Get the Recipe: Saucy French Chicken
Golden bone-in, skin-on chicken (thighs or breasts), in a creamy mushroom, mustard, tarragon and white wine sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 1 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 6 chicken thighs or (or 4 chicken breasts), bone-in/skin-on
- 8 oz button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1/3 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup white wine, or substitute an extra cup of chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 6 Tablespoons crème fraîche, *see notes below for substitution suggestions
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon or fresh or dried thyme, if you prefer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted)
- In an oven-safe skillet, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a small bowl. Remove all but a little of the bacon fat from the pan.
- Add the butter and oil to the same pan and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side down and cook until deep golden. Flip over and brown the other side as well. Remove to a plate.
- If there is a large amount of fat in the pan, remove all but a Tablespoon or so. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring regularly, over medium-high heat, until mushrooms have cooked off their moisture and are starting to brown. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until onions have softened, about 2 minutes more. Add the white wine and allow to cook for at least 1 minute (up to 2 minutes), stirring a bit to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken stock.
- Return the chicken to the pan and place the pan in the preheated oven uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165F internal temperature.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and lift the chicken pieces to a plate. Place the skillet onto the stove top over medium-high heat. Add the creme fraiche, cornstarch stirred together with the cold water, Dijon mustard and tarragon to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is hot and thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the reserved bacon and then return the chicken to the pan. Cook for a few minutes to rewarm chicken and bacon. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice to enjoy the lovely gravy.
Oven time will vary depending on the chicken you are using. Large bone-in chicken breasts can take up to 40 minutes, while bone-in thighs may need only about 30-34 minutes. Boneless chicken breasts will cook through in 20-25 minutes, while thighs may need only about 20 minutes. Test with a thermometer to be sure.
Notes
Note 1: I can usually find crème fraîche in my small town grocery store, but if you can't find it anywhere, I've included a quick, DIY recipe in the recipe post above to easily make it at home. A small amount of heavy 35% whipping cream (maybe 2-3 Tablespoons) - just enough to make the sauce creamy- is probably the preferred substitution.
Alternatively, if you can't find crème fraîche, I would suggest using a thick, high-fat yogurt or sour cream. The higher fat will prevent the sauce from splitting, but as it is still lower-fat than crème fraîche, it may slightly curdle.
Tips!
If you prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken, simply reduce the cooking time, both on the stovetop and in the oven, as they will cook more quickly.
If you'd like to make this ahead, simply cover and refrigerate, then rewarm on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a splash more cream, if needed, to loosen the sauce.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 765kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 54g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 22g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 244mg, Sodium: 524mg, Potassium: 954mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 530IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 3mg
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