Chicken Fricassee

Content… What Is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead and Storage What to Serve More Effortless Chicken Recipes to Try Watch How to Make It

What Is Chicken Fricassee?

Fricassee is a French word referring to a cooking method that’s a cross between a saute and stew. As always, there’s a heated discussion over a cook’s interpretation of this dish. But we’re not going to add any fuel to that fire. 😜

A good fricassee starts with sauteing, or some would say browning, the meat, followed by a handful of aromatics and spices. Depending on where you live, it could also include a tomato base. However, in this case, we’re using dry white wine and heavy cream to accompany the chicken stock. Then let the meat simmer to cook it through, and voila – you made chicken fricassee!

Recipe Ingredients

1. Chicken – Thighs are my cut of choice because dark meat chicken is juicier and more economical. But any cut of chicken will work well for this recipe. 
2. Veggies – Onion, celery, garlic, carrots, cremini mushrooms, and asparagus pair beautifully with the chicken and white sauce.
3. Seasonings – Bay leaf, thyme, and Creole seasoning are all you need. The sauce does the heavy lifting. 
4. Sauce – Chicken stock, white wine, and heavy cream, thickened with a little flour, make for the creamiest sauce you ever did taste.

How to Make Simple Chicken Fricassee

• Wash the chicken thighs, then pat them dry with a paper towel. Then, season them with salt and rub both sides with a generous amount of Creole seasoning or your favorite spice mix. (Photo 1)
• Sear Chicken – Heat a Dutch oven or skillet with oil over medium-high heat (I used a 12-inch skillet for this recipe). Add the chicken thighs skin-side up to the pan, browning for 4-5 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side. Place the browned chicken on a plate, discard excess oil, and clean the skillet with a paper towel. (Photo 2)
• Saute – Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (more as needed). Add the onions, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and mushrooms, and sauté until soft (2-3 minutes). Then, stir in the flour for about a minute. (Photo 3)
• Sauce – Pour in the chicken stock and wine, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly, for about 4-5 minutes. (Photo 4)
• Assemble – Next, add the cream, season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, and return the chicken to the pan. (Photo 5)
• Cook – Cover the skillet with a lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is almost cooked through (12-15 minutes). Take the lid off, and then stir in the carrots and asparagus. Put the lid back on and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-180℉ (75-85℃) and asparagus is tender (7-10 minutes). (Photo 6)
• Serve immediately with rice, potatoes, and a side salad.

Recipe Variations

1. Add some citrus. For bright, citrus notes, add the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon to your sauce. 
2. Make it mustard. Add some Dijon mustard and tarragon to this dish for a mustardy twist.
3. Go Mediterranean. Add red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and pitted kalamata olives for a unique take on traditional chicken fricassee. Oh! And don’t forget to garnish it with fresh basil. 🤤
4. Caribbean chicken fricassee. Make Cuban chicken fricassee (fricase de pollo) by adding a splash of mojo marinade, some cumin, and tomato paste. Some olives are also good. Add some Jamaican-me-crazy spices (green seasoning, adobo, allspice, and a scotch bonnet for Jamaican chicken fricassee.
5. Cajun chicken fricasee. You know how I love Creole and Cajun spices. Turn up the heat with a tablespoon of Cajun spice mix in the sauce.
6. Crockpot fricassee. Sear the chicken, make the sauce, and then put it all in the crockpot. Turn your slow cooker on to low, then set it and forget it for 6-8 hours.

Tips and Tricks

1. Be careful when browning the chicken so it doesn’t burn. Keep an eye on it and aim for the skin to turn golden brown, not dark brown or black. 
2. Not sure the chicken is done? Use a meat thermometer to confirm. Chicken should reach 165℉ (75℃) as a minimum internal temperature, but thighs can go higher (180℉/85℃).
3. If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more chicken broth or white wine. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

You can make this dish a day or two ahead of time. Let the chicken cool and refrigerate it for 3-5 days in an airtight container. It also freezes well; the same goes for leftovers.

Pop individual servings in the microwave or heat the whole dish on the stovetop over medium heat to reheat. Stir occasionally until the chicken heats through. But keep the heat low to keep the sauce nice and creamy as it reheats. 

What Goes With Chicken Fricassee

Try chicken fricassee with rice pilaf and green beans and potatoes or mashed potatoes. For dessert, try serving a lemon tart, which will pair well with that white wine you are sipping. 🥂

More Effortless Chicken Recipes to Try

1. Chicken Madeira
2. Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
3. Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
4. Bourbon Chicken
5. Chicken and Gravy

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in February 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video