This French chicken fricassee recipe involves searing and simmering the meat in a flavorful braising liquid. To bring everything together, a delicious creamy mushroom sauce is made in the same pan.
Recipe Science
- White mushrooms enhance the cream sauce’s flavor without overpowering it. Harvested earlier, they have a milder taste.
- The sauce is thickened using a roux made of flour and chicken grease. Boiling gelatinizes the flour starches, swelling to add body.
- Longer braising makes dark meat more tender, while the fat preserves juiciness and adds more flavor.
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Featured Comment 7
“I made this over 2 days, first preparing the chicken and sauce, next day the braise and the sauce, I used sour cream. It came out really great! Served with basmati rice. My family loved it!”—David
Why It Works
Nothing is more comforting than a pot of stew simmering on the stovetop. Fricassee chicken sounds fancy, but it’s pretty simple to prepare. We can keep it our secret! It’s one of the first French chicken dishes I learned in culinary school. The term “fricassee” means to fry pieces of poultry or meat, then stew them in a sauce.
Braising is a great way to cook chicken thighs and drumsticks until they nearly fall off the bone. The flavorful mushroom sauce is thickened in several ways, with a roux, reduction, and heavy cream to finish. Pair this dish with mashed potatoes, crisp green beans, or roasted vegetables for a complete feast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: For the recipe, I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks. They are affordable pieces that benefit from braising. You can use all of one kind or mix them for variety. The extra fat in the dark meat and bones adds flavor to the chicken stock.
- Cooking Fat: Butter is the most flavorful and helps to accelerate the surface browning of the chicken.
- Mushrooms: In French cuisine, white button mushrooms complement the chicken and do not overpower the delicate flavor of the sauce.
- Alliums: Yellow onions add a natural sweetness when cooked, and minced garlic adds earthiness.
- Herbs: Thyme and bay leaf and an herbaceous note to the braising liquid. Parsley is added for garnish.
- Flour: Add flour to help thicken the sauce so that it clings to the chicken when serving.
- Wine: I use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay.
- Cream: Heavy whipping cream contains at least 36% fat, adding a velvety texture to the sauce.
- Stock: Add chicken stock or chicken broth to intensify the poultry flavor in the sauce.
- Seasoning: Salt and pepper season the chicken and sauce. Grated nutmeg is my secret ingredient for adding a sweet aroma to add dimension to the cream sauce.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This chicken fricassée is a classic braise that is easy to switch up. Try these delicious options:
- Chicken Options: If you’d like to use bone-in or boneless chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time until it reaches 165ºF (74ºC) so the meat doesn’t dry out.
- Vegetables: Add a mirepoix like onions, celery and carrots to the braise. Small potatoes or turnips add heartiness to the dish.
- Butter Swap: Typically, clarified butter is used for fricasse, removing the milk solids to increase the fat’s smoke point. If you have some, use it! Alternatively, olive oil works well too.
- Cream Substitute: Stir whipping cream of half-and-half for a lighter sauce. Add in cream cheese, creme fraiche, or sour cream for richness.
- Spices: Instead of nutmeg, add cinnamon or cardamom. Cayenne, red chili flakes, or chipotle powder can make it spicy.
- Wine Substitute: You can add ½ cup grape juice with 1 teaspoon of mild vinegar. Alternatively, replace the wine with more chicken stock.
- Citrus: If you like a tangy citrus taste, squeeze in lemon juice or add zest for aroma. Orange works well, too.
How to Make Chicken Fricasse
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Chicken thighs can have a lot of excess fat and skin; therefore, trim off the excess. Dry the surface with a paper towel to remove moisture that would prevent crisping when seared. Generously season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 2: Sear the Chicken
I recommend using a Dutch oven or a large skillet with a heavy bottom to make chicken fricassee. Traditionally, the chicken is not browned for fricassee but seared over low heat.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer a flavorful skin, so cook the chicken skin side down over medium heat in melted butter. It takes about 5 minutes on each side to achieve a golden brown hue.
Step 3: Cook the Mushrooms
Saute diced onions and minced garlic in the same pan. This adds depth and a hint of sweetness to the dish.
Saute white button mushrooms to elevate the stew’s savory taste. Because they are harvested earlier, they will not have as strong an umami taste as brown mushrooms.
Step 4: Make the Sauce
Add flour and it will combine with the butter and chicken grease to make a roux.
Deglaze the pan with wine. Stir in the chicken stock or broth and bring it to a boil. As the starches cook in the sauce, they lightly thicken the consistency.
Step 5: Braise the Chicken
Return the chicken pieces back to the pot to simmer. Add in herbs like bay leaf and thyme springs. They add a wonderful herbaceous aroma. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat. The steamy enclosed environment stays at a consistent temperature, gently tenderizing the meat. The process takes about 25 to 30 minutes.
Tips for Perfect Execution: The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 170ºF (77ºC) on a meat thermometer. It will become even more tender the longer it braises. The fat in the dark meat helps to keep the meat juicy.
Step 6: Reduce the Sauce
Remove the chicken from the pot and cover it with foil to keep it warm while finishing the sauce. Reduce the braising liquid over medium-high heat; it should be bubbling. This helps concentrate the flavor and evaporate moisture for a thicker consistency. The process takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 7: Add the Cream
To make a creamy mushroom sauce, use heavy whipping cream. I add nutmeg for a hint of sweetness and spice. Reduce the sauce over medium heat for about 5 minutes to thicken it.
Step 8: Ready to Serve
Add the chicken back to the pot to warm it up before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or herbs like tarragon, chives, thyme, or oregano.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fricassee is a type of stew that uses large pieces of chicken instead of small pieces that are entirely submerged in gravy like a traditional stew. Since the pieces aren’t completely covered, it’s a hybrid cooking technique.
It combines chicken stock, the juices from the simmered meat, white wine, flour, butter, herbs like bay leaf and thyme, nutmeg, and heavy whipping cream.
Braising is a combination of dry-heat and moist-heat cooking. The chicken thighs and drumsticks sear in fat to add flavor to the surface, then simmer in chicken stock. Cooking in liquid helps to dissolve any connective tissue and collagen, transforming it into gelatin. The result is a sauce with body and flavor, with extremely tender meat.
Boneless or bone-in chicken breasts can be used for the recipe. Simmer just until the meat reaches 165ºF ( 74ºC). Check around 20 minutes, adding more time as needed.
Yes! While the chicken is simmering, you can add pieces of potatoes, carrots, or celery. This will help tenderize the meat and vegetables simultaneously.
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If you tried this Chicken Fricassee, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Chicken Fricassee
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onions, ½" dice
- 1 pound white mushrooms, halved
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock
- 3 springs of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken – Trim any excess skin and fat from the chicken thighs. Dry the surface with a paper towel. Generously season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Sear the Chicken – Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt the butter, then add the chicken. Sear each side until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the Aromatics – Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Saute until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Make the Sauce – Add the flour, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove the browned bits. Stir in the chicken stock, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until lightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Braise the Chicken – Add the chicken, skin side up to the pan. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken reaches 170ºF (77ºC) on a meat thermometer, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Reduce the Sauce – Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and cover to keep warm. Discard the sprig and bay leaf. Bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat, reducing to thicken, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the Cream – Stir in the cream and nutmeg. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- To Serve – Add the chicken back to the pan to warm for about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Microwave on high setting in 30-second increments until hot. Alternatively, cook in a pan over medium heat until hot.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup of water. Add after reducing the stock, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
David Flatt says
I made this over 2 days, first preparing the chicken and sauce, next day the braise and the sauce, I used sour cream. It came out really great! Served with basmati rice. My family loved it! Next time i will add more vegetables, carrots, celery, maybe a few potatoes.
Jessica Gavin says
Great job breaking down the chicken fricasse recipe, David!
Faith says
1/4 all purpose flour? I assume that’s 1/4 cup? Looking forward top this one… yum! Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for catching that, Faith! I’ve updated the recipe.
Jill M. Soltau says
Jessica,
Your recipes are the best! They do not fail. My client does not like mushrooms, what would you suggest to replace? Also, what thermometer do you use? I feel like I have tried them all,,,thermo, oxo…none keep true. Best, Jill
Patti Witzgall says
Can I make this recipe with bone in chicken breast (and thighs).
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can use bone-in chicken breast! You’ll need to add more time to ensure that the meat is fully cooked.