This Chicken Chasseur is a comforting dish with a complex, delightful flavor! It uses simple ingredients and it's probably one of the easiest French recipes that anyone can make at home!
Today, I want to share one of the most popular French chicken dishes!
This Chicken Chasseur may seem fancy but you'll be surprised at how uncomplicated the process is.
French food is not just for Michelin Star chefs, even beginners in the kitchen will shine with this tasty meal!
This recipe was inspired by other classic French recipes French Onion Soup and Coq Au Vin on my site.
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What is Chicken Chasseur
Chicken Chasseur, also known as the hunter's chicken (poulet sauté chasseur) is a popular French poultry dish. It is a classic French stew made with chicken in a savory brown sauce.
It is a flavorful stew that combines chicken and mushrooms in a tomato and white wine sauce.
Ingredients for Chicken Chasseur:
To make this Chicken Chasseur, you will need the following ingredients:
- Chicken. You can use legs, thighs, or a mix of chicken pieces.
- Cognac/Brandy.
- Mushrooms. You can use either white or cremini.
- Broth
- White wine
- Shallots or use yellow onion
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Tarragon
- Parsley
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
How to make Hunter's Chicken from the scratch:
You can cook this Chicken Chasseur in two ways. The first cooking method is to braise the chicken with the sauce together in one pot.
Another option is to cook the chicken and the sauce separately. This will result in crispy chicken that stays crispy, even when sauced. It's my favorite way to cook the perfect Hunter's chicken. So, here's how to do it:
- Season and Cook Chicken Thighs
- First, pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season it with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Second, dip each chicken piece in flour on both sides then shake off the excess flour.
- Third, heat the butter and oil over moderately high heat until simmering. Add half of the chicken to the skillet, skin side down, and cook for about 1-2 minutes, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan! If you don't have a large enough skillet, cook in batches.
- Fourth, transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and cook in the oven at 400°F for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Now, prepare the sauce while you wait for the chicken to cook.
2. Prepare the Sauce
- First, use the same grease to cook the mushrooms on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Second, add shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they start to brown.
- Third, stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Fourth, stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes to caramelize the sugars, making the paste smoother and developing its flavors even further.
- Next, stir in the cognac/brandy then flambe or cook until it has evaporated and reaches a syrupy consistency.
- After that, deglaze the pan with white wine, cook until it has evaporated, and reduced it to 1-2 tablespoons of liquid. Don't forget to gently scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Now, add broth/stock, bring to a boil then lower the heat, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes. If your sauce is too liquidy, you can add Beurre Manie (combine an equal amount of softened butter and flour mix together).
- Last, add tarragon and parsley, and stir for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add about 1 tablespoon of butter to the sauce. Stir to combine.
To serve, simply place the crispy chicken onto a large plate and spoon sauce over the chicken.
How to Store the Leftovers
This Chicken Chasseur recipe makes great leftovers and even tastes better the next day!
- Let the leftover cools down to room temperature, no longer than 2 hours or 1 hour when the temperature is 90°F or above. You can learn more here.
- Store the leftover chicken chasseur in an airtight container.
- Properly stored, it will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for 4-6 months.
I hope you'll enjoy this chicken chasseur recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Chasseur
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on about 2.5 pounds total)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz mushrooms (white or cremini)
- 1½ cups sliced shallots (lightly packed - about 5.5 oz)
- 2 garlic (crushed)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup cognac/brandy
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon (lightly packed)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter (softened at room temperature for at least an hour)
- ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season it with kosher salt and black pepper. Dip each chicken piece in flour on both sides then shake off the excess flour.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until simmering. Working in multiple batches, cook the chicken for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet and keep about 2 tablespoon of grease in the pot. Discard the remaining grease.
- Cook the browned chicken in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- In the same pot with 2 tablespoon of grease. Add mushrooms into the pot and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add shallots, cook and stir for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the cognac/brandy then flambe or cook until it has evaporated and reduced to 1 tablespoon of liquid.
- Add white wine and deglaze the pan. Cook until it has evaporated and reduced to 1-2 tablespoons of liquid. Don't forget to gently scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the broth, bring to a boil then lower the heat, simmer, uncovered for about 12 minutes. If your sauce is too watery, you can add Beurre Manie (combine an equal amount of softened butter and flour mix together) into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if necessary.
- Add tarragon and parsley, stir for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add about 1 tablespoon of butter into the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Place the crispy chicken onto a large plate and spoon sauce over the chicken. Enjoy!
veenaazmanov says
Love your recipe and love the dish too. Your sauce is so flavorful and the dish so perfect. Love every combination to making this perfect Stew.
Rika Livingston says
Thank you, Veenaaz!
Beth says
This looks so tasty and full of flavor! I can't wait to make this! My husband is going to love this!
Carrie Robinson says
It sort of reminds me of chicken marsala. 🙂
Rika says
It is quite similar to chicken marsala, Carrie!
Whitney says
Mine won't look as fancy but I do love the combo of chicken and mushrooms.
Rika says
I am sure you can make this dish looks stunning, Whitney!
Cathleen says
I love that this recipe uses ingredients that I already have in my kitchen.
Rika says
I am glad that you found everything you need in your kitchen, Cathleen!
GennaRae says
We LOVED this! So rich and delicious! I subbed almond flour for the dredge to keep in lower in carbs. I served mine over garlic mashed cauliflower and my husband's over pappardelle noodles. So fantastic! Only thing is you didn't put into the recipe directions when to add the shallots. It's in the description though so an easy remedy. This will be on our menu for years to come!
Rika says
Hi GennaRae,
Thanks so much for taking a time to share your feedback and to pinpoint the missing instruction for shallots! I truly appreciate it and that will help other readers I'm sure. Really glad you liked this Chasseur recipe! My husband is trying to reduce his low carb intake and I think I am going to try your garlic mashed cauliflower idea, sounds amazing and always on the lookout for tasty options that fit his diet.
Best,
Rika
Rob Parkes says
Just made this and it was lovely thanks for sharing it
Rika says
You're welcome, Rob! I am glad that you liked it.
Best,
Rika