Chicken Fricassee Recipe – One Pan!

With creamy white wine sauce and a medley of chicken, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions, this classic chicken fricassee recipe is certain to become a favorite. 

Reportedly one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite dishes, chicken fricassee originated in Europe in the mid-16th century. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) You can even find the recipe in Julia Child’s historic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I love it because it’s so good! Tender chicken, gently cooked in a delicious creamy wine sauce, with carrots, mushrooms and sweet pearl onions, flavored with a splash of lemon and fresh dill. Yum!

I’m sure you’ll love this chicken fricassee recipe as much as I do. Prepare it for a family dinner or serve it to company; it’s both homey and elegant. 

About this Recipe

Okay, you know I’m not Julia Child! I try to keep recipes simple and accessible to every cook (sorry, Julia, not trying to draw comparisons here). This chicken fricassee recipe will take a little time in the kitchen but it’s not difficult. You can do it!

And you can make it all in one pan.

Look for the printable recipe card with complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information at the end of this post. I’ll run through the recipe here and give you additional tips and encouragement.

Begin by sautéing chicken pieces in a large, oven proof skillet. I like to use skin on, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks. You don’t need to get a deep brown color, just a nice golden brown.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and put the vegetables in. I use carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions. When they are softened and browned, add the garlic and stir for one minute. That’s the sauté part.

Easy so far, right? Now we’ll make the roux. Add butter to the pan and melt it. Throw in a little flour and keep stirring until the flour coats everything and smells kind of nutty. 

Ready for the sauce? Pour in chicken broth and white wine. Stir well, and then nestle the chicken pieces right into the vegetables and sauce. Pop the whole pan into the oven to finish cooking the chicken. This is the braising part.

When the chicken is finished cooking, remove the skillet from the oven (don’t forget to use a hot pad for that handle) and take the chicken out of the skillet. Over medium heat, simmer the sauce and vegetables until the sauce has thickened up a bit, then stir in 1/2 cup cream, a squeeze of lemon, and fresh dill.

Voila! You’ve just made a classic French fricassee. Julia would be proud!

FAQs

Make It Your Own

• Omit the cream and butter for a lighter or non-dairy version. 
• Instead of pearl onions, substitute one cup chopped yellow onion.
• Use bone in chicken breasts, or a cut up whole chicken. Or, if you prefer, remove the skin from the chicken. Or use boneless skinless chicken. Basically, any chicken you want!
• Don’t like to use alcohol when cooking? Substitute the wine with an additional 1/2 cup chicken broth.
• Prefer pork? Smothered pork chops use pretty much the same cooking method as this chicken fricassee, and turn out so delicious!

Storage and Reheating Tips

Properly wrapped, leftover chicken fricassee should last 2-3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave, or in a pan on the stove.

Love classic chicken dishes?

If you like chicken fricassee, you may want to try these classic recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
• Tarragon Chicken with Vegetables – another one pan dinner
• Chicken Marsala Pasta (all in one pan) or try Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Piccata
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• White Wine Chicken, with mushrooms, bacon, and leeks

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Chicken Fricassee Recipe

4.49 from 25 votes

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

6 servings

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With creamy white wine sauce and a medley of chicken, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions, this chicken fricassee recipe is certain to become a favorite. 

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup pearl onions (about 8 oz)
• ▢ 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and cut in ¾-inch slices
• ▢ 8 ounces mushrooms, washed and cut in half or quartered
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
• ▢ 1 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill 1 or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. 
• Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and add to hot oil. Brown for 7-8 minutes on each side and then remove to a plate. 
• Discard extra oil/fat in pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
• Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are golden brown.
• Add garlic and continue to cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add butter and stir to melt. Add flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until flour is absorbed and smells slightly nutty. Stir in wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly reduced, scraping all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice. 
• Nestle chicken into pan juices and place in oven. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is 165ºF when checked with an instant read thermometer.
• Remove chicken to a clean plate and cover with foil. Place pan over medium heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. 
• Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream and dill. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return chicken to pan and serve with rice, potatoes, or pasta. 

Notes

• Omit the cream and butter for a lighter or non-dairy version. 
• Instead of pearl onions, substitute one cup chopped yellow onion.
• Use bone in chicken breasts, or a cut up whole chicken. Or, if you prefer, remove the skin from the chicken. Or use boneless skinless chicken. Basically, any chicken you want!
• Don’t like to use alcohol when cooking? Substitute an additional ½ cup chicken broth for the wine.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 506kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 540mg, Potassium: 625mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 3980IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk