Chicken Fricassee With White Wine Cream is that cosy, all-in-one pan of tender chicken in a silky white wine cream sauce that feels like a restaurant meal at your own table. Slow-simmered chicken, deep flavor, velvety sauce. Sunday comfort with just enough drama.
In One Glance
⏲️ Prep time: 5 min • 🔥 Cook time: 35 min • 🍽️ Yield: 4 servings
🥄 Calories: about 610 kcal per serving (estimate)
⭐ Difficulty: easy
🥘 Main ingredients: chicken breasts or thighs, butter, onion, garlic, thyme, white wine, chicken stock, cream, parsley
Allergens contains: gluten (wheat flour), milk (butter, cream), and sulfites (from white wine). Does not contain: egg, soy, peanuts, tree nuts or fish.
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Creamy Chicken Fricassee With Thyme
This is my perfect slow Sunday dish. The week has been one long rush of alarms, lunch boxes and "Did you send that email?" Then Sunday comes, the house finally calms down, and I move to the stove. Chicken, butter, onions. A glass of white wine in my hand, another splash in the pan. Outside it is cold and grey. Inside, it smells like a French bistro.
I usually make this with my husband. He chops onions, I fuss over the sauce, and we talk about everything and nothing while the chicken simmers. The pan bubbles softly, the sauce turns from pale to glossy cream, and the whole kitchen feels warm and a bit fancy.
It looks like a special-occasion dinner, but it is simple enough for a weeknight. Also perfect for the holidays when you want something classic and comforting without spending all day in the kitchen.
And if you're looking for other delicious French chicken recipes. Try Coq au vin, Chicken Normandy with cider and apples and chicken with vanilla sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
- Slow-simmered chicken: Gentle cooking in sauce makes the chicken soft, juicy and full of flavor.
- Pan sear first: Browning the chicken in butter and oil gives a golden crust and loads of savory taste to the sauce.
- Wine and stock base: Dry white wine with good chicken stock builds a deep, restaurant-style flavor with simple ingredients.
- Roux for body: Cooking flour with the onions and butter makes the sauce thick, velvety and stable, so it coats every bite.
- Finish with cream: A splash of heavy cream at the end softens the edges and gives that luxe, glossy finish.
What You'll Need
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts or thighs: Use 4 fillets; thighs give extra juiciness, breasts stay nice and lean-tender.
- Butter: Unsalted butter for browning the chicken and building the sauce.
- Olive oil: Helps the butter not burn and gives a lovely golden crust.
- Onions: Two medium onions in half rings for sweet, soft flavor in the sauce.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves, finely chopped, for a gentle garlicky note.
- Bay leaf: Adds depth and a mild herbal flavor while the sauce simmers.
- Thyme: Fresh sprigs if you can; dried thyme also works in a pinch.
- Flour: Thickens the sauce and makes it silky and rich.
- Dry white wine: Something you like to drink, like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Chicken stock: Good quality stock gives body and savory richness. Here you can find my homemade chicken stock recipe.
- Salt and pepper: Season in layers so the final dish tastes balanced.
- Heavy cream: The final swirl that makes the sauce soft, smooth and luxurious.
- Parsley: Fresh and finely chopped for a bright-green finish on top.
How to Make Chicken Fricassee With White Wine Cream
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Step 1: Pat the chicken dry, season well, and sear in butter and oil until golden on both sides. Set aside.
- Step 2: Soften onions with bay and thyme in the same pan, add garlic, then stir in the flour to make a light roux.
- Step 3: Pour in white wine, let it simmer, then add chicken stock, salt and pepper, and scrape up all the browned bits.
- Step 4: Return the chicken to the pan and let it gently simmer until tender, then finish the sauce with cream and parsley.
Top Tips
- Pat the chicken very dry before searing so you get a deep golden crust, not steam.
- Do not rush the onions; give them time to turn soft and sweet on low heat for a better sauce.
- Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan when you add wine and stock; that is pure flavor.
- Keep the simmer gentle, just small bubbles, so the chicken turns tender instead of tough.
- Taste the sauce before the cream goes in and again after; adjust salt and pepper at the very end.
- If the sauce feels a bit thin, simmer with the lid off for a few minutes to thicken before you add cream.
- Slice the chicken before serving and spoon the sauce over the top for that restaurant-style look.
- It's particularly good with creamy mashed potatoes and Parmesan green beans.
When to serve
- Slow Sunday dinner with mashed potatoes
- Cozy weeknight when you want restaurant-style food without fuss.
- Holiday main course as an easier alternative to turkey or roast.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 chicken breasts, or boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the creamy sauce
- 2 onions, sliced into half rings
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper.4 chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat.4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. It does not need to be cooked through yet.
- In the same pan, add the onions, bay leaf and thyme. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.2 onions, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.2 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 2 minutes so the flour absorbs the butter and forms a paste.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pour in the white wine while stirring, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off.½ cup dry white wine
- Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil, scraping the bottom again to release all the flavor.2 cups chicken stock, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, nestling the pieces into the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium so the sauce gently simmers. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and let the chicken fricassee simmer for another 20 minutes so the sauce reduces and thickens and the chicken becomes very tender.
- Lift the chicken out of the pan for a moment.
- Stir in the heavy cream (and parsley) and let the sauce bubble gently for 2 minutes until smooth and silky. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.½ cup heavy cream
- Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the sauce over the top and serve hot.2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley
Notes
- Mushroom chicken fricassee: Add sliced mushrooms after the onions soften and cook until golden before adding flour.
- Herb lovers' version: Stir in extra fresh herbs at the end, like tarragon or chives, along with the parsley.
- Roasted garlic twist: Swap the fresh garlic for roasted garlic cloves for a sweeter, more mellow garlic flavor.
- Fridge: Let the chicken fricassee cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze it for up to 2 months. The cream sauce may thicken a bit, but it is still tasty after reheating.
- Reheating/Serving: Reheat slowly in a pan over low to medium heat until hot, stirring often. Add a splash of stock or cream if the sauce feels too thick.
Nutrition
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