Chicken Fricassee is the quintessential French one-pot dish made with browned chicken slowly simmered with aromatics, vegetables, and silky cream sauce.
Chicken Fricassee Recipe
Some of the best meals are those which represent the rich cultural history of a region. Chicken fricassée is one of these recipes it is a classic representation of their rich food heritage. It is pretty simple but loaded with flavors.
The secret behind the delicious taste and savory flavor is the slow braising method of cooking that allows all the ingredients to simmer together. When you invest in a good meal like Fricassee chicken, your taste buds will never remain the same.
What is Chicken Fricassee?
Chicken Fricassee is a traditional French delicacy featuring browned chicken simmered with herbs, onions, garlic, hearty vegetables, and more in a creamy white wine sauce.
A fricassée is a moderately thick stew that’s full of seemingly contradictory ingredients—here, chicken and mushrooms, with just enough liquid to pack them in, braised till tender and spoonable.
Chicken: In this recipe, I am using chicken thighs bone-in and skin-on. The browned chicken skin will turn out crispy and crusty. You can also use chicken breasts if you prefer.
Salt and Black pepper to season the chicken and sauce.
Unsalted butter: French cuisine without butter is almost incomplete.
White mushrooms: this hearty vegetable is a game-changer in this recipe. You can also use button mushrooms or baby Bella.
Garlic and onions
Bay leaf and Thyme sprigs: For bringing out the flavor and freshness in the recipe.
All-purpose flour: Flour is the secret for thickening the sauce if you want a silky sauce.
White wine: This is a classic ingredient in this recipe. It helps to bind all the flavors together.
Parsley: I use parsley to garnish and add that finishing touch. It is optional.
How to make Chicken Fricassee
Here is the guideline for this rich, creamy and rustic stew.
Season your chicken with salt and pepper – Use paper towels to dry your chicken, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Brown thighs by adding butter to a large skillet or pot and heat over medium-high heat until melted. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more, then remove to a plate.
Sauté mushrooms, onion, carrots, and celery. bay leaves, and thyme for 5 minutes until lightly golden
Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds
Add flour and leave the mixture to cook for 1 minute.
Pour wine and chicken stock – Stir, scraping the pot’s base to dissolve the brown residue stuck to the pan.
Add cream to the sauce and stir.
Add the browned thighs and drumsticks back into the sauce with the skin side up.
Cover with a lidand simmer under medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and let it continue simmering for 20 minutes. This will allow the Chicken to cook well.
Sprinkle with parsley, and serve!
How to know that the chicken is done?
The chicken is done cooking at an internal temperature of 75°C/167°F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, cut through the middle of the chicken to check if it is done. The middle will remain opaque with clear juices and no pink.
Cooking Notes
If you don’t want to use wine, you can add more chicken stock.
You can double the recipe or cook in batches if your skillet is not big enough.
If you want a gluten-free Chicken Fricassee, you can use gluten-free flour as an alternative to all-purpose flour.
Storage Instruction
Refrigerator – You can keep leftovers in an airtight container and store them in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. Ensure that the dish is cool before you store it.
Freezer: Your Chicken Fricassee can last up to 3 months in the freezer. However, I don’t advise freezing it because the cream may split once frozen. If you want to make it ahead and store it for long, you can replace the cream with evaporated milk.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave over low-medium heat at 165°F.
Other Chicken Fricassee variation – Make it your own
If you don’t have all the above ingredients or don’t like one of the ingredients, you can always try other variations. Let’s explore some options here:
Use other Vegetables – You can use other vegetables like bell peppers, cauliflower, and more instead of mushrooms.
Add Lemon – Infuse that tangy taste by adding lemon to the mix. You can add about two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Add Pepper – You love hot and spicy food; why not explore by adding red pepper flakes? It will turn up the heat of your chicken fricassee.
Chicken Fricassée is the quintessential French one-pot dish made with browned chicken slowly simmered with aromatics, vegetables, and silky cream sauce.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
Melt butter and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the pan and cook for four to five minutes until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Set aside.
Add mushrooms, onion, carrot, and celery. Leave to Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine and chicken stock. Stir well to deglaze the pan. Throw in the bay leaf and thyme.
Stir in the heavy cream and place the chicken skin-side up back into the sauce. Cover and leave to simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and let it simmer for another 20 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 75°C/167°F or slightly higher.
Sprinkle with parsley, and serve over mashed potato, cauliflower rice, or white rice.
Let’s connect on YouTube,Facebook, andInstagram. I love keeping in touch with you, and nothing brings me more joy than seeing pictures of your creations. Tag me @cheflolaskitchen on Instagram and Facebook.
