Wine Pairings for Chicken

This piquant dish from Lidia Bastianich's Missouri restaurant, Lidia's Kansas City, is one of our favorite ways to prepare skinless chicken breasts.

Pairing: A Rosato, like the 2005 Cantalupo II Mimo

This roast chicken is foolproof and fantastic. Plus, it's versatile enough for a weeknight dinner or weekend dinner party.

Pairing: A crisp, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc, like the 2006 Honig Sauvignon Blanc

Marie Hejl made these easy enchiladas with a Spanish-speaking friend on a bilingual episode of her show, and she occasionally prepares them with her dad, Jim Hejl. Following her Mexican grandmother's recipe, Marie first dips the tortillas in a fresh tomatillo sauce, then fries them in oil. Here, to avoid excessive spattering, the tortillas are first fried in oil and then coated with the tomatillo sauce.

Pairing: A spicy, dark-fruited Argentinean Malbec, like the 2005 Mendel Mendoza Valley

Marcia Kiesel browns chicken breasts in butter on the stove before roasting them in the oven; the butter enriches both the chicken and browned pan juices, which become a base for the flavorful sauce. As a delicious accompaniment, she mashes minty green peas and mixes them in with whole ones.

Pairing: A dry white sparkling wine, like the NV Mumm's Napa Brut Prestige

Marcia Kiesel's modern version of this Chinese-American dish includes stir-fried egg noodles with chicken sausage, chiles, basil and an unexpected ingredient—orange juice.

Pairing: A fruity sparking wine, like Zardetto’s NV Brut Conegliano Prosecco

This Jamaican curry gets its heat from Scotch bonnet chiles; Marcia Kiesel's stripped-down version relies on a Scotch bonnet hot sauce and curry powder. Try low-alcohol wines with spicy foods (see our 7 Rules for Perfect Pairing).

Pairing: A low-alcohol, off-dry Riesling, like the 2006 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Riesling

For this spicy, soothing and restorative chicken-and-rice soup, Ratha Chau prepares his own delectable chicken stock and roasts a chicken, which is then cut into large pieces and added to it.

Pairing: A citrusy, off-dry Australian Riesling, like the 2006 Banrock Station Riesling

For her sublime version of everyday chicken and rice, Marcia Kiesel coats chicken legs in chili powder and cooks rice with sofrito—a Spanish mixture of chopped onion, garlic and bell pepper. She bakes everything together in a skillet so that the delectable chicken juices flavor the rice, then broils the dish at the last minute to turn the chicken skin enticingly brown.

Pairing: A rosé sparkling wine, like the 2005 Llopart Rosé Brut Reserva

There are many variations on pozole, a traditional hominy-based Mexican stew closely associated with the Pacific-coast state of Guerrero. Anya von Bremzen's version, a green pozole, derives much of its flavor from tangy ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro and green chiles.

Pairing: A rich but unoaked white wine such as an Alsace Pinot Gris, like the 2005 Marc Kreydenweiss Lerchenberg or the 2005 Gustave Lorentz Réservec

Baby bok choy, an easy-to-find Chinese green, replaces the gai lan, while regular chives substitute for the garlic chives.

Pairing: A lemon appley Chardonnay, like the 2004 Waugh Cellars Chardonnay