Chicken Fricassee (Simplified One-Pan Recipe)
You will love this simplified one-pan recipe for chicken fricassee, a classic French dish of chicken and vegetables in a creamy wine sauce. Rustic, versatile and delicious.
As fall approaches, I start craving comfort food. This one hits the spot for me – and Abraham Lincoln 🙂 – apparently one of his favorite dishes.
Fricassee is actually a cooking method that combines sautéing (pan frying) followed by braising (cooking in a liquid).
What to expect
Despite the two-step process, this one pan meal is quite straightforward. The chicken turns out moist and tender, while the creamy sauce, enhanced with wine and herbs, is silky, aromatic, and delicious.
Chicken fricassee is traditionally made with pearl onions, carrots, and mushrooms, but I often vary the vegetables with what I have on hand. Below, you’ll find ideas for variations on nearly every component of this dish.
Julia Child inspired this chicken fricassee recipe with a few simplifications and modifications. For example:
- we brown the chicken for added flavor and color (instead of keeping it white)
- we use a lighter cream and no egg yolks to reduce calories, and
- we add baby spinach for extra nutrition (this is optional).
As always, we go for the simplest way to get things done, honoring the intent without compromising taste, while remaining conscious about nutrition.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Chicken:
- Any type of chicken will do as long as you adjust the cooking times.
- For the best flavor (and more traditional for this recipe), I recommend skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces. If available, buy kosher chicken as it is already brined (therefore more flavorful and juicy) or stick to chicken thighs and drumsticks. But if you are a white meat fan, chicken breasts will also remain moist in this dish as they are cooked with the sauce.
- Boneless chicken can be used instead and will take much less cooking time – see shortcuts.
Vegetables:
- The most common for this dish are mushrooms (any kind), onions (any kind, but pearl onions are traditional) and carrots. The small button mushrooms are ideal as they don’t need to be cut. Cremini mushrooms are good too.
- Other good veggies are baby potatoes (halved), red peppers, celery and butternut squash. Avoid soft veggies like zucchini as they won’t stand up well during baking.
Wine options:
- Good choices are Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc. I also like to use sherry or fortified wine for a very rich flavor.
- If you prefer, you can replace the wine with extra broth and a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Seasonings:
- Thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, and tarragon are all good options but note they will flavor the dish very differently.
Dietary options:
- For dairy free, use a dairy-free cream product or just leave it out.
- For gluten-free, use gluten free flour or a cornstarch slurry.
- You can replace the cream with sour cream or plain yogurt (if you don’t mind a slight tang in the sauce).
Step-by-step instructions
Shortcuts
- You can cut the time for the chicken fricassee recipe way down by using boneless chicken. If the pieces are fairly thin (or cut into pieces), you will be able to fully cook them in the pan fry step and skip the oven step altogether. Thicker boneless chicken may need 10-15 minutes in the oven.
- Buy pre-washed baby spinach if using (it’s optional) .
What to serve with chicken fricassee
With the lovely cream sauce, I love to serve the fricassee – rustic style right out of the skillet – with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, crusty warm bread or white rice. For a lighter option, try cauliflower rice.
That’s all you really need because there are lots of veggies in the dish. Except for perhaps a green salad or fig salad and a glass of white wine.
Recipe FAQs
There is really no one definitive way to make a homemade chicken fricassee recipe. Everyone puts their own spin on it. There are, however, some core elements. Typically, it includes sweet pearl onions, carrots and mushrooms, a creamy white wine sauce, and the two step method. Often the chicken is pan-fried gently so it doesn’t brown (I like it better browned).
Fricassee de Poulet a L’Ancienne. It’s considered an original French comfort food.
More chicken comfort food recipes
- skillet chicken pot pie (30 minutes)
- Ina Garten chicken pot pie (classic)
- smothered chicken with vegetables (one pot)
- simple roast chicken and potatoes
- Moroccan chicken with sweet potatoes
Or check out our collection of main dish winter comfort foods.
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Chicken Fricassee (Simplified One-Pan Recipe)
Equipment
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or other oven-proof large skillet)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in, skin-on Note 1
- 2 tablespoons seasoned flour coating (2 Tbsp flour + 1/2 tsp each salt, black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Vegetables, Note 2
- 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (2-3 carrots)
- 8 ounces button mushrooms
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
White wine sauce
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine, Note 3
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablepoons fresh herbs, Note 4 (or 2 teaspoons dried herbs)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (35%) or half & half (10%), Note 5
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN to 375F/190C.
- SEASON CHICKEN: Place seasoned flour (2 Tbsp flour + 1/2 tsp each salt, black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder) in bag. Pat chicken dry and add a few pieces at a time to bag. Shake to coat evenly. Repeat with remaining chicken. Alternatively, dip pieces of chicken in seasoned flour coating on plate and shake off. You just want a very light coating.
- SAUTÉ CHICKEN: Heat oil in large oven proof skillet to medium-high heat (7/10). Pan sear chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. It won't be cooked through. Remove to plate lined with a paper towel. Keep 2 tablespoons of grease/fat in skillet and discard the rest. If not enough grease, add butter or oil.
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Lower heat to medium heat. Add all chopped vegetables (not including spinach) and sauté until almost tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- MAKE SAUCE: Add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add wine to the flour mixture and cook for 1 minute until almost evaporated, then add broth and herbs and stir until sauce is slightly thickened into a creamy white or light brown sauce. It will thicken more when baked with chicken.
- BAKE: Return chicken to skillet skin side up. Place skillet in oven, uncovered. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken (if using boneless chicken, time will be cut in half or more). Chicken should be cooked to 160F/71C measured with an instant read thermometer. It will rise a few more degrees when finishing.
- FINISH AND SERVE: Remove skillet from oven and place on stove. Transfer chicken to plate and add cream to make a creamy sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or thyme for example. Stir in chopped fresh spinach if using until wilted (1 minute). Return chicken to skillet. Spoon sauce onto pieces and serve immediately with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, crusty warm bread or white rice. I serve it straight from the skillet.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken options:
- bone-in, skin on pieces: For best flavor and moistness, use thighs and drumsticks. But breasts are fine too. I used a whole chicken cut up. Kosher chicken is great for this dish as it is brined, making it more flavorful and juicier.
- boneless chicken breasts or thighs (shortcut) are also a good option, but baking time will be much less. If already cooked through to 160F/71C, skip the baking step. This will cut the time to 30-35 minutes.
- Vegetable options: You can add/substitute baby potatoes (halved), chopped celery, red peppers or butternut squash. Avoid soft, watery veggies like zucchini.
- White wine options: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t want to use wine, add extra broth and a tablespoon of lemon juice. I also like to use sherry or fortified wine for a very rich flavor (use 1/4 cup/59 ml instead of 1/2 cup/118 ml wine).
- Herb options: fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, tarragon are all good options (and will flavor the dish very differently). If using dried herbs, use 1/3 of the amount. Here’s a good article on herbs 101.
- Cream options:
- For the richest sauce, use heavy cream (most typical in a fricassee). I use 10% (half and half) as that’s what I have on hand and I like the lower calories.
- For dairy free, leave out the cream. Or use a dairy-free cream product.
- For gluten-free, use gluten free flour or a cornstarch slurry.
- You can replace the cream with sour cream or plain yogurt (if you don’t mind a slight tang in the sauce).
- Make ahead and storage:
- Store the leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze it for up to 2 months.
- The full recipe can be made ahead, then warmed in the oven before serving. Or keep warm, covered, in the oven on a low/warm setting for 30-45 minutes.
Can this recipe be converted to Sous Vide?
Yes it can. You can sous vide the chicken using the correct time and temperature for the type of chicken you choose, make the veggies and sauce in a large pan while the chicken is cooking. Then add the chicken to the sauce directly and serve. Or, if you prefer, pan sear the chicken once it’s cooked sous vide to brown it, then add it to the sauce. Hope that helps.