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Classic French Hunter’s Chicken Recipe

Classic French Hunter’s Chicken Recipe
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★★★★★

5.1 from 13 reviews

Classic French Hunter’s Chicken is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender bone-in chicken pieces simmered in a rich sauce of mushrooms, shallots, garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and creamy chicken and beef stock mixture, enhanced with fresh tarragon. This hearty meal is perfect served over mashed potatoes or rice, making it a quintessential French main course that’s ideal for family dinners or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Seasoning

  • 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For Cooking and Sautéing

  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼ cup shallots, diced
  • 1½ tablespoons garlic, minced

Sauce

  • ½ cup chicken stock (to replace wine)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1½ cups chicken stock
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

Garnish

  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Optional Side

  • 3 russet potatoes (optional, for mashed potatoes)

Instructions

  1. Season the Chicken: Thoroughly season the bone-in chicken pieces with kosher salt and black pepper. Prepare mashed potatoes from russet potatoes if desired, to serve alongside.
  2. Brown the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces for about 8 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and cover to keep warm.
  3. Sauté Aromatics and Mushrooms: In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms, cooking for 3 minutes until softened. Then stir in the diced shallots and minced garlic, cooking for an additional minute until fragrant.
  4. Prepare the Sauce: Pour in the extra chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Stir in tomato paste, diced Roma tomatoes, the remaining 1½ cups chicken stock, and ½ cup beef stock. Mix in sour cream and allow the sauce to simmer gently until it thickens to a creamy consistency.
  5. Finish with Herbs and Simmer Chicken: Stir chopped fresh tarragon and the remaining butter into the sauce. Return the browned chicken pieces to the skillet, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors and finish cooking the chicken through.
  6. Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the dish and serve hot over prepared mashed potatoes or rice for a complete meal.

Notes

  • For a wine-free version, replace the white wine and cognac with extra chicken stock and add a splash of apple cider vinegar to maintain acidity and depth of flavor.
  • Boneless chicken pieces can be used, but reduce the cooking time accordingly to prevent drying out the meat.
  • This dish is great for meal prep as leftovers reheat well and the flavors often improve the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: Hunter’s chicken, French chicken recipe, chicken with mushrooms, creamy chicken sauce, classic French dish, chicken stew, stovetop chicken, comforting chicken recipe

Find it online: https://messykitchenmagic.com/classic-french-hunters-chicken-recipe/