Chicken Chasseur (chasseur is French for “hunter”) is a classic French dish made with pieces of chicken cooked in a rich mushroom and tomato sauce laced with a hint of brandy, finished with fresh tarragon. It’s rustic and cosy, and it was the first recipe I learned to master at cooking school back in France.
Nagi’s Notes
This is a special day and a very special dish – JB’s debut recipe as the first and only contributor on my website! His Chicken Chasseur is so good, it actually made me stop mid-bite and say, “Wait – why have I never made this before?” It’s the kind of dish that tastes like you’ve been cooking all day, but it’s surprisingly low-effort – and that sauce! Rich and savoury, the secret ingredient is a splash of brandy that sets it apart from regular stews. JB calls it “just a simple hunter’s chicken” – I call it French comfort food magic!!
Chicken Chasseur
Hi everyone, thank you for your warm welcome. I am excited to share my first recipe – Chicken Chasseur!
When you first look at it, it may remind you of Chicken Fricassée. Both are gently cooked in a savoury sauce, but while Fricassée is creamier and more delicate, the Chasseur has a deeper and richer flavour thanks to the addition of tomato paste, brandy, and beef stock. The result is a comforting dish that’s one of my favourites to cook at home on a regular basis, a perfect weekend meal to share with friends or family.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make Chicken Chasseur.
1. chicken
Stick with bone-in, skin-on chicken for real-deal Chasseur. In France, we don’t mess around with dry breasts when there’s sauce this good involved (I’m only kidding, see the recipe card for directions).
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Chicken pieces – Using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces is best for Chicken Chasseur. The skin adds extra flavour when browned at the start, and cooking on the bone keeps the meat juicy and tender. (You can also use boneless thighs or breasts; just reduce the cooking time, directions in the recipe card).
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Flour – For Chasseur, the chicken pieces are coated in flour to create a nice golden crust. The residual flour in the pan also helps thicken the sauce.
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Oil and butter – You’ll need both, as butter alone burns quickly. The oil handles the heat and the butter adds flavour. The French would never skip it, neither should you.
2. Chasseur Sauce
The Chicken Chasseur sauce is rich and full of flavour, using ingredients like brandy, white wine, tomato paste and beef stock. You’ll eat it all and ask for more!
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Brown onions – They form the aromatic base of the sauce.
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Mushrooms – The traditional vegetable in this dish.
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Garlic – Enhances the richness of the sauce. It’s a small thing, but it goes a long way in French cooking.
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Brandy – A signature move for a true Chasseur. It brings warmth, but just a splash, I don’t want you crawling under the table! And don’t go fancy here! I used a cheap brandy, there is no need to use an expensive one for cooking. Once it hits the pan, the harshness burns off and you’re left with that lovely warmth. Most of the alcohol cooks out and I grew up eating this as a kid in France. You can exclude for non-alcoholic but the sauce will be missing a bit of the flavour that makes this Chasseur.
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White wine – Chardonnay is my favourite for cooking because of the flavours it add to dishes and it’s the wine that was the most commonly used at restaurants I worked at in France. We use it for deglazing in Chicken Chasseur. There no need to use an expensive wine. The flavour and aroma that you pay for is largely lost during cooking. Substitute with low-sodium beef stock for a non-alcoholic version.
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Tomato paste – Adds body and gentle acidity. It’s the secret to the sauce’s colour and balance. You’ll find Chasseur recipes using tomato in different form. I like paste here for its concentration of flavour and deep tone without extra liquid.
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Beef stock/broth – We use beef stock instead of chicken because it gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavour and proper intensity. Treat yourself and make it with homemade beef stock if you can!
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Butter – More butter, because it’s French after all. This is to finish the sauce. The butter needs to be cold and cut into small pieces which is then slowly melted into the hot sauce. This is a classic restaurant technique that makes the sauce glossy, rounds the flavours and thickens it slightly.
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Tarragon – This herb is a French favourite. A signature touch that makes this “Chasseur” rather than a regular stew.
How to make Chicken Chasseur
I know you were on a “hunt” for a good Chicken Chasseur recipe, no need to wait any longer! The chicken pieces are browned in butter, then braised in a rich tomato and beef broth sauce with mushrooms. Finished with freshly chopped tarragon, so good it should be illegal.
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Prepare the chicken – Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture. This helps the skin brown properly and prevents splatter. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Coat in flour, shaking off excess. This helps develop a golden crust and thickens the sauce later.
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Brown the chicken – Heat oil in a large (30cm/12″) lidded skillet over medium-high. No lid? Use a tray. Don’t worry if the lid doesn’t fit snugly, as long as it traps enough steam so exposed chicken will steam-cook that’s all you need.
Once the oil is hot, melt the butter until foamy, then add chicken thighs skin-side down. Sear 5 minutes until golden, flip and cook 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Add drumsticks, brown on 3 sides (about 2 minutes per side), then add to plate. ⚠️ Be mindful when searing skin-on chicken pieces, the skin can pop and hot oil may splash.
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Sauté the vegetables – In the same pan, increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms and onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to wilt. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Deglaze and build the sauce – Pour in the brandy. If you like, carefully flambé (ignite) and let the flame die out naturally in about 10 seconds as the alcohol burns off. Otherwise, just let it bubble away for 20–30 seconds – it achieves the same result. Flambéing isn’t essential, it’s simply about burning off the alcohol, and adding a little theatre to your cooking!
Add the white wine and let it reduce by half. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the fond (the browned bits stuck to the bottom), this is what makes your sauce rich and complex. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Then add the stock, salt, and pepper.
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Simmer the Chicken – Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up, nestling it into the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. You want the liquid to be simmering – not a slow simmer and not a rapid simmer, just a regular simmer.
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Cover with a lid – Cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for a further 20 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and concentrate while the chicken finishes cooking.
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Finish the sauce – Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Turn the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in COLD butter cubes, a few at a time, a classic cooking technique that thickens the sauce slightly and gives it a silky, glossy finish.
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Serving – Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer again. Return the chicken to the sauce. Sprinkle with fresh tarragon and serve with creamy mashed potato.
How to Serve Chicken Chasseur
Serve it over mashed potatoes (or cauliflower mash for a low-carb version). It’s also lovely with plain rice.
Pair it with roasted vegetables, sautéed green beans, easy roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus, a French bistro salad, or some leafy greens tossed with French vinaigrette. Don’t forget some crusty bread to mop out all that amazing sauce!
Chicken Chasseur is special to me because it’s the first recipe I learned at cookery school and it’s a timeless French classic that always reminds me of home. I truly hope you’ll love it as much as we do. Please leave a comment and share your feedback!
À bientôt! – JB
Watch how to make it
FAQ – Chicken Chasseur (JB’s debut recipe!)
Yes, just use gluten free flour instead of plain flour!
Nagi and I took the photos together though I took the lead with the styling, then we edited them together. I’m still learning – there’s a long way to go! I filmed the video myself which was then edited by Herron, our video editor who also edits the videos Nagi films!
This is a recipe I know from school that I learned when I was a teenager. I’ve been making it for years, it’s a recipe I know very well and I’ve been tweaking it over the years to be perfect for my palette.
After I wrote up the recipe and tested it a few times, I asked Nagi to make it to double check that I had written it correctly. She didn’t encounter any issues, we only had to make a few tweaks to ensure it is foolproof, for example, making sure the sauce is the correct thickness.
She even made it again today for my lunch because I wanted to take a better photo of the sauce!
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Chicken Chasseur
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Main
French
Servings4
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Instructions
Chicken
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Season the chicken – Pat the chicken dry thoroughly with paper towels. This removes surface moisture, allowing the skin to brown properly and avoiding splatter. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Coat in flour, shaking off excess. This helps develop a golden crust and also thickens the sauce later.
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Brown the Chicken – Heat vegetable oil in a large (30cm/12″) skillet (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add butter, once melted and foaming, place thighs skin-side down. Sear for 5 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Add the drumsticks and brown them on 3 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Don’t rush this step – browning adds depth of flavour. Transfer drumsticks to the plate with the thighs. ⚠️ Be mindful when searing skin-on chicken pieces, the skin can pop and hot oil may splash.
Chasseur Sauce
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Onion, mushrooms and garlic – In the same pan, increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms and onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to wilt. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Brandy and wine – Pour in the brandy. Carefully flambé (ignite) if desired – let it burn until the flame dies out by itself (~10 seconds). Flambéing intensifies the aroma – and puts on a show! Or simply let it bubble for 20–30 seconds until the alcohol burns off. Add the white wine. Let it simmer rapidly to reduce by half. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the fond (the browned bits stuck to the bottom), which is a crucial ingredient to the creation of our sauce. It will make it rich and complex.
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Tomato and stock – Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Then add the stock, salt, and pepper.
Cooking
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Simmer – Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up, nestling them into the stock. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium (bubbling constantly but not rapidly). Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and simmer uncovered for a further 20 minutes. This allows the sauce to reduce and concentrate while the chicken finishes cooking.
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Reduce sauce slightly – Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Turn the heat to medium-high, and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
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Finish the sauce – Turn off the heat. Scatter half of the COLD butter cubes in then stir until melted. Scatter the rest of the butter cubes in then stir again until melted. This is a classic emulsification technique that gives the sauce a silky, glossy finish (monter au beurre) as well as thickening it slightly. (Note 6)
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Serve – Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer again. Return the chicken to the sauce and sprinkle over the fresh tarragon. Take it to the table and serve out of the pan with creamy mashed potato.
Recipe Notes:
For chicken breast, use 4 breasts and split in half horizontally to make 8 steaks. Follow recipe as written to dust the chicken with flour. Sear until surface is golden and remove. Simmer the sauce without the chicken for 10 minutes then add the chicken (overlap to fit as needed) and simmer for 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe.
2. Brandy – A signature move for a true Chasseur. It brings warmth, but just a splash, I don’t want you crawling under the table! And don’t go fancy here! I used a cheap brandy, there is no need to use an expensive one for cooking. Once it hits the pan, the harshness burns off and you’re left with that lovely warmth. Most of the alcohol cooks out and I grew eating this as a kid in France. You can exclude for non-alcoholic but the sauce will be missing a bit of the flavour that makes this Chasseur.
3. Wine – Chardonnay is my favourite for cooking because of the flavours it add to dishes and it’s the wine that was the most commonly used at restaurants I worked at in France. We use it for deglazing in Chicken Chasseur. there is no need to use an expensive wine. The flavour and aroma that you pay for is largely lost during cooking. Substitute with low-sodium beef stock for a non-alcoholic version.
4. Beef stock – We use beef stock instead of chicken because it gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavour and proper intensity. Treat yourself and make it with homemade beef stock if you can!
5. Tarragon – This herb is a French favourite. A signature touch that makes this “Chasseur” rather than a regular stew. If you can’t find it, use parsley with a bit of crushed fennel seeds.
6. Butter – It’s important for the butter to be COLD and cut into small pieces when using this technique, because it melts slowly and evenly, helping the butter emulsify and slightly thicken the sauce while giving it a glossy finish.
7. The skillet we use is a 30cm / 12″ wide, Le Creuset. If you don’t have a lid, just pop a baking tray on it during the simmering phase. And it’s ok if you don’t have the proper size, just use the closest that you have. If you end-up with exposed chicken, it will steam-cook.
CHEF JB’S TIPS
Make ahead – This taste as delicious the next day. Reheat gently, add a splash of stock or water if the sauce is too thick.
Freezing – Freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat gently.
Browning – This is a very important step, a nice golden crust means tons of flavours in the sauce. It’s the foundation of the whole dish. And master your heat, if you think it’s too high, lower it down. We don’t want any burned bits.
Nutrition per serving – a whole thigh plus drumstick (it’s a generous portion size!). Excludes mashed potato.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 854cal (43%)Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)Protein: 53g (106%)Fat: 57g (88%)Saturated Fat: 18g (113%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 291mg (97%)Sodium: 1489mg (65%)Potassium: 1491mg (43%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 814IU (16%)Vitamin C: 10mg (12%)Calcium: 77mg (8%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Life of Dozer
Dozer paid a visit to his Parisian tailor and he’s all dressed up for his first French meal!
