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    Home » Recipes » Creamy Sauces

    Creamy Leek Sauce

    Published: Aug 27, 2022 Modified: Jan 13, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    You will love the fresh, earthy flavors of my Creamy Leek Sauce with Chicken! This sauce uses simple ingredients and comes together in just 25 minutes.

    You can pair this comforting sauce with more than just chicken - it's delicious with pork chops, steak, chicken breasts, pasta, and veggies! This is a sauce you will make again and again!

    leek sauce in pan with chicken
    Jump to:
    • Best Leek Sauce
    • Leeks Sauce Ingredients
    • How to Make Leek Sauce
    • Creamy Leek Sauce Recipe Tips
    • Leeks Sauce FAQs
    • How to Cut Leeks
    • How to Clean Leeks
    • What can I substitute for leeks?
    • Can you freeze leek sauce?
    • What to Serve with Leeks Sauce
    • Chicken and Leek Recipes
    • Easy Chicken Sauce Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Best Leek Sauce

    I love using leeks to make a sauce or even as a vegetable base in casseroles and bakes. This simple vegetable can really elevate the flavor of so many savory dishes, and when you make it into a sauce, it adds just the right amount of sharp and sweet onion flavor to any dish!

    This is the type of sauce where it is best to use meat drippings as the base. Whether it is pork, chicken, steak, or even vegetables, the lovely golden brown bits on the bottom of a pan transforms this into a crave-worthy sauce.

    The second-star ingredient in this sauce is tarragon. Tarragon is a slightly bittersweet herb often compared to fennel, anise, and licorice. When tarragon is cooked, it loses some of its pungent qualities, giving it a slightly sweet depth of flavor and warming quality. There truly is nothing like the fabulous combination of tarragon and leeks!

    pan with leek sauce and chicken up close

    Leeks Sauce Ingredients

    • Juice from half a lemon
    • Butter
    • Leeks
    • Garlic
    • Flour
    • Chicken stock or chicken broth
    • Milk
    • Ground mustard
    • Sour cream
    • Fresh tarragon leaves

    How to Make Leek Sauce

    The best way to make this sauce is to start with meat drippings. Usually I will pan-sear chicken breasts, pork chops, steak, or veggies (especially portabella mushrooms) in the same skillet I make the sauce in.

    After the meat has been seared, I remove it from the pan, make the sauce, then lower the heat and add the meat back in the pan and simmer for 20 minutes (to finish cooking the meat).

    If you want to make the sauce without using meat drippings, you can; just make sure you cook the leeks in some form of fat. I typically use 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter!

    1. If using meat drippings, remove the meat and lower the heat to medium. If not using meat drippings, heat a large frying pan to medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add leeks to the skillet. Make sure to move the leeks around in order for them not to burn.
      frying leeks in skillet
    2. While the leeks are cooking add some finely chopped garlic and stir in well. Once the leeks have softened, stir in flour and then gradually add the stock and milk.
      adding flour to leek sauce
    3. When the broth starts to simmer, turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to thicken, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, you can also add your protein back to the pan to cook it in the sauce.
      adding chicken to leek sauce
    4. Once the sauce has thickened, add ground mustard and sour cream into the chicken and leek sauce.
      Adding cream to skillet
    5. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish by stirring in some fresh tarragon leaves.
    adding tarragon to leek sauce

    Creamy Leek Sauce Recipe Tips

    • When you are selecting leeks to use in a recipe, look for ones more white in the middle (the stalk) than green. The dark green parts of a leak (including the leaves) are very fibrous and inedible.
    • Always clean your leeks before and after they are sliced. It is important to thoroughly rinse leeks to remove excess dirt and sand.
    • This is a fantastic recipe base for other chicken and leek recipes, including chicken and leek pie, leek and chicken pasta, or even chicken and leek soup!
    • If not using meat drippings for this recipe, simply substitute 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

    Leeks Sauce FAQs

    What are leeks?

    A leek is a tall and slender green vegetable with a tightly wound white stalk at the base, which opens up to lush dark green leaves at the top. Leeks are essentially an overgrown green onion, but with a more mild and sweet flavor. The edible part of a leek is the portion of the stalk between the base and fibrous green leaves.

    Are leeks and green onions the same?

    Though similar in look and flavor, technically leeks are a different variety of onions. Typically, green onions are smaller and sold in bunches while leeks are sold individually. The flavor of green onions is sharper and tends to be stronger than leeks, which have a milder and sweeter flavor.

    How long does leeks sauce last?

    Leeks sauce with chicken is best stored in an airtight sealed container and lasts up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

    Why is my sauce breaking?

    When working with cream-based sauces, it is important to monitor heat levels and to always keep a whisk close by. You want your heat to be around medium and the sauce should bubble gently (not vigorously). Make sure to fully incorporate the stock and milk into the sauce, taking time to whisk as you slowly add the liquid to the thickening agent.

    What can I substitute for tarragon?

    Tarragon has a very specific flavor when combines with leeks, so the flavor profile won't be quite the same, but if you can't find or do not care for tarragon you can use fresh basil, thyme, or parsley!

    How to Cut Leeks

    1. Place the leek on a secured cutting board.
    2. Cut the root end of the leek off and discard.
    3. Look for the cross-section where the dark green leaves at the top of the leek meet the white part of the stalk and cut them here, discarding the leaves.
    4. Now the tender part of the leek (the edible part) is ready to chop! For easier cleaning, cut the leek in half lengthwise, then thinly slice the leek (creating a "half-moon" shape).
    5. Some recipes will tell you to simply slice the leek, which will give you round shapes.

    Always clean your leeks after chopping!

    How to Clean Leeks

    Leeks are fantastic vegetables to cook with, but it is important to note they grow deep in the ground, typically in sandy areas, so it is important to thoroughly clean them before cooking with them! Here's how I do it:

    1. Rinse the leeks under cold water right before using them. Be sure to give them a good scrub on the outside. You may even want to peel a few layers back depending on how they look.
    2. Cut the leeks according to the above instructions.
    3. Place the chopped leeks into a bowl and fill with cold water.
    4. Wait for just a second to allow the leeks to float to the surface.
    5. Using clean hands, gently dislodge any excess dirt by rubbing the chopped leeks between your fingers.
    leek sauce in a big skillet with chicken

    What can I substitute for leeks?

    Leeks are an incredible vegetable packed with wonderful onion flavor! If you can't find leeks in your local produce section, the best substitute I have found is sweet Vidalia onions.

    Don't be tempted to use scallions or green onions instead of leeks. The flavor is not quite the same, and they will not cook the way leeks do.

    If substituting the leeks for Vidalia onions, simply slice them into rounds and cook them the same way you would the leeks. I use 2 small Vidalia onions in place of leeks in this recipe.

    Can you freeze leek sauce?

    Cream-based sauces do hold up in the freezer, but it is important to note the freezing process can slightly alter the texture of the sauce. Here is how I freeze creamy sauces like this chicken and leeks sauce recipe:

    1. After the sauce has cooled completely, add it to a freezer bag or airtight container. Label and date the outside of the container.
    2. Keep the sauce in the freezer for up to 4 months. When ready to thaw, place the sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
    3. Gently reheat by placing the sauce in a pan over low heat until completely heated through, whisking occasionally.
    4. If using a microwave, reheat on high using 10-15 second intervals, stirring each time until heated through.

    What to Serve with Leeks Sauce

    Chicken leek sauce is fabulous when made with meat drippings, which I simply sear in a large frying pan before I make the rest of the sauce. Then, I like to serve this with a piping hot bowl of mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta! Here are some of my favorite combinations:

    • Pan-seared Chicken Breasts
    • New York Strip Steak
    • Sous Vide Salmon
    • Portobello Mushrooms
    • Bone-in Pork Chops
    • Fresh Vegetable Medley

    Chicken and Leek Recipes

    Chicken and leeks are a classic flavor combination, and the variety of chicken and leek recipes is endless! I have used this sauce as the base for so many other recipes. Here are a few to try:

    • Chicken and Leek Pasta
    • Chicken and Leek Pie
    • Chicken and Leek Soup (try Chicken and Leek Chili!)
    • Chicken and Leek Potatoes
    • Chicken and Leek Stew
    spooning leek sauce over chicken on a plate

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    • Italian Pink Sauce
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    📖 Recipe

    leek sauce in pan with chicken

    Leeks Sauce Recipe

    Isabel Laessig
    Learn how to make leek sauce perfect for serving with chicken, pork, pasta, and more! This is a deliciously easy chicken and leek sauce!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 139 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen knife
    • 1 Cutting board
    • 1 Large frying pan
    • Measuring cups
    • Measuring spoons
    • 1 Whisk

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 Tbsp. Meat drippings optional
    • 2 Tbsp. Butter unsalted
    • Salt and pepper
    • Juice from half a lemon
    • 2 Leeks quartered length ways and then roughly chopped
    • 1 clove Garlic finely chopped or 2 teaspoons of garlic paste
    • 2 Tbsp. Flour
    • 2 cups Chicken stock or chicken broth
    • ½ cup Milk
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard
    • 3 tablespoon Sour Cream
    • 1 Handful fresh tarragon leaves optional

    Instructions
     

    • If using meat drippings, remove the meat and lower the heat to medium. If not using meat drippings, heat a large frying pan to medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add leeks to the skillet. Make sure to move the leeks around in order for them not to burn.
      2 Tbsp. Meat drippings, 2 Tbsp. Butter, 2 Leeks quartered length ways and then roughly chopped
      frying leeks in skillet
    • While the leeks are cooking add some finely chopped garlic and stir in well. Once the leeks have softened, stir in 2 tablespoon flour and then gradually add the stock and milk.
      1 clove Garlic finely chopped or 2 teaspoons of garlic paste, 2 Tbsp. Flour, ½ cup Milk, 2 cups Chicken stock or chicken broth
      adding flour to leek sauce
    • When the broth starts to simmer, turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to thicken, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point you can also add your protein back to the pan to cook it in the sauce.
      adding chicken to leek sauce
    • Once the sauce has thickened, add 1 teaspoon of ground mustard and 3 tablespoon of sour cream into the chicken and leek sauce.
      1 teaspoon Ground Mustard, 3 tablespoon Sour Cream
      Adding cream to skillet
    • Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish by stirring in some fresh tarragon leaves.
      Juice from half a lemon, 1 Handful fresh tarragon leaves, Salt and pepper
      adding tarragon to leek sauce

    Notes

    • When you are selecting leeks to use in a recipe, look for ones more white in the middle (the stalk) than green. The dark green parts of a leak (including the leaves) are very fibrous and inedible.
    • Always clean your leeks before and after they are sliced. It is important to thoroughly rinse leeks to remove excess dirt and sand.
    • This is a fantastic recipe base for other chicken and leek recipes, including chicken and leek pie, leek and chicken pasta, or even chicken and leek soup!
    • If not using meat drippings for this recipe, simply substitute 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
    • 2 vidalia onions can also be used in place of leeks if leeks are not available to you.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 12.4gProtein: 3.1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5.2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 451mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2.2gSugar: 1.4gCalcium: 94mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword creamy leek sauce, leek sauce, leeks sauce
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and hosts Family Foodie Friday on WTSP's Great Day Tampa Bay along with other television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheri says

      March 20, 2023 at 11:56 pm

      Have made sliced taters & leeks in cream sauce using heavy cream, not sour cream. Finished in tin pan in oven. I added some blue cheese crumble & Gouda cheese (cuz I had some in fridge). It was delicious 😋. Same seasoning as yers but not tarragon . I live in country in the South, groc stores don’t sell tarragon. Used garlic press & mustard pwdr. Yum 😋.

      Reply
      • em says

        March 23, 2023 at 2:32 pm

        Delicious! That's awesome, Cheri! Thanks so much for trying it out.

        Reply

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