Chicken Fricassee

A wooden spoon being used to pour a creamy mushroom gravy sauce over seared chicken thighs.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 728kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Chicken Fricassee is a French chicken stew that is layered with amazing taste, and it comes together in less than 1 hour. Serve over mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles and a warm loaf of bread.

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Equipment

1 Large skillet/saucepan with lid

Ingredients

3 lb chicken thighs about 6, skin-on, bone-in
2 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot chopped
1 tablespoon thyme chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 lb mushrooms i.e., button, shiitake, baby bella, cremini, oyster - quartered or halved
3 tablespoon flour
½ cup white wine dry
2 cups chicken stock
8 oz crème fraîche
2 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Brush olive oil all over the chicken thighs. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3 lb chicken thighs, 2 tablespoon olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs, skin-side down, in the butter. Sear until the skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken thighs over and cook for another minute. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a plate or platter. Set aside.
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
Remove most of the fat and butter that is in the skillet (leave about 2 tbsp).
Over medium heat, add the shallots and thyme and cook until softened, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for another 30 seconds
1 shallot, 1 tablespoon thyme, 3 cloves garlic
Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they are softened and beginning to release some liquid, about 5 to 8 minutes (If the mushrooms are too dry during this step, add another 1 to 2 tablespoon of butter). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
1 lb mushrooms
Add the flour to the mushrooms and stir to coat for about 1 minute.
3 tablespoon flour
Carefully whisk in the wine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and whisk in the chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Whisk and/or stir with a spoon to remove any clumps. Simmer for about 5 minutes until starting to thicken.
½ cup white wine, 2 cups chicken stock
Nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce, skin-side up. Add any collected juices, too. Turn the heat down a little (to medium-low). Cover the skillet and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the sauce and stir in the crème fraîche. Bring to a low simmer. Add the chicken back into the sauce. Serve at once with sauce spooned over the chicken, either on a platter or on individual plates, passing additional sauce at the table. Garnish with chopped parsley.
8 oz crème fraîche, 2 tablespoon parsley

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video in the recipe card for visual guidance.

For the chicken, you can also use skin-on, bone-in chicken breast and/or legs. The breasts will take closer to 40 minutes to reach 165°F. You can also go with skinless and boneless chicken thighs or breasts. You won't get the crispy skin, but they will still be delicious. They will only need to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Crème fraîche can often be found in the specialty cheese section of many well-stocked supermarkets. You can substitute heavy cream (1 cup), or a combination of heavy cream and milk (½ cup each), or half-and-half.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. We don't recommend freezing the sauce (the cream will separate). Reheat leftovers in a skillet with the sauce over medium heat until heated through.

Nutrition