minutes. Your aromatic chicken in white sauce is ready.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes
This is the basic version of the dish. You can enhance it by adding chopped onion (sauté it with the chicken), minced garlic (add it at the end with the sauce), a bay leaf, or black or allspice peppercorns. Feel free to customize with your favorite additions. Or, you can add nothing at all—Chicken with Béchamel Sauce is delicious on its own.
Chicken with Béchamel Sauce
And there you have it—a beautifully tender Chicken with Béchamel Sauce, ready to grace your table! This dish is wonderfully versatile. Serve it over pasta, with fluffy rice, or alongside creamy mashed potatoes to soak up every last drop of that delicious sauce. For a cheesy twist, stir in some grated Gruyère or Parmesan into the Béchamel to turn it into a Mornay sauce. We hope you enjoy the creamy texture and delicate flavors of this classic dish. Bon appétit!
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