This easy Chicken Bolognese is a hearty red sauce made with simple ingredients and served over your favorite pasta. A classic bolognese recipe made in just 45 minutes the whole family will love.
Jump to:
I make this classic bolognese sauce at least once a month because it's so easy and I love storing some in the freezer for lunches and quick dinners. Life gets busy and I can throw some pasta in a pot of water and defrost this flavorful sauce for a quick and nourishing meal.
A traditional bolognese sauce is rich and hearty keeping you full and satisfied. A ground chicken bolognese is a great way to add in extra veggies without compromising the flavor. This is a recipe even those picky eaters will enjoy.
🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Full-bodied flavor. The ingredients meld together to create a rich and well-rounded dish.
- Comforting and nutritional. Hearty ingredients sauteed together to create a warm comforting meal
- Meal-prep friendly. Make and freeze this recipe for your busy week ahead!
🥘Ingredients
- Mirepoix. A mix of chopped onions, carrots and celery. It's typically two parts onion, one part carrots and one part celery. You can buy pre-packaged mirepoix or cut the veggies yourself.
- Italian seasoning. Italian seasoning is a blend of dried herbs typically made up of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic powder, and onion powder. If you have fresh herbs you need to use then add those.
- Tomato paste. Tomato paste is concentrated tomatoes which adds a rich and intense tomato flavor to the sauce. It's used to enhance the overall taste.
- Ground chicken. Use ground chicken, ground chicken breasts are usually 98%-99% lean or opt for ground chicken thighs which are usually 85% lean.
- Dry white wine or red wine. (optional) Wine adds depth and richness to the bolognese recipe while also balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. Wine is also used to deglaze the pan which lifts any flavorful browned bits from the bottom.
- Can tomato puree. Tomato puree provides a concentrated tomato flavor to the sauce as well as adding body, texture and liquid needed to form the sauce. I like San Marzano tomatoes.
- Plain unsweetened milk. (optional) Milk adds a creamy and velvety texture to the Bolognese sauce, helps to balance the acidity and brings a mild sweetness to the dish. I usually use whole milk.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
- Ground chicken. If you have another ground meat on hand that needs to be used go for it! I sometimes sub-traditional ground beef or ground turkey. You could also make my Turkey Bolognese recipe or for a red meat option my Short Rib Ragu.
- Wine. As I said, this ingredient is optional but if you're looking for a substitute you can use red wine vinegar, just reduce the quantity to a ¼ cup. You could also use chicken or vegetable stock.
- Milk. For a dairy-free meal use almond milk, coconut milk or oat milk.
- Add some spice. For some added spice, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes before simmering the tomato sauce.
- Add some vegetables. Add some extra vegetables such as frozen green peas, bell peppers, or serve with a side salad.
🔪Instructions
Step 1: In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, fresh garlic cloves and salt. Sauté for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add in the tomato paste and allow to brown for a few minutes.
Step 2: Add in the ground chicken, crumble and brown for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add in the tomato puree, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the milk and stir. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve over your favorite pasta, topped with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
💭Recipe FAQs
Yes! I often make extra bolognese to store in the freezer to eat at a later date. Be sure to store in freezer-safe, airtight containers or freezer bags.
Yes, chicken bolognese often benefits from allowing the flavors to meld, so making it ahead of time is a great idea. Store it in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Traditionally bolognese is served with tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine. However, you can serve it with whatever pasta you prefer. For added protein use a protein pasta.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Simmer. Simmering the sauce for an extended period on medium-low heat helps meld the flavors and develop a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Control the consistency. Adjust the amount of liquid if the sauce is too thick or simmer for a few extra minutes if you think there's too much liquid.
- Better the next day. Allowing the ingredients to rest and sit overnight gives the ingredients more time to react resulting in a more harmonious and rich flavor. Ingredients like herbs and spices have more time to permeate the sauce.
- Al dente pasta. Always cook your pasta al dente for a firm hold and so it does not fall apart.
- Layering flavors. Everything from the base to the last sprinkle of salt is important in a chicken bolognese recipe. Build depth by sautéing aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery which add to the complexity of the dish.
🥗Serving
Serve this rich chicken bolognese over spaghetti topped with freshly grated parmesan. Pair with a glass of dry red wine and enjoy the depth and warmth this recipe will bring you. Perfect for a date night on a chilly evening or to feed a crowd at your next dinner party.
🥣Storage & Reheating
- Chicken bolognese can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Properly stored in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag, cooked chicken bolognese can last for about 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to allow the bolognese to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers.
- To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or directly in a saucepan over medium-high heat while stirring occasionally.
More Pasta Recipes
- Braised Short Rib Ragu3 Hours 25 Minutes
- Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce1 Hours 10 Minutes
- Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta40 Minutes
- Chicken Piccata Pasta30 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and comment below. Share it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
📋 Recipe
Tap stars to rate!
Chicken Bolognese
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 2 carrots, minced
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup dry white or red wine, optional
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
- ¾ cup plain unsweetened milk
Instructions
- Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and salt and saute for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add in the tomato paste and brown for a few minutes.
- Add the ground chicken and crumble for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine (if using), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add in the can of tomato puree, black pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour in the milk and stir.
- Season with more salt to taste.
- Serve with spaghetti and top with parmesan cheese, if desired
Sarah's Tips
- Simmer. Simmering the sauce for an extended period on medium-low heat helps meld the flavors and develop a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Control the consistency. Adjust the amount of liquid if the sauce is too thick or simmer for a few extra minutes if you think there's too much liquid.
- Better the next day. Allowing the ingredients to rest and sit overnight gives the ingredients more time to react resulting in a more harmonious and rich flavor. Ingredients like herbs and spices have more time to permeate the sauce.
- Al dente pasta. Always cook your pasta al dente for a firm hold and so it does not fall apart.
- Layering flavors. Everything from the base to the last sprinkle of salt is important in a chicken bolognese recipe. Build depth by sautéing aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery which add to the complexity of the dish.
- Chicken bolognese can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Properly stored in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag, cooked chicken bolognese can last for about 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Be sure to allow the bolognese to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers.
- To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or directly in a saucepan over medium-high heat while stirring occasionally.
The cookbook is packed with easy-to-follow recipes that require only 6 ingredients to help you simplify your weeknights. Includes kitchen tips, ingredient swaps & grocery lists!
Comments
No Comments