Sherry Cream Sauce (Easy Shallot Sherry Sauce)

This sherry cream sauce is buttery, silky, and packed with flavor from sautéed shallots and reduced sherry. You finish it with cream until it turns glossy and smooth, the kind of sauce that coats pasta, chicken, steak, or seafood. The method’s simple, you can make it as thick or as pourable as you want, and once you learn it, you’ll start using it as your go-to base for creamy pan sauces. And if you’ve tried my Lemon Cream Sauce or White Wine Sauce, you know how delicious and foolproof my sauce recipes are, and this creamy sherry sauce delivers.

Why You'll Love This Sherry Cream Sauce Recipe

I’ve made a ton of pasta sauces, but the other night I wasn’t craving anything I usually make. My wife and I had pasta night planned, and I wanted something new, creamy but still light, with a different flavor that felt a little more special. This sauce was exactly that.

Shallots give you a gentle sweetness, sherry adds depth with a slightly nutty, savory note, and cream turns everything into a velvety finish that makes whatever you’re eating taste better. It’s rich without feeling heavy, and it tastes like something you’d get at a really good pasta or steak restaurant.

It’s also one of those sauces where you’re in control. Reduce it a little more for a thicker sauce that’s perfect over steak, keep it a bit looser for pasta, or land in the middle for chicken and roasted veggies. Once you make it once, you’ll start finding excuses to put it on everything.

Ingredients You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot
• ¾ cup sherry cooking wine
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup heavy cream (or regular cream)

Ingredient Notes That Make This Sauce Better

• Shallot: Shallots are milder and sweeter than onions, which is perfect in a cream sauce. Dice it small, so it softens quickly and infuses evenly.
• Sherry cooking wine: This gives the sauce its signature flavor. Reducing it is the key step. If you use regular drinking sherry instead of cooking wine, your sauce can taste even better, just keep an eye on salt since cooking wine can be salty.
• Cream: Heavy cream gives the richest, smoothest sauce and is less likely to separate. Regular cream works too, but it may take slightly longer to thicken.

How to Make Sherry Cream Sauce

Step 1: Sauté the shallots

Melt the butter in a saucepan or small pot over medium heat. Peel and dice the shallot, then add it to the butter. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant.

Step 2: Reduce the sherry

Pour in the sherry. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid reduces and the flavor concentrates.

You’re looking for the mixture to reduce down so it looks slightly syrupy and aromatic, not watery.

Step 3: Add cream and simmer until thick

Add the cream and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Keep it slightly thinner if serving over pasta, so it coats easily. Simmer longer for a thicker, richer sauce for steak, chicken, or vegetables. Once it reaches your desired consistency, remove it from the heat and serve hot.

Pro Tips for a Smooth, Silky Sherry Cream Sauce

• Reduce the sherry until it smells rich, not “boozy.” This is where the depth comes from. Let it simmer until the sharp alcohol smell fades, and it turns slightly syrupy. If you don’t reduce it enough, the sauce can taste thin and wine-forward instead of smooth and savory.
• Keep the simmer gentle once cream goes in. Cream sauces don’t like a hard boil. If it’s bubbling aggressively, turn it down. A gentle simmer gives you the glossiest texture and keeps the sauce from breaking or turning grainy.
• Stir frequently after adding cream. Cream can scorch fast, especially in a smaller pan. Stirring keeps the bottom from burning and helps the sauce thicken evenly, so you get that silky finish.
• Control thickness based on what you’re serving. If it’s for pasta, keep it a little looser and finish with a splash of pasta water so it coats the noodles. If it’s for steak or chicken, let it reduce a bit longer so it clings and feels richer.
• Season at the end, not the beginning. Sherry (especially cooking sherry) can be salty, and reduction concentrates everything. Taste once the sauce is finished, then adjust salt and pepper so you don’t accidentally overdo it.

Flavor Variations You Can Try

• Garlic Sherry Cream Sauce: Add 1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon) with the shallot and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. It gives the sauce a deeper savory base without overpowering the sherry.
• Mushroom Sherry Cream Sauce: Sauté 8 ounces sliced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter with a pinch of salt until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Then add the shallots and continue with the recipe. This version is unreal over steak, chicken, or pasta.
• Herb-Finished Sherry Cream Sauce: Stir in fresh herbs right before serving so they stay bright. Try 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, or 1 teaspoon of chopped tarragon for a more elegant, restaurant-style vibe.
• Parmesan Sherry Cream Sauce: After the sauce is off the heat, stir in ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan. It adds a salty, nutty finish and makes the sauce a little thicker and extra glossy. Taste before adding salt, since Parmesan brings plenty.
• Spicy Sherry Cream Sauce: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (start with ⅛ teaspoon) when you sauté the shallots. It won’t make the sauce hot, it just gives it a subtle warmth that’s really good with seafood and chicken.

What to Serve with Sherry Cream Sauce

This sherry cream sauce can make anything feel fancy. It’s rich and silky, but it still goes well with a ton of foods, so you can use it for pasta night, date-night steak, or a quick seafood dinner.

• Pasta: Toss it with fettuccine or linguine for a simple, restaurant-style pasta. If you’ve got reserved pasta water, a splash helps it coat the noodles and stay glossy.
• Chicken and pork: It’s perfect over  crispy chicken cutlets, baked chicken, pan-seared chicken thighs, or breaded pork chops. The sauce adds richness to the meat without needing a heavy gravy.
• Steak and pork: Serve it with steak tips, sliced steak, or sirloin steak when you want a sauce that feels elevated but still easy. It’s especially good with anything seared because it loves those browned flavors.
• Seafood: Spoon it over pan-seared scallops or shrimp, or use it as a quick pan sauce after you cook them. If you’re pairing it with seafood, finish with a small squeeze of lemon to brighten the sherry and keep the sauce tasting fresh.
• Vegetables: Drizzle it over roasted asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, or even broccoli. It turns a basic veggie side into something people actually get excited about.
• Starches: This sauce is money over mashed potatoes, and it’s also great with rice because it soaks up every bit of that sherry-shallot flavor.

Storage and Reheating Tips

• Refrigerator: Store leftover sherry cream sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’ll thicken as it chills, that’s normal for cream sauces.
• Reheating: Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, whisking often to bring it back to silky and smooth. If it’s too thick, add a splash of cream, milk, or broth a little at a time until it loosens up. Avoid boiling, high heat can make cream sauces separate or turn grainy.
• Freezing: Freezing isn’t recommended. Cream sauces can change texture after thawing and lose that glossy finish. If you want the best results, make it fresh or plan to use leftovers within a few days.

Sherry Cream Sauce FAQs

What is sherry cream sauce?

Sherry cream sauce is a quick, buttery pan sauce made by sautéing shallots in butter, reducing sherry for deep flavor, then simmering with cream until it turns silky and glossy. It’s rich but not heavy, and it goes well with pasta, chicken, steak, pork, or seafood.

What kind of sherry is best for sherry cream sauce?

Dry sherry is the best choice for cooking because it adds depth without making the sauce sweet. “Cooking sherry” works in a pinch, but it’s often salted, so you’ll want to go light on added salt and taste at the end.
 
Can I make sherry cream sauce without sherry?
Yes. You won’t get the exact same nutty depth, but you can substitute a dry white wine or chicken broth. If you use broth, add a tiny splash of vinegar or lemon at the end to bring back some brightness.

Can I use heavy cream or regular cream?

Yes. Heavy cream makes it richer and more stable. Regular cream works, but it will give you a slightly thinner sauce.

How do I thicken sherry cream sauce?

Let it simmer gently a little longer, stirring often. Cream sauces naturally thicken as they reduce and as they cool slightly. If you want it thicker for steak or chicken, reduce it more. For pasta, keep it a little looser so it coats easily.

Why does my cream sauce taste like alcohol?

It probably didn’t reduce long enough before you added the cream. Let the sherry simmer until the sharp alcohol smell fades and the liquid reduces significantly. That’s when the flavor turns rich instead of “winey.”

Why did my sherry cream sauce separate or turn grainy?

This usually happens from boiling too hard. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in and whisk or stir frequently. High heat can cause dairy sauces to break.

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