Chicken Chasseur
This classic French chicken is the coziest thing you’ll cook.
Serves4 to 6
Prep10 minutes
Cook1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes
Chicken chasseur (pronounced chaa-sr), which is also known as French hunter’s chicken, is a braised stew that’s totally rustic but still manages to be luxurious. I was first introduced to this classic French recipe in culinary school, and it’s the dish that made me fall in love with braised chicken.
Chicken chasseur is a stovetop recipe that transforms humble chicken thighs, tender vegetables, and herbs into a rich stew with the most irresistible sauce flavored with white wine, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. Best of all, your kitchen smells amazing as it simmers. While it’s not totally traditional, I love serving this chicken over a bowl of creamy polenta. Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, and steamed rice also make nice sides for soaking up the sauce.
Why You’ll Love It
- Super-tender chicken in an incredible sauce. As it simmers, the chicken gets more and more tender and the sauce develops a deeper, richer flavor.
- It’s even better on the second day. Don’t get me wrong — chicken chasseur is delicious right after it’s cooked, but like most braises this one is even better the next day (and the day after). It’s a good one to keep in mind when you need a make-ahead meal.
Key Ingredients in Chicken Chasseur
- Chicken: Traditionally, chicken chasseur calls for a whole chicken to be cut into pieces. To simplify, minimize prep, and make this doable for home cooks, this recipe relies on bone-in chicken thighs instead. This cut has more fat than lean chicken breast, which makes them more flavorful and less likely to overcook and dry out.
- Vegetables: The sauce pulls its rich flavor from a mix of onion, garlic, mushrooms, and tomato. No need to trim the mushroom stems; just quarter before cooking.
- Wine: You’ll use a cup of dry white wine. Feel free to use whatever you have left over in the fridge that might be past its prime for drinking, or if you’re buying a bottle, it’s worth getting something you also enjoy drinking.
- Broth: Along with the wine, chicken broth is the base of the savory sauce.
How to Make Chicken Chasseur
- Sear the chicken. Working in batches, sear the chicken until browned on both sides.
- Cook the vegetables. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the chicken fat until softened. Stir in the garlic, herbs, and tomato paste and cook until darkened.
- Add the flour, then deglaze. Stirring in a little bit of flour will slightly thicken the sauce so it has a rich, velvety texture. After cooking the flour for a minute, pour in the wine and cook until it’s reduced by half.
- Simmer with the chicken. Stir in the broth and a diced tomato. Return the chicken to the pot skin-side up so that it’s mostly submerged, cover, and simmer over low heat.
Helpful Swaps
- 1 1/2 cups diced shallots can be used as a substitute for yellow onion.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme can be substituted for the fresh thyme sprigs.
- Chicken bouillon (mixed with water according to package directions) or even vegetable broth can be used in place of chicken broth.
- Button mushrooms can be used as a substitute for cremini mushrooms.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Like most braises, this one is even better on the second day after the flavors have had more time to meld. If you have the time, make it a day in advance and reheat.
- Stored in an airtight container, leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to four days.
What to Serve with Chicken Chasseur
Chicken Chasseur Recipe
This classic French chicken is the coziest thing you’ll cook.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 6
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
- 3 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 1
medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 8 ounces
cremini mushrooms, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon
tomato paste
- 4 sprigs
fresh thyme
- 2
dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon
plus 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup
dry white wine
- 1 cup
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1
medium Roma tomato, diced (about 1/2 cup)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)
Serving options: mashed potatoes, egg noodles, steamed rice
Instructions
Pat 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season all over with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in 2 batches, add the chicken skin-side down in a single layer. Sear until the skin is crisp, golden-brown, and releases easily from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet; the chicken will not be cooked through.
Reduce the heat to medium. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot until shimmering. Add 1 diced medium yellow onion, 8 ounces quartered cremini mushrooms, and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, and 2 bay leaves. Cook until darkened in color and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute to remove the floury taste.
Stir in 1 cup dry white wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth and 1 diced medium Roma tomato, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Return the chicken to the pot skin-side up so that it is mostly submerged (some overlapping is OK); pour in any accumulated juices from the plate. Cover and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Taste the sauce and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.