This easy Chicken Chasseur recipe braises golden chicken thighs in a mushroom, tomato, and white wine sauce finished with tarragon and cold butter. Everything cooks in one skillet, giving you a comforting French chicken dinner with a smooth, glossy sauce and manageable cleanup.
Why You'll Love My Chicken Chasseur
- One-Skillet Method: The chicken, vegetables, and sauce are prepared in the same pan, preserving the browned flavor while reducing cleanup.
- Tender Braised Chicken: Bone-in thighs remain tender as they gently simmer in the mushroom and white wine sauce.
- Rich Without Cream: Reduced wine, tomato paste, chicken broth, and cold butter create a balanced sauce without heavy cream.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The flavors continue to develop as the dish rests, making it particularly useful when dinner needs to be prepared in advance.
What Is Chicken Chasseur?
Chicken Chasseur, also known as French hunter's chicken, is a braised chicken dish prepared with mushrooms, tomato, wine, and herbs. I am drawn to chicken dinners that feel special but still make sense on an ordinary evening, which is why this has become one of my go-to French-inspired recipes. Like my Chicken Marengo, it builds layers of flavor in one pan, but the mushrooms and tarragon give this dish a more earthy character. It also uses the wine-reduction technique I enjoy in Chicken Marsala without cream, followed by a slower braise that gives the chicken and sauce time to come together. That balance-comforting enough for a weeknight but elegant enough to serve at the table-is what makes Chicken Chasseur so appealing to me.
Why This Chicken Chasseur Recipe Works
What I enjoy most is the balance between the savory mushrooms, concentrated tomato paste, bright white wine, and fragrant tarragon. Browning the chicken first gives the sauce a deeper base, while the gentle braise leaves the thighs tender and allows the flavors to develop gradually. It has the same comforting mushroom-and-chicken combination as my Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs, but this version gets its smooth texture from cold butter instead of cream. That final step reminds me of what butter adds to my Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs: richness, shine, and a rounded finish without hiding the other flavors.
Key Ingredients in Chicken Chasseur
You will find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but these are the ingredients that give this Chicken Chasseur its character.
- Chicken Thighs, Flour, and Simple Seasoning: I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because they remain tender during braising, while the skin develops a lovely golden color in the skillet. Salt, black pepper, and a light flour coating help create a flavorful surface before the chicken goes into the sauce.
- Olive Oil, Onion, Garlic, and Mushrooms: Onion, garlic, and mushrooms are the savory foundation of the dish. I cook them in the same skillet used for the chicken so they pick up all the browned flavor left behind.
- Tomato Paste, White Wine, and Chicken Broth: I love how the tomato paste gives the sauce depth without making it overly tomato-heavy. The dry white wine adds brightness, while the chicken broth brings everything together into a balanced braising sauce.
- Butter, Tarragon, and Parsley: Cold butter is my favorite finishing touch because it turns the sauce smooth and glossy without using cream. Fresh tarragon adds its distinctive herbal flavor, while parsley gives the finished dish a lighter final note.
How to Make Chicken Chasseur
The complete printable recipe appears below, but this overview shows how the dish comes together.
1. Prepare and Brown the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry, season with salt and black pepper, then lightly dredge in flour. Sear in olive oil and butter until golden on both sides, then set aside.
2. Cook the Vegetables: In the same skillet, sauté the onion, then add the mushrooms until golden. Stir in garlic, sprinkle in flour, and cook briefly before adding tomato paste and bay leaves.
3. Build the Sauce and Braise: Pour in white wine, scrape up the browned bits, and reduce by half. Add chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer, then return the chicken and cook covered for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes until tender.
4. Finish the Sauce: Remove chicken and discard the bay leaves. Stir in cold butter cubes off the heat until glossy. Return the chicken, spoon over the sauce, sprinkle herbs, and serve warm.
Tips for Chicken Chasseur
Use a Wide Skillet: I like to give the chicken thighs enough room to sit in a single layer. When the pan is overcrowded, they release too much moisture and do not brown as evenly.
Let the Mushrooms Lose Their Moisture: I give the mushrooms time to release their liquid and turn golden before adding the garlic. This keeps the finished sauce from becoming watery.
Keep the Chicken Skin-Side Up: Once the thighs return to the skillet, arrange them with the browned skin above the sauce. This preserves their golden appearance while the meat braises underneath.
Start with Low-Sodium Broth: The sauce becomes more concentrated as it simmers, so I prefer low-sodium chicken broth and adjust the seasoning only after the sauce has reduced.
Storage
I store leftover Chicken Chasseur in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors meld as it rests, so it can taste even more developed the following day; reheat it gently before serving.
What to Serve with Chicken Chasseur
I like serving Chicken Chasseur with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice cooked with chicken broth and butter because each one makes good use of the mushroom and white wine sauce. A simple dish from my salad collection adds a lighter contrast, while homemade ciabatta bread is ideal for gathering up the sauce left in the skillet.
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Recipe
Chicken Chasseur
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs - about 3 pounds (1360 g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
Sauce Chasseur
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 200 g white or cremini mushrooms - sliced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 400 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 30 g cold unsalted butter - cubed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season them with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, then lightly coat them with 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 30 g unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for approximately 5 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer them to a plate.
- Add 1 medium yellow onion, diced, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper to the same skillet. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
- Add 200 g white or cremini mushrooms, sliced, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden and their released moisture has evaporated. Stir in 3 cloves garlic, minced, and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 dried bay leaves, stirring until evenly combined.
- Pour in 120 ml dry white wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release the browned pieces. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by half.
- Pour in 400 ml low-sodium chicken broth and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet skin-side up. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and continue cooking for approximately 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and its thickest part reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the bay leaves.
- Turn off the heat. Stir 30 g cold unsalted butter, cubed, into the sauce until melted and glossy.
- Return the chicken thighs to the skillet and spoon the sauce over them. Finish the Chicken Chasseur with 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, then serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
This Chicken Chasseur is such a comforting one-pan dinner. The sauce has so much depth from the mushrooms, tomato paste, and wine, and it feels far more special than the effort it takes.