Chicken Wellington
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This Chicken Wellington is something extra special that will absolutely “wow” your dinner guests. Tender, juicy chicken breasts are encased in flaky puff pastry along with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and gorgonzola and served with a delicate cream sauce. A labor of love for a special occasion for special guests, these communicate the words “you’re worth it”.
This Chicken Wellington recipe is one of the first posts I published to my blog back in early 2013. I developed this recipe as part of a cooking competition I participated in (I won!) and the response was so positive that I had to share the recipe with you. Mushrooms are sautéed in butter, deglazed with white wine, seasoned with fresh parsley and then paired with caramelized onions and gorgonzola atop tender, juicy chicken breasts wrapped in puff pastry, baked to perfection, and served with a delicate Parmesan cream sauce.
Why should you make this dish? Say it with me: “Because I’m worth it.”
These Chicken Wellingtons make for a very large portion size so we serve them cut in half, one half per serving. If you have very hungry dinner guests feel free to double the recipe so everyone gets their own Chicken Wellington, but many people will find a whole one too much.
You can use any variety of mushroom you like. I originally made these with morel mushrooms (as seen in the prep pictures below) but they are delicious with any mushroom, including button or cremini mushrooms. You can also use blue cheese instead of gorgonzola. These Chicken Wellingtons take some time and effort but they are oh so worth it!
For this recipe you can use store-bought, pre-made puff pastry or you can use our recipe to make a simple Rough Puff Pastry that can be made well in advance and frozen until ready to use.
What to Serve with Chicken Wellington
Chicken Wellington can be served with any number of vegetables and starches to create a well-balanced meal. Here are just a few ideas:
- Roasted, Grilled, Steamed Vegetables, Etc: such as broccoli, asparagus, carrots, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Green Beans Almondine, Roasted Spiralized Beets, or Creamed Spinach.
- Mashed Potatoes: either plain, lightly seasoned, or you can bump the flavor up further with these Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips with Horseradish.
- Rice or Risotto: regular steamed rice or our homemade Rice a Roni, or risotto like our roasted Pumpkin Risotto or Mushroom Risotto.
- Salad: a leafy green salad or cool and crisp Bohnensalat (German bean salad) make great accompaniments as does a refreshing fruit salad.
Chicken Wellington Recipe
Let’s get started!
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the onions for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the onions to a bowl.
Melt the butter in the skillet and saute the mushrooms for about 5-6 minutes. Add the wine, parsley, and a pinch of salt, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a small plate, reserving two tablespoons of the mushrooms for the cream sauce.
Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts. Heat a little olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat and briefly brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
Roll each of the puff pastry sheets out to about a 7 inch diameter square.
Place half of the gorgonzola in the center of each puff pastry sheet.
Place half of the mushrooms on top of the gorgonzola.
Place half of the onions on top of the mushrooms.
Place the chicken breasts on top of the onions.
Brush all four sides of puff pastry with the egg and water mixture. Fold the corners of the puff pastry in toward the chicken.
Pinch the seams together to prevent the mixture and juices from bubbling out while the Wellingtons bake.
Brush the whole side with the egg mixture.
Invert the Wellingtons onto a baking sheet, seam side down. If you want, cut out a few decorative leaves or design of your choice with any remaining puff pastry, brushing underneath them with egg mixture to ensure that they adhere.
Brush the pastry shells with the egg mixture.
Bake in the oven preheated at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is a rich golden brown.
While the Chicken Wellington are baking, prepare the Parmesan cream sauce.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in 1/2 tablespoon of flour until blended and smooth. Add the cream and whisk until combined and smooth, add the reserved mushroom mixture and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking regularly. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the Parmesan until smooth and creamy.
Remove the Chicken Wellingtons from the oven, cut each one in half, place them on four plates with your choice of vegetables.
Serve the Chicken Wellington with some Parmesan cream sauce drizzled next to it.
Enjoy!
For more delicious chicken dishes from around the world be sure to try our:
- Chicken Piccata
- Hasselback Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Jerk Chicken
- Chicken Paprikash
- Mongolian Chicken
- Pollo a la Brasa
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Butter Chicken
- Tandoori Chicken
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Chicken Wellington
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts , pounded to an even thickness and sprinkled on both sides with salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 medium yellow onion , finely chopped
- 6 ounces cremini or button mushrooms or mushrooms of choice , chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 oz gorgonzola or blue cheese or cheese of choice
- 2 sheets of puff pastry , rolled out to about 7 inch diameter squares
- 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- For the Parmesan Cream Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons reserved sauteed mushrooms
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the onions, adding a pinch of salt, until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet and add the mushrooms. Saute for about 5-6 minutes and then add the wine, parsley, and a pinch of salt, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl, reserving two tablespoons for the cream sauce.Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and once it's hot add the chicken breasts. Fry briefly on both sides until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Place the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface. On each pastry sheet, spoon half of the blue cheese mixture in the center of each sheet followed by half of the onions and half of the mushroom mixture. Place the chicken breasts on top.Brush some of the egg mixture along each side of the puff pastry sheets. Carefully fold the corners of the puff pastry sheets up over the chicken and press to seal. Brush with the egg mixture. Place the each chicken Wellington seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush all sides with the egg mixture.Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastries are a rich golden brown.
- For the Parmesan Cream Sauce:While the chicken Wellingtons are baking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until blended and smooth and cook for a minute, whisking constantly. Add the heavy cream, whisking continually until smooth and thickened. Add the reserved mushroom mixture and simmer for two minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the Parmesan cheese until dissolved.
- Cut each Chicken Wellington in half, place a half on each plate, and serve with the sauce. See side dish recommendations in blog post.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet April 24, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This was divine! The time and effort is well worth it, a beautifully upscale dish worthy of any 5 star restaurant. I shall definitely make this again!
That’s wonderful, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it, thank you Fiona!
Disappointed to not see in the English section, Beef Wellington (although this is contested as perhaps being invented by a French chef working in England), Trifle, Scotch Egg, Sandwich Bread Loaf (yeast bread was invented back in Middle Ages England), Yorkshire Puddings or Donuts, in the English section here. (Yes, donuts are actually English, originally known as the ‘Hertfordshire nut’, from Hertfordshire)… the hole in the centre of the dough was actually invented by an American captain (I believe), on a boat home, so that the dough would cook more evenly in the centre and the name donut was adopted.
Hi Katy, I’m a one-woman show so it’s hard to get around to publishing everything :) But trifle and Scotch eggs are already on my to-do list. You mentioned Yorkshire pudding, here is my recipe for those: https://www.daringgourmet.com/yorkshire-pudding/
When you said 2 sheets of puff pastry, did you mean unroll thawed pastry & cut it in half ? Or use 2 thin sheets?
Hi Tracy, often the puff pastry comes in a sheet with a perforation down the center for a total of 2 (attached) sheets. So meaning use both sheets and roll it out into one larger sheet.
This looks amazing! Your instructions and photos are so clear that I think I can actually make it. Thank you. Is there a milder cheese that I can sub for the gorgonzola/blue cheese?
Thanks, Ursula! You can really use any cheese you like – Swiss, gouda, white cheddar, etc. If I didn’t have gorgonzola I’d probably go with Swiss, my personal preference.
I would love to make this for Valentine’s Day dinner this year, but my husband will not eat mushrooms much to my dismay. Can you recommend a substitution?
Hi Sarah! You can simply omit them and use extra caramelized onions. Or you could add something like chopped leek sauteed in butter, which makes practically anything taste great. Happy cooking!
Can his be made a day ahead?
Christina, you could sear the chicken and prepare the sauce and filling in advance, but not assemble it in advance as the puff pastry (whether baked or unbaked) will become soggy.
Sounds divine!!! Doing this for a dinner party. What sides, starch and veg, would you recommend?
Wonderful, Beth! The Wellington is the star of the show so I would recommend sides that are simple and won’t compete with the meal’s focal point. You want the flavors of the Wellington to really shine through. I would recommend something simple yet elegant such as one or two of the following the following: Roasted asparagus spears, a fresh leafy green salad with a vinaigrette dressing (not creamy), fresh green beans or broccoli. For a carb something like a mashed potato and carrot puree seasoned with butter and salt. That would also add some nice color to the plate. And even though it doesn’t need gravy, there will be the drizzle of the cream sauce on the plate from the Wellington. Let us know how it goes!
I love this recipe!! I have made it several times for family and guests.
Fantastic, Tonya, it thrills me to hear that! We really love it, too, and it’s marvelous with other kinds of mushrooms as well. Thanks for your feedback! Best, Kimberly
I have been looking for a chicken Wellington recipe that I would like to try believe yours is the best I have seen. Thank you. I’m excited to try this.
Thank you so much, Theresa, I hope you enjoy it! Happy cooking! :)
This was really easy & delicious! I used dried chanterelles since morels were too expensive. The chicken was moist and the filling was delicious. I used blue gorgonzola in the sauce as well, and added a little extra cream to tone it down. My husband and I both enjoyed it, and I’d make this every few weeks.
Fantastic! I’m so happy you both enjoyed it – thanks for the feedback!
This looks awesome – like something out of a movie!
I voted for you in the internal poll – I’ll have to try this recipe out soon. I’ll have to sub the morels for something since I used all mine up!
Thanks for the compliment and for the vote! :) Some lovely caramelized cremini mushroom would work beautifully as well.
This looks really delicious! What a great idea. I’m glad to be part of this contest with so many other talented bloggers!
Thanks, Amy and ditto! Thanks for stopping by!
This recipe looks utterly delicious and is on my short list to prepare.
Thanks, Laurrie and the same to you! Thanks for visiting!
That reminds me I have to buy puff pastry this weekend :D
Puff. Pastry. Two beautiful, beautiful words! What wonderful things are you going to make with it this weekend?
ooh so pretty! i love it!
Thanks, Tori! I know, it was almost a shame to cut into it!