Chicken Supreme

Chicken Supreme is a boneless, skin-on chicken breast, roasted to juicy perfection, then served with an easy, savory cream sauce on top.

Chicken Supreme – the way it should be made!

Chicken Supreme is a classic French chicken recipe that somehow – mistakenly – became known as baked chicken that is topped with canned cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup as the sauce.

But that is NOT. AT. ALL. what Chicken Supreme should be! Today we’re sharing the recipe for Chicken Supreme – the way it should be made.

You might be surprised to discover that this delicious, classic Chicken Supreme recipe is easier than you think – so there’s no need to take any canned-soup short cuts.

What is Chicken Supreme?

The term ‘chicken supreme’ (or in French, suprême de volaille) comes from a cooking term that refers to boneless, skin-on chicken breast.

In some professional kitchens, the upper joint of the wing or wingette is left intact. That is known as a “Frenched” chicken breast (or sometimes an “airline” cut because it resembles the wing of an airplane).

Our Chicken Supreme recipe uses just the chicken breast – which is first seared in a pan, then roasted in the oven to cook through. Then it’s served with a simple, delicious sauce made with cream and chicken stock.

• Chicken Breasts – This dish calls for skin-on, boneless chicken breasts. Since most supermarkets these days only sell boneless, skinless chicken breasts, you’ll want to buy split chicken breasts which have the bone and skin still attached to the breast meat. See Cooking Tips & Tricks below.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Lemon
• Fresh Thyme
• Shallots
• Fresh Garlic
• Vermouth or White Wine
• Chicken Stock
• Heavy Cream
• Unsalted Butter
• Fresh Parsley

1. Remove the bone from the chicken breast. Be sure to leave the skin-on. (Save the bones for Step 3 below.
2. Preheat your oven.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet, then sear the bones for about 5 minutes until browned. Remove bones to a platter but do not discard.
4. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
5. Add more oil to the skillet. Once hot, add chicken breasts skin-side down to sear the skin until golden brown and crispy.
6. Flip the chicken and add lemon wedges, thyme, and cooked bones, plus any juice that collected on the platter.
7. Cover and place skillet in the oven to cook through to an internal temperature of 155 degrees F.
8. Place chicken breasts on the platter and cover loosely with foil. (Note that the residual heat will continue to cook the chicken as it rests.)
9. Discard lemon wedges and pour the remaining contents of the pan into a bowl.
10. Return the pan to the stove top burner. Cook shallots and garlic in oil until slightly browned.
11. Add vermouth or chicken stock to deglaze the pan.
12. Add chicken stock and contents of the bowl with the chicken bones and juices. Simmer to reduce.
13. Add the cream and cook to reduce until slightly thick.
14. Remove the bones from the sauce and discard.
15. Off heat, stir the butter into the sauce. Then, strain to remove solids.
16. Stir parsley into the sauce.
17. Serve sauce alongside the cooked chicken.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast – while very convenient to buy and cook – is known for being somewhat finicky if cooked incorrectly. It can easily become dry and flavorless after cooking.

When you make Chicken Supreme – and take the little extra effort to keep the skin on the breast – your chicken will turn out super moist and juicy – plus the bones add great flavor.

This Chicken Supreme recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in December 2019. We’ve updated the post, but the delicious recipe remains the same.

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