Chicken Chasseur (French Hunter's Chicken) (2024)

Chicken Chasseur, or Hunter’s Chicken, is one of the most popular French recipes. It contains simple ingredients like bone-in chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, wine, and herbs. It’s very easy to make and looks as amazing as it tastes. Serve it to your guests or family, tell them it’s Chicken Chasseur, and you’ll impress everybody. But once they’ve actually sunken their teeth into it, I guarantee they’ll be speechless (that happened in my house). How does that sound?

Ever since I made this Chicken Provencal with Shallots and Garlic, I thought it was my favorite French chicken recipe; now we have a debate. Make both and weigh in on this debate.

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What is Chicken Chasseur

Chicken Chasseur is a classic French chicken recipe. It’s also known as Hunter’s Chicken. As a matter of fact, the direct translation of “Chasseur” is “Hunter.” So, at the time of inception what would happen is the hunters would bring home game meat, along with any mushrooms that they’d found on the way, and they’d cook this amazing dish with the ingredients they’d collected. Even though the name sounds fancy, this dish is very rustic and comforting.

The list of ingredients in this hunter’s chicken is short, but there is no shortage of taste. The combination of mushrooms, tomatoes with cognac, wine, and herbs (like tarragon and parsley) makes for a very complex and beautiful flavor profile.

What ingredientsare needed to make French Chicken Chasseur?

Here is your grocery list:

• Chicken pieceson the bone (I prefer chicken thighs);
• White button or Baby Bella mushrooms;
• Shallots;
• Chopped tomatoesor tomato paste;
• Cognac (optional:it will elevate the taste but if you don’t have it or simply don’t want to use it, the chicken will still come out delicious);
• White wine;
• Chicken stock (the French would use “brown chicken stock,” which is one enhanced with some veal stock, but you could use a combination of chicken and beef stock in 2:1 ratio);
• Butter – a critical ingredientin all French cooking.
• Fresh herbs – tarragon and parsley (note: tarragon has a nice, anise type of flavor, and it really compliments this hunter’s chicken, but if you cannot find it, skip it).

How do you make Chicken Chasseur?

A couple of different techniques can be used to prepare this dish. One of them is that everything is done in a single pot, meaning the chicken is braising with the sauce on a stovetop.

Another is to sear the chicken in a pan on both sides, then cover it and move it to the oven to finish cooking. Then, you’d prepare the chasseur sauce separately.

Yet another one, and my favorite, is to sear the chicken on both sides, move it to a sheet pan, and finish roasting in the oven. This guarantees a crispy skin! While the chicken is roasting, you then prepare the hunter’s sauce.

Some other variations include dusting your chicken with flour. I decided not to do this as I really wanted a nice sear and crispy skin from the oven. Instead, I added some flour to the sauce at the end to thicken it.

Here are the easy steps to make French Chicken Chasseur with Crispy Skin without further ado…

Step 1: Heat up your oven to 375 F. To make Chicken Chasseur with crispy skin, heat up clarified butter (or a combination of butter with cooking oil) in a cast iron skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and once your pan is hot, add chicken (skin side down) and cook undisturbed for 6-7 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the internal temperature is 165F.

Step 2. Start working on your Chasseur sauce. Once you’ve moved your chicken to the oven, discard all but two tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a few minutes. Then add chopped shallots and let them sweat for another few minutes.

Step 3: If using, add cognac and either flambe it or let it almost entirely cook-off. Add wine and deglaze the pan.

Step 4: Add tomatoes or tomato paste, chicken stock, and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 5: If your sauce is too liquidy, combine 1-2 tablespoons of Wondra flour or all-purpose flour with a 1/2 cup of water, mix well (until smooth), and add to the sauce to thicken it up.

Step 6: Adjust seasoning; add salt and pepper as needed. Once the sauce has the right consistency, turn it off, add two tablespoons of cold butter, and let it melt into the sauce. (Tip: once you’ve added butter, you cannot reduce the sauce more as the butter would break.);

Step 7: Chop tarragon and parsley. Remove the chicken from the oven. Then, for serving, you can either put the chicken back into the pan and sprinkle everything with herbs and serve it family style, or you can plate the chicken and drench it in your sauce, then sprinkle it with herbs. See below for suggestions on what to serve the hunter’s chicken with.

How to serve Chicken Chasseur

This classic French chicken pairs really well with the following:

• Mashed potatoes;
• Egg noodles;
• Rice;
• Crusty Bread or Rolls;
• Potato Cutlets;
• Potato Leek Casserole

Some vegetables can also accompany it:

• Best Green Salad;
• Steamed Artichokes;
• Parmesan Roasted Asparagus;
• Carrots and Apple Slaw

How to store Chicken Chasseur

If you make a big batch of this Chicken Chasseur and you’d like to store it, there is no problem there. This chicken can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, OR you couldfreeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, then remove it from the freezer the night before and let it thaw in a fridge overnight.

Equipment Needed to Make French Hunter’s Chicken

• Cast Iron Skillet;
• Sheet Pans;
• Cutting Board;
• Set of Knives;

Other Chicken Recipes to Try:

• Olive Oil Chicken Thighs Mediterranean Style
• Oven Roasted Chicken Legs (Thighs and Drumsticks)
• Baked Mustard Chicken with Clementines
• Tuscan Chicken with Potatoes
• Fennel Chicken Mediterranean Style
• Jacques Peppin Chicken with Garlic and Parsley
• Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
• One Pot Saffron Chicken and Rice

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