Martha Stewart Creamy Asparagus Chicken Recipe

This is what I make when the first good asparagus shows up at the store and I want to do something with it that is not just roasting it on a sheet pan. Martha Stewart’s Creamy Asparagus Chicken sears bone-in chicken breasts in butter, softens leeks with white wine, adds small red potatoes and chicken broth, roasts everything at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then tucks in the asparagus for 10 minutes more and finishes the whole pan with a pour of heavy cream.

This one-pan Martha Stewart chicken breast recipe is one of those spring chicken dishes that makes you feel like you cooked something fancy even though you used one skillet and 55 minutes. It is one of Martha Stewart’s best chicken recipes for when you want a complete dinner from a single pan: protein, potatoes, a green vegetable, and a cream sauce that ties everything together. I reach for this Martha Stewart chicken recipe every April.

Try More Dinner Recipes:

• Asparagus Risotto
• One-Pan Pasta
• Chicken Piccata

Why You Will Love This Creamy Asparagus Chicken:

• One skillet, complete dinner: Chicken, potatoes, leeks, asparagus, and a cream sauce all cook in the same ovenproof skillet. I plate it straight from the pan. No side dishes needed, no extra pots, nothing else to think about.
• The asparagus goes in last: Martha adds the asparagus after the chicken and potatoes have already roasted for 15 minutes. This way the asparagus stays bright green and crisp-tender instead of turning grey and mushy. I worried it would be undercooked, but 10 minutes covered in a 450-degree oven is exactly right.
• The cream sauce is four ingredients: White wine deglazes the leeks, chicken broth simmers everything, and heavy cream gets stirred in at the end. That is the whole sauce. No roux, no thickener, just cream into the pan juices. Simple and it works.

Creamy Asparagus Chicken Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken-breast halves, patted dry
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, and well rinsed (4 cups)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound very small red potatoes (each 1 inch diameter), halved
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Dill sprigs, for serving

How To Make Martha Stewart Creamy Asparagus Chicken

1. Sear the chicken: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large, straight-sided ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Cook the leeks and wine: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minute.
3. Roast the chicken and potatoes: Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the chicken skin-side up. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
4. Add the asparagus: Remove from the oven and add the asparagus. Season with salt. Cover and return to the oven. Roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
5. Finish with cream: Transfer the chicken to a plate. Stir the heavy cream into the skillet, then return the chicken. Serve with dill sprigs.

Recipe Tips

• Wash the leeks well: Leeks hide grit between their layers. I slice them first, then drop the slices into a bowl of cold water and swish them around. The dirt sinks to the bottom. Lift the leeks out instead of pouring the water off, or the grit goes right back on them.
• Use small potatoes: Martha says 1-inch diameter, halved. If your potatoes are bigger, quarter them so they cook through in the same time as the chicken. I have used regular red potatoes cut smaller and it works, but the tiny ones hold their shape better.
• Add herbs to the cream if you want more flavor: Someone who made this recipe said the sauce was too thin and a little bland. I stir chopped fresh dill right into the cream instead of just using it as a garnish, and a pinch of tarragon works well too. It takes the sauce from good to really good.
• Do not skip the sear: Five minutes per side in butter gives the chicken skin a deep golden crust that holds up during roasting. Without the sear, the skin steams in the broth and turns soft. I press the chicken down gently with a spatula during the sear to get full contact.

What Goes Well With This Creamy Asparagus Chicken

The dish already has chicken, potatoes, asparagus, and a cream sauce, so the plate is full. I put a loaf of sourdough bread on the table for the sauce and that is it. The bread soaks up whatever is left on the plate.

If I want a green to start, a quick caesar salad before the main course works well. But most nights this skillet is the whole meal and I do not feel like anything is missing.

How To Store Leftovers

Store everything together with the cream sauce poured over the top. The sauce keeps the chicken and asparagus moist. Keeps 3 days in the fridge. I would not freeze this because the potatoes get grainy and the asparagus goes limp after thawing.

I reheat in a covered skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth. The cream sauce thickens overnight so the extra liquid loosens it back up. The asparagus will not be as crisp the next day but the flavor is still there.

FAQs

• What are split chicken breasts? A whole chicken breast is two halves connected by the sternum. What most stores sell as “chicken breasts” are actually split breasts, meaning one half. Martha calls for 4 bone-in, skin-on breast halves. If your store labels them as chicken breasts, that is the same thing.
• Can I use boneless skinless breasts? You can, but you lose the crispy skin and bone-in breasts stay juicier during the long roast time. If you use boneless, reduce the oven time by about 5 minutes and watch them closely. I stick with bone-in because the skin is half the point of this dish.
• Why does the asparagus go in so late? Asparagus only needs about 10 minutes in a 450-degree oven. If it went in with the potatoes at the start, it would be overcooked and mushy by the time the chicken was done. I was nervous the first time that 10 minutes would not be enough, but it was perfect.
• What wine should I use? Martha suggests Sauvignon Blanc. I use whatever dry white wine I have open. Anything you would drink works. If you do not cook with wine, substitute an extra 1/3 cup of chicken broth with a splash of lemon juice for acidity.

More Dinner Recipes:

• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Roast Chicken

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 520
• Total Fat: 22g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Cholesterol: 140mg
• Sodium: 580mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 32g
• Protein: 46g