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).
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).
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.
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!
Brown onions – They form the aromatic base of the sauce.
Mushrooms – The traditional vegetable in this dish.
Garlic – Enhances the richness of the sauce. It’s a small thing, but it goes a long way in French cooking.
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 low-priced 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. (There’ll be more recipes using brandy soon, for now, you can also try this classic steak with peppercorn sauce. It’s a winner!)
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 up 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
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 palate.
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!
Watch how to make it
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JB’s Chicken Chasseur
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (~250g/8oz each) (Note 1)
- 4 chicken drumsticks (Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any other neutral flavoured oil)
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Sauce Chasseur
- 400g / 14oz white mushrooms , sliced 6mm/0.2”
- 2 onions , brown or yellow, halved then sliced 6mm/0.2” thick
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1/4 cup brandy (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry wine (Note 3)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock , low-sodium (note 4)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter , COLD and cubed (KEEP REFRIGERATED until required)
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon , finely chopped (Note 5)
For serving
- Creamy mashed potato (or rice or small pasta)
Instructions
Abbreviated Recipe
- Season and flour the chicken, then brown in oil and butter. Remove. Sauté mushrooms and onion, add garlic briefly, then pour in brandy and wine to reduce. Stir in tomato paste for 1 minute, then stock, salt, and pepper. Return chicken, simmer covered 10 minutes then uncovered for 20 minutes until tender. Finish with cold butter and fresh tarragon.
Chicken
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tomato and stock – Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Then add the stock, salt, and pepper.
Cooking
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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:
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:
Life of Dozer
Dozer paid a visit to his Parisian tailor and he’s all dressed up for his first French meal!
Made this last night, with my 5 yo grand daughter by my side. My 2 yo one helped a little for a while too. Anyway the 5 yo flipped when I did the flambe! After a little reassurance, we were back into it again. It was a hit with everyone. My grand daughter isn’t into sauces or similar, A bit like the rest of the family. but she came back for seconds of the sauce without the meat. Great recipe, will be a regular dish for us now.
Thanks Les! Kids are the tougher critics! I’m glad she loved it!
loved this recipe JB; we omit garlic and onion for fobmap diet yet the flavours were still delicious. I did cook this and let it sit on the warmer for an hour before serving which also allowed the flavours to develop. thank you
Thank you Sandra for the great feedback!
This was wonderful exactly as written and will definitely be going into our rotation (family of 3, the kid is a picky teen).
My recommendation to everyone is to do the mise en place before starting to cook, exactly as written in the recipe. Usually I cook and prep at the same time, but with this recipe, the chopping of mushrooms and onions and prepping the chicken pieces before starting makes sense and simplifies the workflow.
Congrats, JB, this is a huge winner! -A family from Switzerland
Thanks Slavica, you seem to be a very organised cook! Glad it was a hit for the whole family!
Great dish, really moreish! we’ll be adding it to our regular recipes 🙂 no leftovers!
Thanks Yaz!
Simple perfection, JB. The very essence of French cookery in one dish. Made it for my family of adult children – effusive praise all round. Such simple ingredients and classic methods, but that brandy just adds a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ and so should not be omitted!
My only recommendation is to be very careful with the flambé!! Mine flared up a bit more…enthusiastically than expected and I had to act quickly to turn off the ducted exhaust fan before I set the ceiling space on fire! 🔥
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe JB – I’m looking forward to trying many more!
What a lovely comment Eva! You’ve described it very well! And I’m glad you didn’t have to call the fire fighters 🙂
There is only one word to describe this dish, WOWEEE !!!!
The sauce is just heavenly, we were using our fingers to mop up every last drop.
I am so glad l invested in a bottle of brandy for this recipe. So well worth it.
Thank you so much
Thanks Di! It’s a winner!! And don’t worry more recipes using brandy are coming up:)
I made this last night and it was fabulous. As good as that crispy chicken skin was, the sauce stole the show. Excellent!
Thank you Perry!!
Well, I didn’t think I was going to get a chance to try this recipe as my wife and daughter won’t eat thigh or mushrooms. So when they organised a weekend away I took my chance to try this absolutely wonderful recipe!
My god, what an amazing dish. I cooked it for 4 so I could have leftovers tomorrow and I’m so glad I did.
JB, if this is your first effort, can’t wait until you get into a groove!
Thanks Rod!! I’m happy the whole family loved it!
JB, my husband and I always visit a French restaurant in Melbourne for our Anniversary.
Now we have the French feel at home!!! Loved it! Thankyou
Thanks Angelique! It means a lot!
This is THE best Chicken Chasseur recipe I have ever made 👏💯🙏
What a statement! Thank you so much!
Hi JB, I made this last night and, wow, absolutely delicious !!
I had to put in a bit more effort than I normally do for meals, but so worth it ! Well appreciated by my partner and a friend as well
I would love to know the French name for the dish….maybe…Le Chasseur du poulet ? Or Poulet du Chasseur ??….?
Thanks Nirbeeja! It’s poulet sauté chasseur 🙂 (or just “poulet chasseur”)
Well JB, you’ve got a top winner recipe here! Made it last night for dinner, followed recipe exactly & wouldn’t change a thing. Served with sweet potato mash & green beans. Hubby & I both loved it. Will certainly be a regular dish in our house now. Thank you 💙
Thanks Claire! Glad it’s a keeper!
Delicious – classic dish. Reduced the stock to 1 cup as I used thigh fillets that cooked quickly. Definitely 5 stars!
Great move on the stock Judy! Thank you for the comment!
Hi Nagi. As I mentioned in my previous email, JB’s input was long overdue. It is a delightful contribution. You definitely will have more minutes to put yours legs up. But most importantly, you have allowed another star to shine. Nagi, you are the G.O.A.T 😻
Thanks Annette! I’ll pass on the message 🙂
I am delighted to see J.B.’s recipes being posted.
Thanks Elizabeth!
hubby really loved it! I like it a lot – I did not coat the chicken in flour since we avoid it, but it still turned out great.
Thanks Maya, I’m glad you loved it!
I just made this recipe for dinner, Instad of the oil/butter I used duck fat to fry the chicken in it actualy has a higher smoke point of around 375°F (190°C) then most oils, olive oil and vegetable oil to name a few. I find in this recipe it is fine because you are adding more butter at the end of cooking the dish “monter au beurre”. This technique, done off the heat, creates a smooth, glossy sauce by emulsifying the butter, adding richness and shine, and slightly thickening the consistency without boiling. The sauce is not made with butter, but is finished by incorporating it
Thanks for your comment Stuart, you are describing the technique pretty well! I’m glad you enjoyed the dish 🙂
The first dish I prepped at cooking school in the UK was Rabbit “Lapin à la Moutarde” A rabbit cut into 6 pieces and then coated in Dijon mustard and marinated for 4 hours. Browned in duck fat. Then fry, onions, garlic and bacon lardons. Add flour and make a blond roux, deglazed with white wine, add thyme, heavy cream and cook for 1.5 hours. Finish with a dollop of Dijon mustard and fresh tarragon serve with mash
First dish was a rabbit?? I’m impressed! And also impressed you remember the entire recipe!
I rarely take the time to leave comments but I was so impressed with this recipe. It was delicious and such a hit with my husband and kids (no complaints and lots of asking for more!) I will definitely be adding this to my regular meals. I felt like I was able to create a really fancy french dish and learn some new techniques all with minimal effort. Method was easy to follow and I paired this with Nagi’s Artisan Yeast Bread. https://elevate-track.live/easy-yeast-bread-recipe-no-knead/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Thank you!
Merci beaucoup Madeleine!Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! happy it was a hit for the whole family 🙂
Flavours were delicious and relatively simple steps. I used thighs only and half quantities in a Le Creuset casserole dish. The only difference I found from recipe was the need for the cooking uncovered part longer; closer to 40 mins not 20 mins, checking with my meat thermometer. Sauce was gently simmering but I may up the temp a bit next time. Served with wholemeal penne (with a splash of lemon infused olive oil) and broccolini. Compliments from the two blokes back from camping!
Thanks Kerry, I’m glad you were able to adapt the recipe 🙂