Craving the deep, soul warming comfort of a slow simmered stew but short on time? Let me introduce you to Chicken Fricassée. This classic French dish has a fancy name, but I promise it’s one of the most approachable, one pot wonders you’ll ever make. It’s a creamy, dreamy chicken stew with golden, crispy skinned chicken, tender mushrooms, and a silky sauce that’s pure luxury.
The magic of this recipe is how it delivers deep, slow cooked flavor in under an hour. We build layers of taste by browning the chicken, sautéing the veggies, and deglazing the pan with a splash of white wine. The result is a rich, satisfying sauce that’s light years away from a canned soup. It’s elegant enough for a weekend dinner party but easy enough for a Tuesday night. Let’s bring a little French bistro charm to your kitchen!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Fricassée
- One Pot Wonder: Everything cooks in a single large skillet or Dutch oven, which means incredible flavor and minimal cleanup.
- Restaurant Quality at Home: This dish tastes like it came from a cozy French countryside kitchen. It’s impressive but not intimidating.
- The Perfect Comfort Food: Tender chicken in a velvety, herb infused cream sauce is the definition of culinary comfort.
- Surprisingly Quick & Simple: While it tastes like it simmered all day, active prep is about 20 minutes, with 30 minutes of mostly hands off simmering.
- Endlessly Versatile: Serve it over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, or with crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of sauce.
Let’s Make Quick Chicken Fricassée
This recipe is all about building flavor in stages. Don’t rush the browning step; it’s the foundation of a great stew.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Chicken:
- 4 bone in, skin on chicken thighs (about 8 oz / 250g each)
- 4 bone in, skin on chicken drumsticks (about 5 oz / 150g each)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter
For the Stew:
- 10 oz (300g) white or cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 2 medium yellow or brown onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine (like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup heavy cream or thickened cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Step by Step Instructions
1Season and Brown the Chicken: Pat the chicken pieces very dry with paper towels; this is the secret to crispy skin! Season generously all over with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
In a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook for 1 more minute, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the drumsticks, browning them on 2-3 sides for about 2 minutes per side. Don’t worry about cooking them through; we just want color.
2Build the Flavor Base: In the same pot with all the delicious chicken drippings and butter, add the mushrooms, onions, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms start to turn golden.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 full minute. This cooks the raw flour taste out and will thicken our sauce beautifully.
3Create the Sauce: Pour in the ½ cup of white wine. Use your spoon to scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot (this is flavor gold!). Let it bubble for a minute to cook off the alcohol.
Gradually pour in the 3 cups of chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
4Simmer to Perfection: Return all the chicken to the pot, nestling it into the sauce skin side up. Once the sauce is bubbling gently, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid and let it simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes. This reduces the sauce slightly and finishes cooking the chicken.
5Finish with Cream: Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate. Stir the ⅔ cup of heavy cream into the sauce. Let it come back to a simmer for a minute or two. Now, do the most important step: taste the sauce! Adjust with more salt and pepper if needed.
6Serve and Enjoy: Return the chicken to the creamy sauce to warm through. Garnish generously with fresh parsley. Serve immediately over a pile of creamy mashed potatoes, buttery egg noodles, or steamed rice.
Serving Suggestions & Expert Tips
- The Chicken Rule: Bone in, skin on chicken is non negotiable for the best flavor and juiciness. The bones add depth to the sauce, and the skin becomes irresistible.
- Wine Substitute: No wine? Use an extra ½ cup of chicken broth and add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice at the end for a touch of acidity.
- Make it a Complete Meal: This stew is fantastic with a simple side of steamed green beans, roasted asparagus, or a crisp green salad to balance the richness.
- Leftovers are Even Better: Like all great stews, the flavors meld and deepen overnight. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- This Chicken Fricassée is more than a meal; it’s a warm, delicious escape. I hope it brings as much comfort to your table as it does to mine.
Quick Chicken Fricassée (French Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- 4 bone in skin on chicken drumsticks
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
For the Stew:
- 10 oz white mushrooms halved
- 2 medium yellow onions sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine e.g., Chardonnay
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Brown Chicken: Pat chicken dry; season with 1 tsp salt & ½ tsp pepper. Melt butter in large pot over medium high heat. Brown thighs skin side down 4-5 mins, flip 1 min, remove. Brown drumsticks 2 mins per side; remove.
- Cook Veggies: In same pot, add mushrooms, onion, bay leaf, thyme. Cook 5 mins until soft.
- Make Roux: Add garlic; cook 30 sec. Add flour; cook 1 min, stirring.
- Deglaze & Simmer: Add wine, scrape pot. Add broth, ¼ tsp salt & pepper. Stir. Return chicken to pot skin side up.
- Simmer: Bring to simmer. Cover, simmer 10 mins. Uncover, simmer 20 mins until chicken is cooked (165°F).
- Finish Sauce: Remove chicken. Stir cream into sauce. Simmer 2 mins. Taste, adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Return chicken to sauce. Garnish with parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
- Chicken: Bone in, skin on is essential for flavor and prevents drying out.
- Wine Substitute: Use extra ½ cup broth + 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- Serving: Excellent with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread.
