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Classic Chicken Fricassee

Classic chicken fricassee with tender chicken thighs simmered in a silky white wine cream sauce with mushrooms, onions, thyme, and bay leaf. One-pan simmering creates a velvety, spoon-coating sauce that’s ideal with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs Use skin-on for best juiciness.
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Frying fat
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
Thickener and liquids
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
Herbs and finishing flavor
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and prep chicken
  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with the salt and black pepper.
Sear chicken in Dutch oven
  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then sear the chicken for 4–5 minutes per side until lightly golden without fully browning. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Sauté mushrooms and onion
  1. Add the onion and mushrooms to the pot and sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized.
Bloom garlic
  1. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Cook flour for sauce
  1. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1 minute to coat everything evenly.
Reduce wine
  1. Pour in the white wine while scraping the bottom of the pot and simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
Build creamy sauce
  1. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth, then stir in the heavy cream, thyme, and bay leaf.
Simmer chicken until tender
  1. Return the chicken to the pot, nestling it into the sauce, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30–35 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F and becomes fork-tender.
Finish and garnish
  1. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley, then remove the bay leaf.
  2. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or steamed rice.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, whisk the broth in gradually before adding the cream and keep the simmer gentle once the chicken is back in the pot. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat on low until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended for the best cream texture. If you want a lighter option, replace the heavy cream with half-and-half for a thinner sauce.