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Chicken Chasseur (Hunter’s Chicken)

September 25, 2019 by Tara Leung Leave a Comment

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Chicken Chasseur, or Hunter’s Chicken, is made with chicken and mushrooms in a sauce flavored with white wine, cognac, tomato paste, shallots, garlic, and tarragon. This one-pot classic French dish takes its name from the old days when hunters would return home with game meat and freshly picked mushrooms, which were often prepared in this style.

Chicken Chasseur finished dish - two chicken thighs with mushrooms and sauce garnished with parsley.

While Chicken Chasseur is the French take on Hunter’s Chicken, other nationalities have their own version of this dish. The Italian Chicken Cacciatore, made with peppers and onions and tomato sauce, may be the best known. There is also British Hunter’s Chicken, made with chicken wrapped in bacon. I love the French Chicken Chasseur for its simple preparation and complex flavors.

There are two different ways I’ve seen Chicken Chasseur made. One method has you bake the chicken in the oven and prepare the sauce separately, then serve the sauce over the chicken. This has the advantage of keeping the chicken skin crispy. However, I prefer the one-pot method where you brown the chicken first and then simmer the chicken in the sauce. Browning the chicken adds flavor to the sauce, and flouring the chicken pieces before browning them also helps thicken the sauce. As a bonus, there are fewer dishes to wash.

The luscious sauce gives incredible flavor to the chicken, and it’s the best over mashed potatoes. This is the kind of hearty comfort food I’m craving as the weather gets colder. Unlike some other classics like Beef Bourguignon, this recipe is also very weeknight-friendly.

Ingredients for Chicken Chasseur

Here are the main ingredients. There are cremini mushrooms, cognac, white wine, a bay leaf, beef broth and chicken broth (mixed together in the same cup), tomato paste, minced garlic, shallots, skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, fresh tarragon, and fresh parsley. Not shown are salt and pepper, flour, oil, and butter.

Ingredients for chicken chasseur on a cutting board.

You will need 3 ½ to 4 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken. I used thighs, but you can also use drumsticks or breasts or a mix. If you’re using breasts, make sure to cut them in half so they finish cooking in time.

Many French dishes use a brown chicken stock that’s a mix of chicken stock and veal stock. In this recipe, I use half chicken broth and half beef broth to mimic those flavors.

How to Make Chicken Chasseur

First, season the chicken and toss with flour.

Chicken thighs coated with flour in a mixing bowl.

Next, brown the chicken. I had to do mine in two batches. This is half of the chicken I used.

Browned chicken thighs in a dutch oven.

Remove the chicken from the pot and cook the shallots, adding garlic toward the end.

Cooked chopped shallots and garlic in a Dutch oven.

Deglaze with cognac. Then add tomato paste, beef broth, chicken broth, white wine, tarragon, and the bay leaf. Here’s the chicken ready to start simmering.

Chicken thighs in a tomato paste and white wine sauce in a Dutch oven.

When the chicken is almost done, sauté the mushrooms in butter.

Sauteed cremini mushroom halves in a cast iron skillet.

Add the mushrooms with juices to the pot.

Finished Chicken Chasseur dish in a Dutch oven.

What to Serve with Chicken Chasseur

I recommend mashed potatoes, rice, or the cauliflower version of either to soak up the extra sauce from the chicken. A good crusty bread would also be great to soak up some extra sauce. I would pair this with my go-to veggie sides: sautéed spinach and a side salad.

Is Chicken Chasseur Good Leftover?

Yes, this dish tastes very good leftover. You can keep Chicken Chasseur in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove.

Bowl of chicken chasseur garnished with parsley.

Looking for more classic French dishes perfect for the colder time of year? Check out my Cassoulet recipe and Beef Bourguignon recipe.

 

If you make this recipe, please give the recipe a rating and/or leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Two chicken thighs with mushrooms and sauce garnished with parsley.
5 from 2 votes
Print

Chicken Chasseur (Hunter’s Chicken)

Chicken Chasseur, or Hunter’s Chicken, is made with chicken and mushrooms in a
sauce flavored with white wine, cognac, tomato paste, shallots, garlic, and tarragon. This one-pot classic French dish takes its name from the old days when hunters would return home with game meat and freshly picked mushrooms, which were often prepared in this style.

Course Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine French
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 790 kcal
Author Tara Leung

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 - 4 pounds skin-on bone-in chicken pieces (if using breasts, cut in half)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 large shallots, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons cognac
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 ounces mushrooms, halved
  • chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in a large bowl (or alternatively a large Ziploc bag) and toss to coat with flour. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, skin side down, until the skin gets a nice golden brown, 4-5 minutes.
    Turn chicken over and cook 3-4 minutes on the other side, until browned. If your chicken doesn’t fit on the bottom of your pot in a single layer, brown in 2 batches. When you’re done, remove chicken from pot and set aside.

  2. Reduce heat to medium. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the pot with the chicken fat. Add shallots to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 2 more minutes, or until fragrant.

  3. Add cognac and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2 minutes to let alcohol evaporate. Stir in tomato paste. Pour in beef broth, chicken broth, and white wine. Add tarragon and bay leaf. Return chicken to pot.

  4. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

  5. When there is 10 minutes left on the timer for the chicken, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pot with the chicken and pour any leftover butter or mushroom
    juices from the skillet into the pot.

  6. Remove bay leaf. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Bon Appétit!

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Filed Under: Dinner, French, Poultry, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, chicken thighs, mushrooms

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About Wednesday Night Cafe

  Hi, I’m Tara. This blog is where I share my recipes for special dinners. When I discover a new dish while traveling or come across something creative while dining out, I just have to recreate the recipe at home. I also love cooking my own versions of classic dishes. If you're new here, ...

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