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

Chicken Fricassee

Course: Entree
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Easy chicken dinner, how to make chicken fricassee, how to make French chicken stew
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 728kcal
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.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 Large skillet/saucepan with lid

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  • Brush olive oil all over the chicken thighs. Liberally sprinkle with 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 from the pan and place on a plate or platter. Set aside.
  • 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 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, for another 30 seconds.
  • 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 in another 1 to 2 tbsp of butter). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Add the flour to the mushrooms and stir to coat for about 1 minute.
  • Carefully whisk in the wine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and whisk in the chicken stock, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper. Whisk and/or stir with a spoon to remove any clumps. Simmer for about 5 minutes until starting to thicken.
  • Nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce, skin-side up. Add in any collected juices, too. Turn the heat down a little (to medium-low). Cover the skillet and let 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.

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance.  If you liked the video,  please subscribe to our YouTube channel.  
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 (1/2 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

Calories: 728kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 367mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 1266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 871IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4mg