chicken velouté sauce, chicken veloute sauce being poured from a saucepan to a white cream pitcher with sliced chicken breast in the background on white marble surface

When we first moved to France, I told my mom that I wanted Julia Child’s famous cookbooks for Christmas because I was in a particularly adventurous phase, and Julie and Julia had just come out on DVD, so naturally, I had to have them. Of course, I had no idea how difficult some of the recipes were. I remember two major fails – chicken bouillabaisse and sautéed veal with brown tarragon sauce, but this simple chicken veloute sauce is quite a gem.

chicken velouté sauce, chicken veloute sauce in a white cream pitcher with sliced chicken breast in the background on white marble surface

What is veloute sauce used for?

Veloute sauce is one of the 5 basic mother sauces, and the only one I’ve learned to make so far. You can make it with any type of stock you have, but you’ll want to use the right stock for your dish.

It’s such an easy way to dress up boring chicken, and it can definitely help save your meal if you over cook your chicken. The sauce makes quite a bit, and I can usually stretch it between two meals if it’s just our family. This sauce can be reheated easily if you have leftovers, just add a little more chicken broth or some white wine to thin it out if necessary.

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sliced chicken breast topped with chicken veloute sauce in a shallow cream bowl on white marble surface

What ingredients do you need to make veloute sauce?

Butter (or in our case, butter substitute)
All-purpose flour
Chicken stock
Salt & pepper

How do you make chicken veloute sauce?

Start by making a roux. I use equal parts butter substitute (or butter, if you can have dairy) and all-purpose flour. Use your biggest saucepan, and melt the butter substitute and whisk in the flour. Allow it to cook for about a minute or so, but keep whisking it around so it doesn’t burn.

Then slowly whisk in the chicken broth. I try to add about 1/2 cup at a time so that I don’t get an big lumps, and it allows the sauce to thicken as it cooks.

close up of sliced chicken breast topped with chicken veloute sauce in a shallow cream bowl on white marble surface

If I have it, I also add a splash of dry white wine with the broth. It’s not necessary, but I think it adds a little bit of extra flavor. Salt & pepper are absolutely necessary, too. I usually start with 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt and add more to taste. It really depends on the amount of salt in your broth. If I’m using reduced-sodium, I usually lean more towards a full teaspoon. Definitely taste as you go.

Let the sauce simmer until it’s the consistency you want. It should at least coat the back of a spoon, but I tend to make my chicken veloute sauce a bit thicker than that. It all depends on how thick you want it and how long you cook it.