Chicken Fricassee is a classic French dish that is timeless. The chicken is browned, then slowly braised with onions, garlic, herbs and carrots in a white wine cream sauce.
Serve this amazing chicken fricassee recipe with our creamy mashed potatoes and a crusty bread to experience the fullness of French cuisine. Your friends and family will be so impressed!
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Chicken Fricassee Recipe
French cuisine has always had a shroud of mystery surrounding it and rightfully so. Many countries’ cuisines have been influenced by it! However, it doesn’t mean that attempting French dishes like this Chicken Fricassee Recipe at home should be complicated.
What is the Origin of Chicken Fricassee?
This chicken fricassee recipe is not the one that comes from Michelin star restaurants. This recipe is the heritage of country cooks aka home cooks like you and I. It is rustic and simple. This recipe doesn’t require precise measurements but instead relies on quality ingredients and a slow braising technique for its savory and rich taste.
What is Chicken Fricassee?
It is more of a method of cooking than an actual recipe. Chicken Fricassee literally means cut up and fried chicken, so what you add to the chicken is up to the cook entirely.
However, what is nowadays accepted as a chicken fricassee is chicken braised in white wine cream sauce.
What Vegetables can I put in Chicken Fricassee?
Good news is you can add any vegetables that can sustain a slow braising process without falling apart. So carrots, mushrooms, green beans or even broccoli will all work well here.
How to Make Chicken Fricassee:
- Brown chicken pieces until golden and removing them to a separate plate.
- In the same pan, sautee onions, carrots, garlic and your choice of herbs.
- Next we need to thicken the sauce by adding flour and quickly cooking it until it’s mixed with the butter and smells slightly nutty.
- Add white wine and mix with a wooden spoon until you have a thick sauce.
- Return the browned chicken with the juices back to the pan and cook in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes.
The final touch is the addition of cream. It’s important to add it last, so it doesn’t separate under the intense heat of the oven. After your chicken has finished its time in the oven, stir in a splash of heavy cream.
We used heavy cream for thicker sauce, however you can add light cream, which will result in a slightly thinner sauce with less calories. The choice is yours. We love to enjoy this with Sourdough Bread or Sourdough Dinner Rolls.
More Chicken Recipes
- Spatchcock Chicken – best way to roast a whole chicken
- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo – in a lighter cream sauce
- Korean Chicken – sticky glazed chicken thighs and legs
- Chicken Madeira – famous Cheesecake Factory copycat
- French Chicken Casserole (Vikalinka) – creamy and excellent
- Chicken Marsala in a mushroom wine sauce
I hope this Chicken Fricassee Recipe becomes a new favorite for you. It is an excellent staple for any kitchen and you can change the vegetables and herbs based on what you have on hand.
Chicken Fricassee
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs and legs, combined
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 carrots, cut in large pieces
- 3-4 sprigs thyme, (leaves only)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine , such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Pat dry chicken with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place a large deep pan over medium/high heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Brown chicken approximately 4 minutes per side until golden on each side but not cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside until needed. Discard excess fat leaving 1 Tbsp in the pan.
- Add 1 Tbsp butter to the pan and saute chopped onions and carrots over low heat for 7-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook briefly for 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook while stirring until flour is completely absorbed by the fat and mixture smells nutty. Add 1/2 cup white wine and simmer until slightly reduced. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken stock.
- Return chicken to the pan together with the juices and bake uncovered at 350˚F for 45 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and add 1/2 cup heavy cream, stir until combined. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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This is an amazing and absolutely delicious recipe! My family enjoyed this dish a lot! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Anastasia! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This is the ultimate classy, delicious, satisfying recipe. Quick and easy enough for the family but oh so classy for guests. I’ve made this several times (skin on and off) the results each time are finger-licking (except we are ladies and do not lick our fingers)! I use GF flour. Thank you Julia and Natasha. My mom laughs, asking ok, who’s recipe is this this time?
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Inga!
I made this tonight using a whole chicken, it was delicious. I just cooked it for a bit longer, and cut it up after. I also added button mushrooms. Great recipe thanks
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Michaela! Thank you for that awesome review!
Do you skin the chicken?
Hi Wendy, you will get the juiciest results with skin-on chicken.
Love this recipe, the flavours were subtle and had a good balance. I think the best part was dipping some homemade bread into the sauce.
Isn’t that the best? I’m so happy you enjoyed that Nancy. Thank you for sharing that with us!
It was quite good, cooked it exactly as written. Very subtle flavour. We usually like something with a little more punch but I think I will make it again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Lesly! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I had read this was Abe Lincoln’s favorite dish.
How cool! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Amazing Recipe. My bro loves chicken. Can’t wait to try this mouthwatering chicken for my lovely brother
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I made this last night. My husband raved and quite honestly, ate most than more than one person should in one sitting. I think it’s a hit.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I am so happy to hear that, Lynn! That’s exactly how mines reacts when I make it!
I can’t wait to make this recipe!! I have a STAUB braiser, can I make this recipe on that one?
Hi Christina! That should work great!
wau, is delicius, thanks for this récipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love how creamy that sauce is! Yum!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Taylor!
This is an amazing recipe! I guess I can substitute heavy cream to half and half to make it less in fat. Would it work for this recipe? Thank you Natasha!
Hi Tina, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I love one pot meals and this one is amazing!
They’re our favorite around here, Julie! Thank you for sharing that with me!
One pot meals are the best and this one looks amazing!
We love one pot meals around here! Thank you for sharing your review with me!
What changes would you make if using chicken breasts?
Hey there Gregg, I haven’t tested that with chicken breast but I think it could work. You will need to cut down cook time to avoid drying the chicken out. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
My whole family begs my all the time to make this for dinner. We all love it!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
This looks amazing.
I hope you love it Laura! Thank you for that great review!
What size cast iron skillet do you use?
Hi Patricia, we used this 12″ iron skillet here.
Do you think the taste will change if i leave out the wine? I can’t consume alcohol.
Hi Zeina, the taste will change since wine contributes to it quite a bit but it will still be delicious without the wine.
is there any good substitute for white wine in case one doesn’t have it?
Hi Lena, the taste will change since wine contributes to it quite a bit but it will still be delicious without the wine.
I can’t consume alcohol either and I made it without and it was delicious. but I did have to add more seasoning.
This is great! I love French recipes, and Fricasée is a classic!
I’m so happy to heat that Jack! Thank you for sharing your review with me!