White sauce, also known as béchamel sauce, is a versatile creamy sauce that can transform simple chicken into a mouthwatering meal. Making white sauce from scratch may seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy with just a few basic ingredients. In this article, I’ll walk you through the simple steps for making fail-proof white sauce to serve with juicy baked, grilled or sautéed chicken.
Overview of White Sauce
A butter and flour roux is used to thicken milk, which makes white sauce. It has a smooth, creamy texture and a mild flavor that goes well with chicken. You can drizzle the sauce over cooked chicken or mix it into chicken casseroles, pot pies, and pasta dishes like chicken alfredo.
Compared to cream-based sauces like alfredo, white sauce has a more delicate flavor and lighter consistency. It can be customized with different seasonings and cheese to create an array of flavors. Once you master the basic recipe, you can make chicken dinners from scratch like chicken and broccoli in white sauce or chicken divan with broccoli and cheese.
Benefits of Homemade White Sauce
Making white sauce from scratch at home has many benefits:
- Flavor control – You can adjust ingredients to suit your taste
- Versatility – Make thin or thick sauce and customize flavors
- Cost savings – Much cheaper than pre-made or jarred sauces
- Healthier – Avoid added preservatives or stabilizers
- Fun activity – Great way to get kids involved in cooking
It only takes 10 minutes and 5 common items to make white sauce for tonight’s chicken dinner or to store leftovers for the whole week.
White Sauce Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter – Provides richness and thickness
- Flour – Thickens the sauce to desired consistency
- Milk – The creamy base of the sauce
- Salt and pepper – For seasoning
- Custom additions (optional) – Cheese, herbs, mustard, etc.
All-purpose flour, unsalted butter, and whole milk will work best. I suggest starting with 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 tablespoon of flour. Then, change the amounts as needed.
Cookware for White Sauce
You’ll need just a few basic pieces of cookware:
- Saucepan – Use a 1 1/2 to 2 quart size pan with tall straight sides
- Whisk – Essential for lump-free sauce
- Wooden spoon – For stirring sauce after it thickens
- Measuring cups – Accurately measure milk and flour
Using the proper pan size and constantly whisking are keys for successful white sauce
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps for fool-proof white sauce for chicken:
1. Melt the Butter
Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat just until melted to prevent browning.
2. Whisk in the Flour
Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for 1-2 minutes. This cooks the flour and prevents lumps.
3. Gradually Whisk in Milk
Very slowly pour in the milk while constantly whisking. Whisk vigorously to fully incorporate the flour.
4. Cook Until Thickened
Increase heat to medium and continue whisking frequently as sauce thickens and bubbles. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Season and Finish
Remove pan from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add any extra flavorings if desired.
That’s it! Now you have the perfect blank canvas to dress up with chicken and flavors.
White Sauce Tips
- Cook sauce over medium or medium-low heat to prevent scorching.
- If too thick, whisk in a bit more milk. If too thin, make a flour and milk paste to thicken.
- For added flavor, sauté diced onions or garlic in the butter before making the roux.
- Stir in different cheeses, herbs, mustard or lemon juice to customize the sauce.
- Sauce will thicken more as it cools. Thin with extra milk if needed after cooling.
Storing and Reheating White Sauce
- Allow sauce to cool completely before storing.
- Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 4 days.
- Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until hot and creamy again.
- Add extra milk if sauce thickens too much after storing.
- Freeze for longer storage but quality may decline.
Serving Suggestions for Chicken
Homemade white sauce takes chicken from bland to beautiful. Here are some serving ideas:
- Baked chicken – Smother baked chicken breasts or thighs with white sauce mixed with sautéed mushrooms.
- Chicken casserole – Combine cooked chicken, vegetables and white sauce then bake until bubbly.
- Pot pie – Make an easy homemade pot pie with chicken, veggies and white sauce topped with puff pastry.
- Chicken pasta – Toss white sauce with cooked pasta, chicken and broccoli or spinach.
- Chicken divan – Layer chicken, broccoli and white sauce then top with cheese and breadcrumbs.
The possibilities are endless with this versatile sauce. Let your imagination run wild!
Common White Sauce Questions
How do I fix a thin or lumpy sauce?
- Thin sauce – Whisk in extra flour-milk paste to thicken
- Lumpy sauce – Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove lumps
Can I make white sauce ahead of time?
Yes, prepare sauce ahead and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage. Reheat over medium-low heat, adding milk if too thick.
What’s the difference between béchamel and alfredo?
Béchamel uses milk or cream. Alfredo has a richer, thicker sauce because it uses heavier cream and parmesan cheese.
Can I make white sauce without butter?
Yes, omit the butter and use all oil instead for a vegan or dairy-free version.
What seasonings go well in white sauce?
Try herbs like parsley, dill, chives or tarragon. Spices like garlic, mustard or nutmeg also add great flavor.
The Takeaway
With just 5 simple ingredients, you can make flavorful, creamy white sauce from scratch in minutes. Use it to seriously upgrade basic baked, grilled or sautéed chicken. This versatile sauce also works great stirred into comforting casseroles and pot pies. Once you master the basics, get creative with mix-ins and seasonings. Making your own white sauce opens a world of easy, delicious chicken dinner possibilities.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
A roux is flour and fat heated together to form a thickener. Any type of fat works but I often make my roux with butter and flour. You can, however, use bacon fat or any animal or vegetable fat. The ratio of fat to flour is 1:1. Pretty easy to remember. A white roux is one that you let cook for just about a minute to cook away the floury taste, but not so long that the butter browns and becomes a brown roux. You can make a brown roux, and it can even taste great! If you like the taste of nuts, browning the butter is your thing. Just dont burn the butter.
White sauce is otherwise known as Béchamel sauce. Béchamel sauce is one of the French mother sauces. It is made with a white roux plus milk. Another fancy French word. I don’t have a less fancy name for this, but I use a roux (pronounced rue, rhymes with clue) all the time in my cooking. If you look through all of my recipes, you’ll see several that use a roux.
After making the roux, which is butter and flour melted together, you add a liquid to turn it into a sauce. For this white sauce, were adding milk. There is no golden ratio or proper amount of liquid to add. It really just depends on how thick or thin you like your sauce. The less liquid, the more thick your sauce. Add liquid and bring it to a boil. When you bring it to a boil, the thickening powder in the butter and flour mixes with the other ingredients. So once that happens, you can see how thick your sauce is and add more liquid if you want.
I often associate white gravy with breakfast foods. It can dress up a breakfast sandwich or top an otherwise dry egg casserole. However, it can also be enjoyed at dinner time too depending on what youre topping with it. White sauce is great with a meat added in. Add chicken, ham, or sausage. Delicious! Serve with biscuits, and youre in business. Add white sauce to vegetables for a creamy experience.
You can always add more liquid to thin out your sauce. Its more difficult to thicken your sauce because you cant just add butter or flour separately or it will clump and youll end up with a lump sauce. To thicken your sauce, you would need to separately combine additional, equal amounts of flour and butter then add that to your sauce and then bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Youll want to turn the heat down to a simmer so that you dont overcook things while trying to find your perfect consistency. Other than seasoning it a bit, once you have your desired thickness, youre done!
Either one. You can control the amount of salt you use in your white sauce by opting to start with unsalted butter. I typically start with salted butter since I like to add even more salt to season my white sauce. However, maybe you are on a low sodium diet or want to use a special salt like sea salt for a different flavor, then you can start with unsalted butter and add your own salt to taste. Add salt at the end of the cooking process so that you can taste the sauce to see how much you need to add. Make sure the sauce is still warm so that it dissolves evenly.
To make your own cream of chicken sauce (similar to the canned condensed soup), create a thick white sauce using a 1:1 butter and flour mixture then slowly add milk until you reach the desired thickness of your sauce. Dont forget you need to bring the sauce to a boil for the thickening agent to combine with the milk and “activate.” Then add 1-2 teaspoon of chicken bullion powder for each cup of milk. Adjust the amount of chicken bullion to your own taste. More bullion means more chicken flavor but also means more salt so find your happy medium—the beauty of homemade is you can control these things.
A white sauce is just flour, butter and milk. To season your white sauce, some chefs recommend adding nutmeg to give it a depth of flavor and you should add salt and white or black pepper to taste as well. Thats all you need for a basic white sauce!You can also add herbs if youd like. Add the herbs to the butter and flour stage so that the oils in the butter activate the herbs full flavor. Typical season for cream of chicken soup includes celery powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Black or white pepper too. Other herbs that pair well with chicken are: thyme, marjoram, tarragon, cilantro, rosemary, sage, oregano, and garlic. If you want a blend of herbs but arent sure what goes well together, you can opt for a ready-made spice-blend for poultry.
★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★
Homemade white sauce is so easy to prepare and once you learn how to make it, youll find yourself using it or the base of it (a roux) quite frequently in cooking from scratch.
Im all for a good shortcut, but white sauce is one of those things that tastes so much better when its made from scratch. Its worth taking a few minutes to prepare it yourself.
Supreme Sauce | Sauce with Chicken | Sauce for Chicken Recipe | White Sauce for Chicken
FAQ
How long does it take to make chicken in white sauce?
This chicken in white sauce is rich, creamy, and delicious. Absolute comfort food served over your favorite pasta or mashed potatoes. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples and the process takes less than 20 minutes. One of my most cherished memories is of making creamy chicken in white sauce for my family.
What is chicken white sauce?
This chicken white sauce is my secret weapon for turning simple chicken into a cozy, restaurant-worthy meal. It was love at first bite when I first made it years ago to spice up some grilled chicken breasts for a family dinner. Creamy, garlicky, and just a little cheesy, it’s the kind of sauce that makes everyone ask for seconds.
How do you make a white sauce?
The main ingredients for a basic white sauce recipe are butter, flour and milk or cream. That’s it. Make a roux with the butter and flour, slowly add the liquid and stir until it thickens. A pinch of salt and pepper (and often nutmeg) is all it needs for seasoning.
Can you use white sauce on chicken?
You can use white sauce to dip breadsticks or chicken tenders, top pasta or vegetables with it, or do all of these things at the same time. Get creative and experiment with different serving options! 10. How long can I keep leftover chicken with white sauce in the refrigerator?.
What to do with white sauce?
Bolster the sauce with cheese and bake it in with some chicken manicotti. Mix in spices like curry powder and serve the sauce over roasted cauliflower or chicken. Mix it with ham and make ham croquettes. The options for enhancing and using white sauce go on and on.
How long does white sauce take to cook?
It’s perfect for drizzling over chicken, pasta, or veggies, and it comes together in minutes. It’s time to make sauce! This white sauce is rich, smooth, and full of flavor, and it’s so simple to make. It’s ready in about 15 minutes, uses pantry staples, and elevates any chicken dish to the next level.
How do you make white sauce?
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in one-third of the milk. …
- Repeat this process, stirring all the time, allowing the sauce to become thick and shiny before adding more milk.
- When all the milk is added bring to the boil.
What are the basic ingredients in preparing white sauce?
- Milk: We’ve tested this recipe with everything from skim milk to heavy cream with equally good results. …
- Flour: The starch cells in the flour absorb liquid and swell when heated, giving the sauce a smooth, slightly thickened consistency.
- Butter: Salted butter adds flavor and richness to the sauce.
Can you make white sauce with self?
It’s not recommended to use self raising flour for white sauce. This is because self-raising flour contains salt and baking powder which may interfere with the flavour of the other ingredients. Best white sauce recipes: Pork and sage meatballs with white sauce.
What is the secret to making a smooth white sauce?
Adding in small increments is key. It allows you to ensure that the flour isn’t sitting in clumps at the bottom of the pan, which can lead to a grainy or lumpy sauce later on. If you’ve got good coordination and a nice heavy pan, you can slowly drizzle with one hand while whisking with the other.