Here she is, the single recipe I have made more than any other. It’s true, I’ve been making versions of this Cajun Style Chicken Fricassee in My Kitchen Little for nearly 15 years and chances are, if you know me personally, I’ve made it for you. I am fully in love with the deep, nearly addictive flavors in the sauce and I think this is just about the perfect recipe to make for company. It just can’t help being a showstopper, every single time.
What is Chicken Fricassee?
Existing somewhere between a sauté and a full-on stew, a fricassee is a perfect example of how a collection of very simple, humble ingredients can come together in such great harmony. This one is greater than the sum of its parts. And even if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of it, or given it any thought, chances are you’ve actually made or enjoyed a fricassee of some sort without even realizing it.
Just have a little look around in my archives and you’ll find a number of dinner recipes that would technically qualify as a fricassee. Speaking of technical definitions, a fricassee is:
A classic French-style (and also Cajun style) method of cooking, a fricassee is a dish consisting of pieces of lightly pan-fried meat (such as chicken or veal) and/or vegetables stewed in stock and served in a creamy white sauce.
Is Chicken Fricassee Southern?
Yes and no. The style of cooking is really attributed to France, but it is also attached to Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole cooking traditions. Given the deep connections and roots stretching to France from this part of the American South, it is no wonder that a French-style recipe would also gain popularity in the Cajon-Creole diaspora.
How to Make Cajun Style Chicken Fricassee
Classically, to make a chicken fricassee, you’d use bone-in, skin-on meat and you’d dredge it in flour and fry it up before simmering it in the sauce. In my version today, we’re going to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because it reduces the cook time to a degree and it also makes the dish (if I’m being honest) something that my children are able to eat a bit more easily.
Rather than dredging the chicken pieces in flour and then frying them, we’re going to create a quick roux with the meat drippings and a little cooking oil by sprinkling some flour over the sauteed veggies and then building our sauce from there. These slight changes just make for a simpler, more approachable cooking process for an easy weeknight meal.
What is The Trinity in Cajun Cooking?
Cajun food classically utilizes what is referred to as “the trinity” to build great flavor in stews and sauces just like this one. The trinity is a mix of celery, bell pepper, and onion and you’ll notice in my recipe today, I’m also going to add a bunch of sliced mushrooms to the dish, which add another texture and easy layer of flavor to the finished product.
How to make this Cajun Style Chicken Fricassee with Andouille
This recipe is very standard and straightforward, so far as preparation goes. We’ll first brown and sear off the sausage, to render its fat. This fat will then go on to help brown and sear the chicken thighs. All of this browning and seating serves to (besides the obvious) also provide a deeply delicious flavor base for the entire stew. Our trinity, carrots, and mushrooms (and garlic) will then be sautéed in those rendered drippings.
Next? We need to add in some flour. We don’t necessarily have to get a super dark, almond colored roux as in many cajun dishes. But we do need to cook the rawness away for a few minutes. Unlike in my étouffée which has a very similar process, we’ll deglaze that glorious pan with white wine, as opposed to beer. Chicken stock and rich cream (or sour cream) finish things off, creating what is honestly the most delicious pan of food you could ever hope to enjoy. It’s just incredibly tasty stuff.
INGREDIENTS
A neutral cooking oil of your choice
4 links of andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1.5 cups of diced sweet onion, give or take (usually one small onion)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
12-ounces sliced white or cremini mushrooms
2 large carrots, sliced into thin rounds
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, as needed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
⅓ to ½ cup heavy cream or sour cream, which is more traditional
What is Chicken Fricassee best served with?
For my money, I go with a pile of fluffy white rice and some crusty bread, biscuits or cornbread to sop up the sauce. Those are also the traditional choices as well. You can really go with whatever you’ve got around or tailer the serving accoutremen to your liking, but just make sure you’ve got plenty of vehicle to get that sauce to your mouth. It’s like liquid gold, y’all.
If you like the looks of this Southern Style Chicken Fricassee with Andouille, you might also enjoy:
Saucy Creole Meatballs and Grits
Chipotle Garlic Butter Chicken
Creamy Sage Butter Chicken and Polenta
Cheesy Mushroom and Herb Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
PrintCajun Style Chicken Fricassee with Andouille
My easy, one-pan take on a Cajun classic, this Chicken Fricassee has a sauce built on lots of veggies, garlic, wine, and a touch of cream – either heavy or sour. This dish is often finished with sour cream in Southern Louisiana, but sometimes I go full heavy cream. Up to you! The addition of spicy Andouille makes this an absolute showstopper of a dish. One of my favorites.
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- A neutral cooking oil of your choice
- 4 links of andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1.5 cups of diced sweet onion, give or take (usually one small onion)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 12–ounces sliced white or cremini mushrooms
- 2 large carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- Salt and pepper, as needed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream or sour cream, which is more traditional
Serving suggestions: rice and crusty bread, biscuits or cornbread to sop up the sauce
Instructions
- Place a large, deep-sided skillet/pan over med-high heat and add about 1 tablespoon of a neutral cooking oil. Cook the sausage pieces until deeply browned and crisped all over; about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl or plate, and set aside for now.
- In the same pan over the same heat, add a little more oil and, working in batches, brown the chicken thighs on both sides; about 2 to 3 min per side (now’s the time to use a splatter screen if you’ve got one). Transfer the browned chicken to the plate with the sausage for now.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add another drizzle of oil, if needed, and add the onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, and carrots to the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until tender; about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, and then sprinkle the veggies with the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for about a minute to get the rawness off both the flour and garlic.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring to get up any browned bits (that’s flavor). And after that has cooked for about 30 seconds or so, add the stock. Stir very well to break up any clumps of flour and to smooth out the sauce. Slide the chicken pack into the pan, along with its juices, followed by the sausage pieces. Simmer the fricassee over low heat for about 25 minutes to finish the chicken and to develop all of the flavors. Turn off the heat and finish with the cream or sour cream, stirring very well to incorporate it through the sauce (especially if using sour cream). Serve warm with rice and/or crusty bread to sop up that sauce. Enjoy.
Keywords: Cajun Style Chicken Fricassee with Andouille
Oh my! So much flavor and the left overs will have the flavor developed even more! Easy to prepare for family, and definitely special enough to impress guests! How may cloves of garlic do you recommend? Garlic was not listed in the ingredients, but mentioned in the instructions. Thank you for new favorite!
Oh goodness, you’re right! I saw that accidental omission there – thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. I usually throw in two or three chopped cloves, because I love it, but it can absolutely be to taste. It’s fixed now!