Chicken Fricassee
Chicken Fricassee is a classic French dish that is timeless. The chicken is browned, then slowly braised with onions, garlic, herbs and carrots in a white wine cream sauce.
Serve this amazing chicken fricassee recipe with our creamy mashed potatoes and a crusty bread to experience the fullness of French cuisine. Your friends and family will be so impressed!
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Chicken Fricassee Recipe
Hi, it’s Julia from Vikalinka once again and today we are exploring some of Europe’s best.
French cuisine has always had a shroud of mystery surrounding it and rightfully so. Many countries’ cuisines have been influenced by it! However, it doesn’t mean that attempting French dishes like this Chicken Fricassee Recipe at home should be complicated.
What is the Origin of Chicken Fricassee?
This chicken fricassee recipe is not the one that comes from Michelin star restaurants. This recipe is the heritage of country cooks aka home cooks like you and I. It is rustic and simple. This recipe doesn’t require precise measurements but instead relies on quality ingredients and a slow braising technique for its savory and rich taste.
What is Chicken Fricassee?
It is more of a method of cooking than an actual recipe. Chicken Fricassee literally means cut up and fried chicken, so what you add to the chicken is up to the cook entirely.
However, what is nowadays accepted as a chicken fricassee is chicken braised in white wine cream sauce.
What Vegetables can I put in Chicken Fricassee?
Good news is you can add any vegetables that can sustain a slow braising process without falling apart. So carrots, mushrooms, green beans or even broccoli will all work well here.
How to Make Chicken Fricassee:
- Brown chicken pieces until golden and removing them to a separate plate.
- In the same pan, sautee onions, carrots, garlic and your choice of herbs.
- Next we need to thicken the sauce by adding flour and quickly cooking it until it’s mixed with the butter and smells slightly nutty.
- Add white wine and mix with a wooden spoon until you have a thick sauce.
- Return the browned chicken with the juices back to the pan and cook in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes.
The final touch is the addition of cream. It’s important to add it last, so it doesn’t separate under the intense heat of the oven. After your chicken has finished its time in the oven, stir in a splash of heavy cream.
We used heavy cream for thicker sauce, however you can add light cream, which will result in a slightly thinner sauce with less calories. The choice is yours. We love to enjoy this with Rustic Farmhouse Bread.
More Chicken Recipes
- Spatchcock Chicken – best way to roast a whole chicken
- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo – in a lighter cream sauce
- Korean Chicken – sticky glazed chicken thighs and legs
- Chicken Madeira – famous Cheesecake Factory copycat
- French Chicken Casserole – creamy and excellent
- Chicken Marsala in a mushroom wine sauce
I hope this Chicken Fricassee Recipe becomes a new favorite for you. It is an excellent staple for any kitchen and you can change the vegetables and herbs based on what you have on hand.
Chicken Fricassee
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs and legs, combined
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 carrots, cut in large pieces
- 3-4 sprigs thyme, (leaves only)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine , such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Pat dry chicken with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place a large deep pan over medium/high heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Brown chicken approximately 4 minutes per side until golden on each side but not cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside until needed. Discard excess fat leaving 1 Tbsp in the pan.
- Add 1 Tbsp butter to the pan and saute chopped onions and carrots over low heat for 7-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook briefly for 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook while stirring until flour is completely absorbed by the fat and mixture smells nutty. Add 1/2 cup white wine and simmer until slightly reduced. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken stock.
- Return chicken to the pan together with the juices and bake uncovered at 350˚F for 45 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and add 1/2 cup heavy cream, stir until combined. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Love French Cooking? Our Top French Recipes:
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Julia Frey
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’ve made this sooooo many times in my Dutch oven! It’s so delicious. I make it with boneless chicken breasts sometimes it’s just as amazing
So glad it’s being enjoyed, Angela!
I’ve been making Natasha’s recipes for the past few weeks and they have all been delicious. This one was good and everyone loved it BUT I think it needed a lot more seasoning. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Next time I’ll add more salt and pepper and some garlic powder and maybe paprika.
Thank you for sharing, Christine!
Do you think I can partially make this in the morning and finish baking before company arrives?
Hi Lori! For food safety reasons, the chicken should not be browned or partially cooked then refrigerated and finished cooking later because any bacteria present would not have been destroyed. I’m not sure there is a good option to make this ahead besides the prep work.
My wife and I just made this for our family of six paired with mashed potatoes and it’s gone. The kids were licking their lips and I wanted so badly to lick my plate (ok fine, I did lick my plate but if you try this you will understand). Now, as I slip into food coma let me tell you, you must try this!
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for the feedback!
Made this for supper last night and definitely adding it to the rotation! I used chicken breasts, halved horizontally and they turned out perfectly. I also deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine after I removed the chicken, before I added the veggies, so I could get every bit of that extra flavor. I added celery (cut the same size as my carrots) and sliced mushrooms. Great dish for that fridge clean out! My husband, 8 and 11 yr olds loved it – easy enough to make on a weeknight, but fancy enough to serve for company!
Hi Lindsey, thank you for sharing your experience trying our Chicken Fricassee. I’m so glad to hear that you loved it!
Wow! This was a winner! Fantastic! I served over Evebaby’s famous mashed potatoes! Thank you for sharing! My family loved this!
That’s wonderful, Jennifer! So glad it was a hit with the family.
Made this for dinner tonight. It is delicious! Big hit with the family. Next time, I’ll add more veggies. Thanks for sharing!
So glad that it was a huge hit!Thanks so much for this review.
Would boneless chicken thighs require much less oven time? One would think so. How long would you cook it for?
Some have reported using boneless chicken thighs but I have not tested it myself so I do not know if any adjustments would need to be made. If you try it, please share your experience.
I added 1/4 cup more broth to avoid too little sauce. Great recipe
Thank you for sharing, Paul!
Yum. I made this in the instant pot and it was amazing. Just browned the chicken first, then sautéed the veg, deglazed with the wine and put the chicken back in. Added stock and cooked 8 minutes on high, 7 minutes NR.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Tracy!
Is there a way to make this without flour…or a close substitute?
Hi Carolyn, I haven’t tested omitting flour but I saw someone used GF flour and it worked well too.
Can you use rabbit instead of chicken? Any recipes of yours that I have tried so far, have been a great success.
Hi Sonja! Thank you! So glad you love them. To be honest, I’ve never cooked with rabbit meat to advise. Let us know if you experiment with it.
Delicious! I added quartered mushrooms … my husband LOVED it. Very easy and satisfying dish. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Great to hear, Lori! So glad it was enjoyed.
Loved this dish using boneless chicken thighs! No changes needed but might add some green beans to the stew. Husband said we can make this for company!! Thanks Natasha!
That’s so great, Rhonda! I’m so glad this was a hit!
Very yummy! However, my carrots were still hard after 45 mins. I would suggest cutting them smaller. Also, the prep time is definitely more than what is listed on the recipe. I make it with NK’s instant pot mashed potatoes. Delicious!
Thanks for your feedback and suggestion. I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Thank you for this recipe. I also added some mushrooms. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my chicken skin to brown and crisp on the stove very good, so put them in the oven on broil for a few minutes and they turned out nice. Love the flavour of the sauce. Everyone enjoyed it.
Hi Lorraine, glad to know that everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the review.
Can I used bonelsss chicken thighs for this and if so Amy adjustments needed to recipe?
Yes, that should be fine. Some have reported using boneless chicken breast. I have not tested it myself so I do not know if any adjustments would need to be made. If you try it, please share your experience.
Hi Natasha! I adore your recipes! You are the best! Everything I tried was amazingly delicious! Could you please provide the video of Chicken Fricassee recipe? Thank you in advance!
Hi Natalia, thank you so much for that suggestion! I don’t have videos for all my recipes yet, but we’re slowly working through them! It makes my day hearing you’re enjoying my recipes!
I don’t drink so I don’t have wine in the house, could I double the broth?
Hi Dawn, that may work. The taste will change since wine contributes quite a bit, but it will still be delicious without the wine.
I’m gonna try and make this. Silly question though. Is it “proper” to pick the chicken up with your fingers to eat it? Lol I would have to.
In a pinch, I’ve substituted a lesser amount of apple cider vinegar in other recipes, so it might work for you.
Do you use skin on chicken thighs? I’m making this for a dinner party soon. Looks delicious!
Hi Lori, we sure do! I hope you love this recipe!
I made this the first time and my daughter loved it. Now she wants it for her bday dinner coming up. The problem is my oven safe pan can’t hold that much servings and the only thing big enough would be my Dutch oven quart pan. What it be okay to either stack the chicken in the skillet or use the le cruset Dutch oven to make it in?
Hi Ani, I would not stack the chicken but it might work fine to just make two batches in two separate skillets and bake together, or sautee up two batches and combine them in an oven-safe casserole dish then bake. It would create another dish to wash though.
Absolutely delicious! My picky teenage son loved it and ate up the whole pan. I only had chicken breast on hand so just a few tips: you have to cut back on the oven bake. Not much but like 15 min so it won’t dry out. I used my meat thermometer to determine when to take out of oven, at 165 internal temp. Next time I might bake the sauce first for 10-15 and then add the chicken breasts. Bon Appetit!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Amy. We also appreciate your tips!
What an amazing, delicious, affordable weeknight dinner! I love every recipe of yours that I’ve tried. So grateful for you!
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can this be made a day in advance? Does it keep well frozen?
Hi May, you should be able to but I wouldn’t suggest freezing it for more than a few days.
I made this today with a baked potato… YUMMY!!! Family loved it too…
That’s a perfect combo, I’m glad you and your family enjoyed it!
What is considered to be a serving size for this? I am making this tonight and I try to stick to my calorie count. It is smelling yummy!!
What if I don’t have the heavy cream?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested this, but I think it could work with half and half. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
It looks amazing with the addition of cream and carrots but down in Louisiana we don’t add that. It’s lot of trinity, broth, and a light roux, stewed down and served over rice. Fracases means to stew not fry.
as mentioned in the recipe blog notes use any cream you wish
Thank you so much for wonderful recipes you share. This was very quick and easy yet so tasty!!! My family all loved it with mush potato with spinach. I have already printed the recipe and added it to my master file 😉
Personally I would maybe add more carrots but that’s just me!
I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes, Yuri! Thank you for that lovely review!
This dish was fairly easy to prepare and was absolutely scrumptious! I served it with homemade mashed potatoes as suggested and crusty bread and it was a delight thank you so much. I added the mushrooms as suggested which were really wonderful in there.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Stephanie! Thank you for sharing that great feedback with me!
Hi! If I were to use breasts for this recipe, how long should I cook in the oven for? Thank you, I’d love to try but my family likes them over thighs!!!
Hi KP, that should work. I haven’t tested that with chicken breast myself, but you will need to cut down cook time to avoid drying the chicken out. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Made this last night along with your 3 other recipes of the cherry pie, apple pie and the butter crust. MY GOODNESS!!! THEY NEED TO ALLOW MORE THAN 5 STARS!!! THANK YOU for the successful family dinner. And making delicious meals where I’m not slaving in the kitchen all day long.
Love it, that is fantastic feedback. Thank you for sharing that with us, Karen! Glad you enjoyed these recipes that you tried.
Made this last night. Used bone-in, skinless thighs only. The only thing I didn’t do was taste it for proper salt & pepper at the end. It was still excellent. Will keep this in our regular rotation.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last night and it was amazing. THANK YOU!
You’re welcome, Todd! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So very yummy! I had to add a lot of salt at the end, but it’s all good! I also added two diced potatoes right before putting this into the oven and they were perfectly cooked! Will definitely make this again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Excellent. Wish I could leave 10 stars. I used a whole chicken cut into six pieces. Can’t wait to make again. Next time I’ll add a few more carrots.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Hi Penny, thank you for your wonderful feedback and for your perfect review. We appreciate it!
This is delicious! Even my husband who doesn’t love chicken will eat it. I love all of your recipes that I’ve tried. Thank you!
Hello Heather, I’m happy to hear that! I hope you’ll both enjoy every recipe that you will try.
Fabulous dish. I made your beef stroganoff the other night and it was so good I had to try another one of your dishes. However, I made the full amount 8 thighs and there are only two of us. How about reheating with the cream already added. Any issues, or just slow reheat?
Hi Melissa, I’m glad you enjoyed the stroganoff recipe. Yes, you may reheat with the cream added, just use slow heat and it should be good.
I made this the other night but did not add the cream…it was delicious!
So nice to know that it was still delicious even without the cream. Thank you, Cindy!
Made homemade fettuccine to go with the chicken. It was my first time using a kitchenaid pasta machine and I had some problems getting it to come out right lol. My husband decided that he was going to cook the chicken and asked me what to do. I explained what he had to do and what ingredients to put in. I told him at the very end he had to add the heavy cream. He added it before adding the flour and the heavy cream started to separate lol. I had to add the flour and blend it with the broth and hope to be able to hide the fact that the heavy cream started to separate. Thank goodness it covered up the fact that the heavy cream had separated and the sauce was as smooth as butter. Awesome recipe NATASHA! Definitely making this again. Love your recipes and look forward to doing more. Thank you for posting the recipes.
Very nice! I’m glad that the end result was still good. Thanks for sharing that with us, Christine!
hi can i use moscato white wine?
Hi Sheena, I have not tried this with Moscato; if you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like it.
Moscato in this dish could be too sweet. Moscato is my favourite wine, but it doesn’t do well for me in savoury dishes. I always have a bottle of pinot grigio for cooking.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Family could not get enough! I’ve tried several of the recipes on this site and my son says I’m the “best cooker”, thanks!
Wow, that is the greatest compliment ever. Thanks for sharing that with us, Jessica. I hope that you and your family will love every recipe that you will try.
This used to be my mother’s favourite more than 50 years ago so I’m glad to rediscover it after all this time.
I fried a couple of bits of bacon before adding the chicken Because I think that’s what she used to do that for the rest I followed yours.
I do hope I can freeze it for more than a couple of days, I will give it a try
I hope you enjoyed this recipe Jeremy!
I want to add asparagus (thin) and mushrooms, should I add that before it goes in the oven or sometime during the 45 mins?
Hi Annie, I have not tested that but I imagine that should work! If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
I want to add asparagus (thin) and mushrooms, should I add them before going in the oven or sometime during the 45 mins?
Hi Annie, mushrooms could be sauteed with the carrots and onions and added at the same time but asparagus will get mushy. You might consider blanching it and adding it in at the end or serving asparagus on the side.
I made this last night Very good! A keeper. I used carrots and asparagus and the herb I used was fresh sage from the garden, I also do not like bone in chicken so used boneless breast.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Brad!
would this be good with fresh sage as the herd? Im kind of tired or thyme right now. have fresh sage in garden. I want to make this tonight .
Hi Brad, I haven’t tested this with sage but I bet that could work. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
It was very good I suggest you try it
So good! I used Dry Riesling as white wine, halved the heavy cream and served it over cilantro-lime rice. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Made this for our shut-in dinner and served it over rice. Could not stop eating, it was so good… Had to go for evening walk afterwards. You’ve got to try this recipe, it’s a keeper for sure!
Thank you for that wonderful feedback, Pat! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made this tonight with mashed potatoes and even my husband, who doesn’t love chicken, said it was good… even went back for seconds! I love all your recipes that I’ve tried.. thank you!
I’m so happy you both enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Made the chicken fricassee tonight and it was super delicious (even without the cream to cut down on calories. Every recipe of yours that I have made (20 or so, so far) has been a winner. So glad I discovered your website.
That is awesome that you’ve already tried about 20 of my recipes! Glad to know that you loved all of it. Thank you so much for your great review and feedback.
I think I can safely say I am obsessed with Natasha’s recipes. Prepared chicken fricassee with mashed potatoes last night for dinner. My family again gave a thumbs up, the sauce was so savory and the chicken was flavorful. So far, out of the 5-6 of Natasha’s recipes I have prepared my husbands favorite is the fricassee!
That’s so great Tammie! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hi Natasha this is so delicious.If I want to add the broccoli what is the best time to add it .
Hi Marimar, thank you for sharing that! According to Julia (the original author), you could add broccoli when adding carrots but since broccoli doesn’t take as long to cook, I would just add it in a couple of minutes before adding the garlic to the pan.
Beautiful recipe thoroughly enjoyed by myself and my partner. Will definitely be trying more of your recipes.
Great to hear that you both loved it! I hope you love every recipe that you try.
Can you freeze this recipe
You should be able to but I wouldn’t suggest freezing it for more than a few days
I made this tonight, we didn’t, have wine, so I put in a little apple cider vinegar. The dish was amazing. My wife and I Really enjoyed it . Thank You
That’s a great substitute thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
This recipe sounds wonderful! Can I make this with boneless skinless chicken thighs?
I so appreciate all you do!
Hi Neil, that should work! If you experiment please let me know how you like the recipe.
I made with boneless skinless chicken thighs and the dish came out perfectly.
That’s so awsome!
Everyone licked their plates clean. Fab recipe and easy to follow. I had to use breast and de-boned chicken pieces as I had fussy eaters, but the chicken was still tender and delicious. I added mushrooms, green beans and baby potatoes into the dish and served with rice. It made for a filling and tasty meal. I wouldn’t hesitate to make again
I’m so glad you liked that, Ayse!! Thank you for the wonderful review.
If I don’t have white wine on hand can I substitute red wine instead? I know it’ll change the color a little ..
I haven’ tried that with red wine but I do worry that the color would be unpleasant.
A lot of times you could substitute chicken broth for white wine, of course it will be different but I’m sure good as well.
You leave the skin on the carrots?
Hi Elena, I usually peel carrots unless they are fresh from the garden but even then I will scrub them which gets most of the skin off.
Delight!
Very very tasty!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha! You are amazing and your recipes as well. I love your way of cooking and I did this fantastic yummy chicken fricassee. We all enjoyed it. Thanks again that you shared with us.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This recipe brings back great memories of my childhood. Growing up on the Texas Louisiana border on the Gulf Coast, we were raised on Cajun cuisine. The only difference in my mom’s recipe and yours is instead of the wine, my mother used a little oil with the flour and made a roux. When Mom said we were having chicken fricassee for dinner, I would get so excited. I followed your recipe but subbed the oil for the wine and it was spectacular. Thank you for this delicious recipe and bringing back such wonderful memories of my childhood.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
This is an amazing and absolutely delicious recipe! My family enjoyed this dish a lot! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Anastasia! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This is the ultimate classy, delicious, satisfying recipe. Quick and easy enough for the family but oh so classy for guests. I’ve made this several times (skin on and off) the results each time are finger-licking (except we are ladies and do not lick our fingers)! I use GF flour. Thank you Julia and Natasha. My mom laughs, asking ok, who’s recipe is this this time?
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Inga!
I made this tonight using a whole chicken, it was delicious. I just cooked it for a bit longer, and cut it up after. I also added button mushrooms. Great recipe thanks
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Michaela! Thank you for that awesome review!
Do you skin the chicken?
Hi Wendy, you will get the juiciest results with skin-on chicken.
Love this recipe, the flavours were subtle and had a good balance. I think the best part was dipping some homemade bread into the sauce.
Isn’t that the best? I’m so happy you enjoyed that Nancy. Thank you for sharing that with us!
It was quite good, cooked it exactly as written. Very subtle flavour. We usually like something with a little more punch but I think I will make it again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Lesly! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I had read this was Abe Lincoln’s favorite dish.
How cool! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Amazing Recipe. My bro loves chicken. Can’t wait to try this mouthwatering chicken for my lovely brother
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I made this last night. My husband raved and quite honestly, ate most than more than one person should in one sitting. I think it’s a hit.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I am so happy to hear that, Lynn! That’s exactly how mines reacts when I make it!
I can’t wait to make this recipe!! I have a STAUB braiser, can I make this recipe on that one?
Hi Christina! That should work great!
wau, is delicius, thanks for this récipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love how creamy that sauce is! Yum!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Taylor!
This is an amazing recipe! I guess I can substitute heavy cream to half and half to make it less in fat. Would it work for this recipe? Thank you Natasha!
Hi Tina, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I love one pot meals and this one is amazing!
They’re our favorite around here, Julie! Thank you for sharing that with me!
One pot meals are the best and this one looks amazing!
We love one pot meals around here! Thank you for sharing your review with me!
What changes would you make if using chicken breasts?
Hey there Gregg, I haven’t tested that with chicken breast but I think it could work. You will need to cut down cook time to avoid drying the chicken out. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
My whole family begs my all the time to make this for dinner. We all love it!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
This looks amazing.
I hope you love it Laura! Thank you for that great review!
What size cast iron skillet do you use?
Hi Patricia, we used this 12″ iron skillet here.
Do you think the taste will change if i leave out the wine? I can’t consume alcohol.
Hi Zeina, the taste will change since wine contributes to it quite a bit but it will still be delicious without the wine.
is there any good substitute for white wine in case one doesn’t have it?
Hi Lena, the taste will change since wine contributes to it quite a bit but it will still be delicious without the wine.
I can’t consume alcohol either and I made it without and it was delicious. but I did have to add more seasoning.
This is great! I love French recipes, and Fricasée is a classic!
I’m so happy to heat that Jack! Thank you for sharing your review with me!