Beurre Blanc Sauce

Name: Beurre Blanc Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 small eschalot, finely diced; also called French onion or shallot; ¼ cup white wine, dry, not too sweet or woody; Chardonnay is suggested; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 200 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1 cm / 0.4-inch dice; keep refrigerated until needed; ½ tsp cooking salt / kosher salt, use half the amount for table salt or 50% more for salt flakes; 2 tbsp thickened cream / heavy cream, optional; helps prevent the sauce from splitting

Golden beurre blanc being poured over a piece of fish, with chopped green herbs. — Beurre blanc poured over fish and finished with chopped herbs.

A classic French butter sauce with a bright wine-and-vinegar tang. Keep the butter cold and the heat low for a smooth, creamy sauce.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 1, 2026Updated October 19, 2026

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Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

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Recipe

Beurre Blanc Sauce

A classic French butter sauce with a bright wine-and-vinegar tang. Keep the butter cold and the heat low for a smooth, creamy sauce.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/beurre-blanc-sauce

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

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Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

Beurre blanc

1 small eschalot, finely diced; also called French onion or shallot
¼ cup white wine, dry, not too sweet or woody; Chardonnay is suggested
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
200 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1 cm / 0.4-inch dice; keep refrigerated until needed
½ tsp cooking salt / kosher salt, use half the amount for table salt or 50% more for salt flakes

Optional safeguard

2 tbsp thickened cream / heavy cream, optional; helps prevent the sauce from splitting

Equipment

Small saucepan
Whisk
Fine sieve
Spoon

Instructions

Beurre blanc

Step 1: Make the reduction: Put the eschalot, white wine and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently until reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes after it begins simmering. You should have 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid, not counting the eschalot. If using cream, add it now and continue simmering until the liquid is reduced again to 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Tip: The reduction should not be less than 2 tablespoons or the butter may not emulsify properly; too much liquid can leave the sauce thin.
Step 2: Turn the heat to low. The mixture should not reach a simmer. Using a spoon, add the cold butter one heaped tablespoon at a time while whisking briskly and constantly.
Tip: Use your smallest burner and keep the butter cold to help prevent the sauce from splitting.
Step 3: Let each addition of butter melt before adding the next. Continue whisking as the sauce thickens and turns pale, milky yellow; this should take about 5 minutes. Add the salt at the end.
Step 4: Keep whisking until all the butter is incorporated. The sauce should be pale yellow, slightly thickened like pouring cream, and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into another small saucepan, pressing the eschalots to extract their flavor.
Step 6: Set the saucepan over low heat on your smallest burner to keep the sauce gently warm while you cook your protein. Keep the heat very low so the sauce stays warm, not hot, and does not split. When ready to serve, spoon it over fish, chicken or steamed vegetables and top with finely chopped chive.

Notes

Chardonnay is suggested, but any dry white wine that is not too woody or sweet will work. White wine vinegar gives the classic flavor; apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can add tang, though the sauce will no longer be classic beurre blanc.

For an optional safeguard against splitting, use the listed cream. Cream is not traditional in beurre blanc.

Keep the sauce barely warm and whisk it about every 5 minutes; it can be held this way for up to 2 hours. It solidifies when cold and may split if reheated.

The strained eschalots can be tossed with vegetables such as green beans, spinach, broccoli or potatoes.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 401 kcal
Fat: 44 g
Saturated fat: 28 g
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Sugar: 0.4 g
Protein: 1 g
Sodium: 300 mg
Cholesterol: 117 mg

Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.

About this recipe

Beurre blanc is a classic French sauce with a creamy texture and a tangy wine-and-vinegar flavor. Serve it with fish, shellfish, chicken or vegetables.

Keep the butter cold and use low heat as you whisk it into the reduction. For an optional safeguard against splitting, add cream to the reduction.

Eschalot, butter, wine, white wine vinegar and salt arranged as beurre blanc ingredients. — The core ingredients for beurre blanc.

Beurre Blanc Sauce