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.
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!
What to serve with Chicken Fricassee
Chicken fricassee is traditionally served with white rice (or brown rice, if you prefer), mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles. You’ll want to serve it with something that can soak up all that lovely sauce. Freshly baked warm crusty bread is great, too. I love this no-knead Dutch oven bread!
Ready for cooking school? Fricassee describes a traditional French cooking method, or really, a combination of two cooking methods, sautéing and braising. Sautéing is done with a small amount of oil and a high cooking temperature. Braising, or stewing, is accomplished with added liquids and a lower cooking temperature. A fricassee recipe is usually chicken (or other meat) that’s been sautéed lightly and then braised. Chicken fricassee is braised in a creamy white sauce.
The difference lies in the first step, sautéing the chicken and vegetables. Most stew recipes omit this step. The chicken and vegetables are simply boiled or simmered until tender.
Most chicken fricassee recipes include a sauce that is creamy and flavorful. It’s often made of chicken broth, butter, heavy cream, garlic, and lemon juice. Fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, rosemary, or thyme may be added.
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!
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
Chicken Fricassee Recipe
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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Followed the recipe to the letter and it was to die for. Will definitely be making again. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner too. It was easy to set aside some chicken for our son without the sauce, so then everyone was happy.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot!
Do you salt brine your chicken before you cook it? And if so for how long? This recipe sounds fantastic!
I do not!
Is oven use required for this dish? Can I just keep it over the stove?
You could just cook it on the stove but the oven yields the best results without drying out your chicken.
what a wonderful dish, fun to make too since it’s a classic, and I had no idea how much of a classic until you pointed out that it was from the 16th century!,, and even then one skillet, perfect and thank you!
Thank you, Sabrina! I hope you love it!
sounds terrific!
Thanks Denise!
I am gluten free. What can I use for “flour” in the roux?
You can use a 1:1 GF flour to thicken this instead. :)