Chicken breast is basically a blank canvas… which is code for “please don’t make me chew another dry, sad bite.” 😅 These are the best sauce recipes for chicken – from creamy skillet sauces to bold marinades and easy dips – plus chicken breast recipe ideas (aka: exactly what to cook + which sauce to use). Jump to a category, pick your vibe, and dinner is handled.
Creamy Sauces for Chicken Breast
White Garlic Sauce
This creamy White Garlic Sauce Recipe is packed with fresh garlic that's beautifully balanced by parmesan or pecorino cheese!
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Easy Chicken Gravy
Easy Chicken Gravy made with chicken drippings is the best homemade chicken gravy recipe! It takes 10 minutes and ingredients you already have in your pantry.
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Easy Red Curry Sauce Recipe
Slightly sweet, with a touch of heat, this red curry sauce takes mere minutes to make but is sure to elevate any dish you serve it with.!
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Curry Sauce
This all-purpose curry sauce can be used for anything from main dishes like chicken, shrimp, currywurst, or curry and chips to spicing up a vegetable side dish. It is freezer-friendly and comes together in a snap for a quick and tasty dish!
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Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Creamy and tangy with a peppery punch, this Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing will dress up any salad! Just like your favorite steakhouse!
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Bearnaise Sauce
A close cousin to hollandaise, one of the French mother sauces, this EASY Bearnaise Sauce is a delicious sauce with a creamy texture!
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Green Curry Sauce
If you are a fan of Thai food, you have got to try this Green Curry Sauce recipe! Made with ingredients like lime juice and fresh ginger, it's bursting with flavor!
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Beurre Blanc Sauce Recipe
Learn how to make classic beurre blanc sauce. This rich French butter sauce is silky, smooth and perfect for fish, seafood and vegetables.
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Cranberry BBQ Sauce Recipe
Sweet-tart and glossy, this cranberry BBQ sauce brings holiday flavor to wings, meatballs, ribs, and leftover turkey sandwiches. With a gentle chile warmth and optional bourbon finish, it packs a lit of flavors into one sauce.
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Cola BBQ Sauce
Zesty Cola BBQ Sauce is delicious on anything grilled including chicken, ribs, brisket and pulled pork. It only takes 10 minutes to make!
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Chipotle Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe
Chipotle Honey BBQ Sauce is rich, sweet and spicy, perfect for anything that begs to be slathered in a zesty dressing.
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Alabama White Sauce
This unique mayonnaise-based Alabama white sauce is creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy BBQ sauce that's perfect for smoked meats!
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Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce
This EASY Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce is a heady sauce that is more tangy than it is spicy. The sugars and fruit make it sticky and sweet!
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Golden BBQ Sauce
This tangy, sweet Golden BBQ Sauce recipe is fantastic on pork chops, pork tenderloin, grilled chicken and more! Great for sandwiches too!
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Chinese Garlic Sauce
With deep umami flavors, this EASY Chinese Garlic Sauce (or Brown Stir Fry Sauce) is perfect for recreating Chinese takeout at home!
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Sweet and Sour Sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce is an amazing dipping sauce. This EASY recipe will make you think it came from your local Chinese takeout!
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Spicy Peanut Sauce
This spicy peanut sauce recipe is one of my favorite ways to take a simple meal to the next level and I always get asked for the recipe when I serve it at parties!
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Honey Garlic Sauce
If you want a sweet and savory sauce for your proteins and vegetables, this EASY Honey Garlic Sauce recipe is the sauce for you!
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Pad Thai Sauce
Pad Thai Sauce has layers of flavor from sweet brown sugar, umami-laden soy sauce and fish sauce, acidic vinegar, and creamy peanut butter!
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Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
Yum Yum Sauce is an easy sauce for seafood and vegetables. Now you can make your favorite pink sauce at home!
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Szechuan Sauce
From the Sichuan Province of China, Szechuan sauce is a sweet and spicy combination of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and spiciness!
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Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki Sauce can be made into an easy teriyaki marinade or glaze. Perfect for teriyaki chicken, an easy stir fry recipe or even making homemade beef jerky.
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Huli Huli Sauce
This Huli Huli sauce recipe is always a winner in our house. The sweet, sticky, and slightly tangy sauce has a way of taking any meal to the next level.
See The Recipe! Lemon, Herb & Butter Sauces
Basil Pesto Recipe
Pesto Sauce made with pine nuts, fresh basil and parsley is perfect as a pasta sauce, marinade, sandwich spread or even dipping sauce. Pesto Sauce also freezes well and can be canned.
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Lemon Caper Sauce
With briny capers, bright lemon, and rich butter, this EASY Lemon Caper Sauce is a winner on seafood, chicken, pasta, and veggies!
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Brown Butter Sage Sauce
This EASY and delicious brown butter sage sauce recipe brings together sweet and nutty brown butter with fragrant sage and aromatic garlic!
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Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe
Easy garlic butter sauce recipe is perfect for steak, pasta, fish, shrimp, vegetables, and more! Make ahead and freezer friendly!
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Piccata Sauce
Whether you're looking to upgrade weeknight dinners or to impress guests, this sauce will deliver on flavor and presentation.
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Easy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
Authentic Chimichurri Sauce is easy to make and doubles as a marinade and sauce. Traditional chimichurri ingredients will flavor any dish!
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Nashville Hot Sauce Recipe
Nashville Hot Sauce is a regional hot sauce made from cayenne pepper, other spices and brown sugar. Served on fried chicken!
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Homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe
Homemade Buffalo Sauce is an easy blend of just two ingredients! Use other buffalo sauce ingredients to make fun twists for all your buffalo recipes!
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Homemade Ranchero Sauce
Perfect for topping your favorite Mexican dishes like burritos and enchiladas, this Homemade Ranchero Sauce recipe is packed full of flavor!
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Jamaican Jerk Sauce
A warm, spicy and flavorful sauce, this EASY Jamaican Jerk Sauce recipe is the perfect accompaniment for pork, chicken, beef and veggies!
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Harissa Sauce
Harissa Sauce or Harissa Paste is spicy chile sauce blended with spices. Add to marinades, hummus, salad dressings and more for some heat!
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Spicy Ketchup
Spicy Ketchup is a sauce that kicks up a classic and favorite. Serve with fries, on a burger or hot dog or anything else that needs some zing!
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Bloomin Onion Sauce Recipe
Outback Bloomin Onion Sauce is a zesty and fun dipping sauce that can be made in just 5 minutes. Versatile and perfect for serving with nearly anything!
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Balsamic Reduction Sauce
How to make a balsamic reduction sauce just like the restaurants! Tastes like 15 year aged balsamic, but cheap and made in 15 minutes with only 3 ingredients.
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Spicy Honey
Made with only 3 ingredients, this EASY Hot Honey recipe is the hottest new condiment in town! Tastes great on chicken, biscuits and more!
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Homemade Aioli Sauce Recipe
Learn how to make homemade aioli sauce from scratch with egg yolks, olive oil, and lemon juice. A creamy, classic aioli ready in minutes.
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Creamy Honey Mustard Recipe
Creamy Honey Mustard is one of the most versatile condiments out there. Use it as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, marinade or seasoning.
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Easy Homemade Ketchup
This classic Homemade Ketchup recipe is simple to make and a healthier alternative to store-bought ketchup. Pair this ketchup with all of your favorites including french fries, tater tots, cheeseburgers, hot dogs or grilled cheese.
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Romesco Sauce Recipe
Romesco is a hearty, thick and smoky tomato-based sauce that uses nuts and bread for flavor and texture. Serve it over lamb, beef or even vegetables.
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Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
Make your own homemade Worcestershire Sauce with simple ingredients so that you can have the popular sauce handy all the time!
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Chick-fil-A Sauce
This copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce recipe combines 3 basic ingredients for a sauce that tastes just like original! For dipping & slathering!
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French Choron Sauce
This famous French Choron Sauce recipe is a tomato and tarragon-laced Bearnaise sauce that only takes minutes to prepare! Perfect for meats!
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Chili’s Honey Mustard Sauce
If you're looking to recreate Chilis honey mustard sauce then this is the recipe for you. This honey mustard sauce will be your new favorite!
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Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce
This sweet and savory Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauce is perfect for dipping for chicken, but it's also a good sandwich spread!
See The Recipe! Commonly Asked Questions
How do you keep chicken breast from drying out with sauce?
Cook the chicken breast properly first- then sauce it. My chef-y rules:
– Don’t overcook: pull chicken at 160°F and let it rest to 165°F.
– Pound to even thickness so it cooks evenly.
– Sear first, sauce after: add the sauce at the end (or simmer briefly) so you don’t boil the chicken into sadness.
– Rest 5 minutes before slicing so juices stay put.
Do you add sauce before or after baking chicken?
It depends on the recipes, but usually after, unless it’s a thin marinade-style sauce.
– Thin sauces/marinades: okay before baking (they soak in).
– Thick or sugary sauces (BBQ, honey garlic, sticky glazes): brush on during the last 5–10 minutes so it doesn’t burn.
– Creamy sauces: bake chicken plain, then spoon sauce on after (or warm sauce separately and serve).
How do you thicken a sauce for chicken?
There are a few ways and it will depend on the sauce. If you’ve picked one my sauces, it will have instructions on thinning and thickening for that particular recipe.
– Reduce it: simmer uncovered until it coats a spoon (best flavor).
– Cornstarch slurry: 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water, whisk in, simmer 30–60 seconds.
– Roux: cook equal parts butter + flour, then whisk in liquid (great for creamy sauces).
– Add a little cream/Greek yogurt/parmesan: thickens + boosts richness (don’t boil yogurt).
What sauces go with grilled chicken?
Grilled chicken loves bold, punchy sauces:
– BBQ + smoky: classic BBQ, golden BBQ, Alabama white
– Sweet/sticky: huli huli, honey garlic
– Spicy: jerk, szechuan-style
– Bright: chimichurri-ish herb sauces, lemon-caper vibes
Tip: sauce after grilling or right at the end so it doesn’t burn.
All of these sauces sound fantastic. I’m always trying to find new ways to have chicken. I have bookmarked this page for future reference. It will definitely come in handy.
I’ve been having a field day with these sauces! The spicy ketchup is my favorite so far.
This is such a fantastic list of suggestions, I wouldn’t have thought to pair chicken with a couple of these! Definitely making that cola BBQ sauce and the Szechuan sauce ASAP. Thanks for sharing!
Happy to see this! I’ll save this for future references. Thanks
Amazing collection of sauces. Thanks alot for sharing.