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Two chicken thighs with mushrooms and sauce garnished with parsley.

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.