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If you are looking for a simple and hearty meal that has been loved for ages, consider trying this Traditional Chicken Fricassee Recipe that was inspired by Julia Child. An extra comforting recipe that remains elegant at the same time. While it has French origins, this recipe was adopted early in America and understandably so. It is absolutely delicious and absolutely easy to make.
Fricassee is a classic cooking technique that combines the best of searing and stewing into one dish. This recipe holds a special place in my heart because it’s inspired by the legendary Julia Child—but I gave it a few tweaks to make it even better (at least in my humble opinion). I’ve made it more family-friendly and simplified the thickening process. This traditional Chicken Fricassee still captures all the charm of Child’s original. Still, it adds my personal spin that I think you will love.
If you want to make this one a bit more special, consider using this homemade Chicken Stock recipe. If you are looking for a side, check out this Cheesy Mashed Potatoes recipe or this Extra Baconey Amish Broccoli Salad. No matter what you make, make sure to treat yourself!
Table of Contents
🍗 Ingredients
Chicken is needed, but there is a bit more that you will need. Here is the summary:
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍲 Instructions
To make chicken fricassee, start by sautéing onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in butter until tender. Make sure you are cooking this in a large saute pan, as room can be an issue with this recipe. Push the veggies to the side of the skillet and sear the chicken thighs, flipping occasionally, until they’re lightly golden. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and let everything cook together for about 10 minutes.
Dust the chicken with flour, salt, and pepper, making sure it’s evenly coated. Allow to fry just a tad. Pour in the chicken stock and add parsley, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring it all to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes to let the flavors meld and the chicken becomes tender.
Whisk together milk and the remaining flour in a separate bowl to make a slurry. After simmering, remove the chicken from the pan and turn up the heat, stirring in the milk mixture until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and adjust the seasoning. Return the chicken to the pan or serve it with the sauce poured over the top.
🤷 Substitutions and variations
This recipe is flexible! Swap chicken thighs for drumsticks or boneless breasts if you prefer. For a lighter sauce, use 2% instead of whole milk, or make it dairy-free with unsweetened almond milk. Or, you know, use heavy cream to make it even better. Add a pop of flavor with fresh herbs like thyme or parsley instead of dried, but I recommend tying them into a cheesecloth and removing them before serving.
Vegetables are easy to customize here. Try parsnips, zucchini, or bell peppers instead of carrots or celery. If mushrooms aren’t your thing, leave them out or replace them with diced potatoes.
One of the things I changed from Julia’s recipe is that she used some white wine. It does add some depth to the flavors. It adds some additional floral an acidic flavors to the mix. Substitute one of the cups of chicken stock with a cup of dry white wine if you want to make this way.
📦 Storage
Store leftover chicken fricassee in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of chicken stock or milk to loosen the sauce if needed.
For longer storage, freeze the fricassee in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Keep in mind, the sauce may slightly change texture after freezing, but it’ll still be delicious!
🎓 History tidbit
Chicken fricassee is a dish with deep roots in culinary history. It blends French techniques with practical, hearty ingredients. As referenced in early European cookbooks, its origins trace back to at least the 16th century, when the method of braising meat in a rich sauce gained popularity. By the late 18th century, recipes like those found in The Lady’s Complete Guide showcased how fricassee had evolved into a versatile, home-cook-friendly dish.
Often, when I search for recipe history, the search stops at some date. Rarely, find any instances prior to say 1800 or sometimes even 1700. For ‘fricassee’, I am finding mentions going back to the 1500s and recipes in the 1600s. This method of cooking goes a long ways back and is used with all sorts of meats.
In the United States, chicken fricassee found its way onto many family tables just as a process of immigration from Europe to America. According to some accounts, the home of Abraham Lincoln. Anecdotes suggest that his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, may have served it as part of their simple yet satisfying meals. Rumor is that Chicken Fricassee was one of Abe Lincoln’s favorite dishes. Whether fact or legend, this association reflects the dish’s status as a classic of its time.
❓ FAQ
Chicken fricassee is a classic French-inspired dish that combines sautéing and stewing techniques. The chicken is first browned, then gently simmered in a flavorful sauce, often made with broth, cream, milk, herbs, and vegetables.
Fricassee is a classic French cooking technique that combines sautéing and stewing. Meat, often chicken or veal, is lightly browned in fat and then simmered in a flavorful sauce, creating a tender, rich, and comforting dish. It’s typically served with rice, potatoes, or bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Yes! Chicken fricassee reheats beautifully, making it a great make-ahead dish. Store it in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop to preserve the creamy sauce’s texture.
📝 Tips and tricks
- Make sure you are using a saute pan that has enough room for the chicken, veggies, and a quart of chicken stock.
- You can use fresh herbs, as well. Tie into cheesecloth
- Substitute one cup of the chicken stock for a dry white wine for a more complex and acidic flavor.
- Use any cut of chicken that you want, but try not to overcrowd the sauce pan too much!
🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Traditional Chicken Fricassee recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.
Chicken Fricassee
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Description
A comforting classic, tradition Chicken Fricassee features tender chicken thighs simmered in a creamy, flavorful sauce with vegetables and herbs. Perfect for family dinners or special occasions, this dish is rich, hearty, and satisfying!
Ingredients
- 4 medium or 6 small chicken thighs, bone in and skin on (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
- 4 Tablespoons of butter
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped
- 2 Carrot, Chopped
- 2 Celery Rib, chopped
- 1 8 ounce package of mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Melt butter – In large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add Vegetables – Add Onions, carrot, celery, and mushroom to a large saucepan.
- Cook Vegetables – Cook and stir until tender, but not browned.
- Add Chicken – Push veggies to the side, increase heat to medium-high and add chicken skin side up to same pan that the veggies are cooking.
- Brown Chicken – Flip chicken every 3 to 4 minutes until it is just a light golden brown and at the end, place skin side up.
- Lightly cook chicken – Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Make flour mixture – Combine salt, pepper, and ¼ Cup of flour
- Season chicken – Turn heat to medium and sprinkle mixture over chicken to completely coat, turning to complete covering the chicken and ending up with skin side up. If some gets in the veggies, that is fine.
- Add liquid and seasoning – Add chicken stock, parsley, bay leaf, and thyme
- Simmer – Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for 25 minutes at medium
- Create slurry – In separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ Cup flour and milk
- Remove chicken – Remove chicken from dish and set aside. Turn up heat to medium-high
- Add slurry – Add milk slurry and cook until it starts to bubble and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should just take a few minutes.
- Add lemon juice, any additional salt and pepper to your taste, and stir.
- Assemble meal – Remove from heat and add chicken back in or assemble in separate casserole dish with chicken and the sauce poured over the top
Notes
- Make sure you are using a saute pan that has enough room for the chicken, veggies, and a quart of chicken stock.
-
You can use fresh herbs, as well. Tie into cheesecloth
- Substitute one cup of the chicken stock for a dry white wine for a more complex and acidic flavor.
- Use any cut of chicken that you want, but try not to overcrowd the sauce pan too much!
