Creamy Leek Chicken Recipe with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce

Creamy leek chicken with dill and lemon.

5 from 2 votes

Creamy Leek Chicken Recipe with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce

This Creamy Leek Chicken with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce comes together in one pan in about 45 minutes. Chicken breasts get seasoned and seared golden in oil, then basted in Plugrà butter for a rich, golden finish. Buttery leeks, garlic, and white wine build the base of a silky lemon dill cream sauce, stabilized with a quick flour roux and finished with cold butter off the heat for that glossy, restaurant-quality feel. Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes for a weeknight dinner that tastes like serious effort.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Nordic, Scandinavian

Servings: servings

Calories: 801kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons oil any neutral oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon Diamond crystal salt per pound, see notes
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons Plugrà unsalted European-style butter

Creamy leek dill and lemon sauce

3 tablespoons Plugrà unsalted European-style butter
3 leeks white and light green parts only, sliced into rounds and cleaned
½-1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
12 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 15g
½ cup dry white wine
1¼ cups chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice juice from about half a lemon
¼ cup fresh dill roughly chopped
¼-½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons Plugrà unsalted European-style butter cold and cubed

Instructions

Sear the chicken

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Rub all over with 1 tablespoon oil, reserving the rest for the skillet, then season evenly with kosher salt, dried dill, garlic powder, and onion powder.
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil, and the chicken and sear without moving for 4–5 minutes, until a deep golden crust develops.
Add butter and baste the tops of the chicken as it finishes. Flip and sear for another 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
2 tablespoons Plugrà unsalted European-style butter

Build the sauce

Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan. Add the sliced leeks and season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and silky, about 5–6 minutes.
3 tablespoons Plugrà unsalted European-style butter, 3 leeks, ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt
Add the garlic and flour at the same time and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
12 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
½ cup dry white wine
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and lemon zest. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5–6 minutes.
1¼ cups chicken stock, ¾ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Stir in the fresh dill, black pepper, and lemon juice.
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup fresh dill, ¼-½ teaspoon black pepper
Remove from heat and swirl in the cold butter one tablespoon at a time until melted, and the sauce is glossy. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
3 tablespoons Plugrà unsalted European-style butter

Finish and serve

Nestle the chicken back into the sauce and spoon it generously over the top. Let rest 2–3 minutes to warm through. Slice and serve over buttered egg noodles or buttermilk mashed potatoes, garnished with extra fresh dill.

Notes

Salt: This recipe is written for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton's, reduce to 1 teaspoon for the chicken.
Don't rush the sear: Leave the chicken undisturbed for at least 4–5 minutes — it will release from the pan naturally when the crust is ready.
Reduce the wine fully: Let it reduce by at least half before adding broth — this is the most important step for avoiding any bitterness in the sauce.
No wine? Substitute equal amount of chicken broth + a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Cleaning leeks: After slicing, submerge in cold water, swish, and lift out — grit sinks to the bottom. See our Leek Pasta for step-by-step photos of the process.
Cold butter finish: Don't skip it — that final swirl of cold Plugrà off the heat is what makes the sauce silky and glossy.
Gluten-free: Skip the flour roux and simmer the sauce a few extra minutes to reduce naturally, or use a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water) stirred in at the end.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.

Nutrition