Chicken Fricassee Recipe – One Pan!

At a glance

Why you’ll love it: Chicken fricassee is a classic, elevated dish that’s made in ONE PAN. With creamy white wine sauce and a medley of chicken, carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions, this chicken fricassee recipe is certain to become a favorite.

How long it takes: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Oven-safe skillet, oven
Servings: 6

Reportedly one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite dishes, chicken fricassee originated in Europe in the mid-16th century. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) You can even find the recipe in Julia Child’s historic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Okay, you know we're not Julia Child! We try to keep recipes simple and accessible to every cook (sorry, Julia, not trying to draw comparisons here). This chicken fricassee recipe will take a little time in the kitchen but it’s not difficult. You can do it!

Why This Chicken Fricassee Is Special

So much flavor! We love this chicken dinner because it’s so good! Tender chicken is gently cooked in a rich creamy wine sauce, with carrots, mushrooms and sweet pearl onions, and flavored with a splash of lemon and fresh dill. Yum!

One pan meal. If we can make it a one pan or one bowl recipe, you can be assured, We will. And you can make chicken fricassee all in one pan. It turns out fantastic! (Be sure to try our one pan chicken and rice, too. It’s a baked casserole and the rice cooks right in the pan!)

Did You Know?

Ready for cooking school? Fricassee describes a traditional French cooking method, or really, a combination of two cooking methods, sautéing and braising. Sautéing is done with a small amount of oil and a high cooking temperature. Braising, or stewing, is accomplished with added liquids and a lower cooking temperature. A fricassee recipe is usually chicken (or other meat) that’s been sautéed lightly and then braised. Chicken fricassee is braised in a creamy white sauce.

Alicia Said:

“Followed the recipe to the letter and it was to die for. Will definitely be making again. Straightforward enough for a weeknight dinner too.”

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What goes in

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe for the full ingredient list, including measurements!

• Chicken: We like to use a mix of thighs and drumsticks for this recipe. Bone-in chicken has the most flavor.
• Onions: Pearl onions are pretty and give this recipe a classy vibe, but you can absolutely use regular chopped onions if you want.
• Vegetables: We keep it pretty simple with carrots and mushrooms. It’s all this recipe needs!
• Seasonings: Fresh garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and dill make this sauce both flavorful and slightly unique. You’ll love this combination. If you don’t want to use wine, make sure to check out the straightforward recipe variations below.
• Additional sauce ingredients: You’ll need butter and flour to make a roux, which will thicken the sauce. In addition to the wine, you’ll need chicken broth and heavy cream to round out the sauce.

How it comes together

Brown the chicken. Begin by sautéing chicken pieces in a large, oven proof skillet. We like to use skin on, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks. You don’t need to get a deep brown color, just a nice golden brown.

Sauté the vegetables. Remove the chicken from the pan, and put the vegetables in. We use carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions. When they are softened and browned, add the garlic and stir for one minute.

Make the roux: Add butter to the pan and melt it. Add the flour and keep stirring until the flour coats everything and smells kind of nutty.

Prepare the sauce. Pour in chicken broth and white wine. Stir well, and then nestle the chicken pieces right into the vegetables and sauce.

Finish cooking. Pop the whole pan into the oven to finish cooking the chicken. This is the braising part.

Finish the sauce. When the chicken has finished cooking, remove the skillet from the oven (don’t forget to use a hot pad for that handle) and take the chicken out of the skillet. Over medium heat, simmer the sauce and vegetables until the sauce has thickened up a bit, then stir in ½ cup cream, a squeeze of lemon, and fresh dill.

Voila! You’ve just made a classic French fricassee. Julia would be proud!

What to serve with Chicken Fricassee

Chicken fricassee is traditionally served with white rice (or brown rice, if you prefer), mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles. You’ll want to serve it with something that can soak up all that lovely sauce. Freshly baked warm crusty bread is great, too. We love this no-knead Dutch oven bread!

Ways to change it

• Make it dairy-free. Omit the cream and butter for a lighter or non-dairy version.
• Onion options: Instead of pearl onions, substitute one cup chopped yellow onion.
• Chicken options: Use bone in chicken breasts, or a cut up whole chicken. If you prefer, remove the skin from the chicken, or use boneless skinless chicken. Basically, any chicken you want can be used for this recipe but keep in mind that the cook time will vary depending on what type of chicken you use.
• Make it alcohol-free. Don’t like to use alcohol when cooking? Substitute an additional half cup chicken broth for the wine.
• Prefer pork? Smothered pork chops use pretty much the same cooking method as this chicken fricassee, and turn out so rich!

Keeping leftovers

Properly wrapped, leftover chicken fricassee should last 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave, or in a pan on the stove.

Love classic chicken dishes?

If you like chicken fricassee, you may want to try these classic recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
• Tarragon Chicken with Vegetables – another one pan dinner
• Chicken Marsala Pasta (all in one pan) or try Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Piccata
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• White Wine Chicken, with mushrooms, bacon, and leeks

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour
• Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 cup pearl onions (about 8 ounces)
• 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and cut in ¾-inch slices
• 8 ounces mushrooms, washed and cut in half or quartered
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup dry white wine (such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc)
• 1 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill 1 or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and add to hot oil. Brown for 7 to 8 minutes on each side and then remove to a plate.
3. Discard extra oil/fat in pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
4. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are golden brown.
5. Add garlic and continue to cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add butter and stir to melt. Add flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until flour is absorbed and smells slightly nutty. Stir in wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly reduced, scraping all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice.
6. Nestle chicken into pan juices and place in oven. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is 165ºF when checked with an instant read thermometer.
7. Remove chicken to a clean plate and cover with foil. Place pan over medium heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
8. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream and dill. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return chicken to pan and serve with rice, potatoes, or pasta.

Notes

Dairy-free: Omit the cream and butter for a lighter or non-dairy version.

Onions: Instead of pearl onions, you may substitute one cup chopped yellow onion.

Chicken: If you prefer, use bone in chicken breasts, or a cut up whole chicken. You can remove the skin from the chicken, or use boneless skinless chicken. Basically, you can use any chicken you want but keep in mind that cook time will vary depending on the what type of chicken you use.

Alcohol-free option: Substitute an additional ½ cup chicken broth for the wine.