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This French Chicken Casserole is going to be your new seasonal favourite. Chicken thighs and legs slowly braised in apple cider and served with fried apple wedges are as scrumptious as it sounds.
Serve this casserole with our Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and classic Sourdough Bread.
Are you looking for another recipe for chicken? Because if you are, you are in luck! This recipe has a very autumnal feel, but truth is that it’s a winner any time of the year.
And what is even better, this chicken casserole is so beautifully seasonal, it will make you want to cheer for the arrival of the autumn with three loud hurrahs.
There’s something about a creamy chicken casserole that makes colder seasons far more tolerable. This one fits that bill perfectly, with a bonus tart and sweet hit of apple.
Looking for another reason to try it? I can also confirm that this chicken casserole has been tested and tasted by both kids and adults and was wholeheartedly approved by all.
Ingredients
As you can imagine, chicken casserole is an incredibly general term and basically means chicken cooked slowly in the oven until tender.
What you add to that chicken will make all the difference, and in my case I went with a French recipe for Chicken a la Normande or Chicken Normandy.
In this recipe chicken thighs and legs are slowly braised in a dry apple cider. Can you just imagine the aroma that is going to fill your house?!
To make things even more interesting aka luxurious I’ve added bacon to the mix. You know how it is with bacon. Just a small amount can impart incredible flavour and this is exactly what happens here.
(If you love this, you should take a look at its British cousin: Somerset Chicken in Apple Cider!)
Sautéed shallots and celery plus a bit of fresh thyme add unmistakingly earthy tones to this cozy French chicken dish. Just before it’s done in the oven, you hit it with a splash of cream.
The last bit is not necessary but highly recommended. You can certainly skip the cream if you stay away from dairy.
The final ingredient that I wanted to mention is apples. You will add fried apple wedges to your chicken casserole, and to me they are a must!
They add such welcome tangy sweetness that cuts right through the richness of this chicken bake and compliments it in a surprising and exciting way.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and legs. The bones contribute to a complex and rich flavour.
- Always brown the chicken before braising it. This step improves flavour and texture. (Use a splatter guard to protect yourself from hot oil.)
- The hard apple cider is a big part of this sauce and works very well with chicken. If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute with non alcoholic cider or apple juice for flavour and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar for acidity.
- Deglazing with whiskey or brandy is an important step to get as much flavour as possible from the pan and into the sauce. Sherry will also work well if you don’t have brandy available. You can also use chicken stock if you prefer to avoid alcohol.
- Use woodsy herbs like thyme, rosemary and/or bay leaf.
- Base vegetables like onions/shallots, carrots, celery add another layer of complexity to your chicken casserole.
- Season the dish carefully with salt. Always taste the final product before serving it.
- Braise in the oven for at least 1 hour for your sauce to reduce and thicken and for tender, melt in your mouth chicken.
- Finally be adventurous with flavours. Braising is a very forgiving cooking technique and is almost impossible to mess up!
Serving Suggestions
I’ve already mentioned that this casserole is delicious when paired with mashed potatoes. However if you feel a bit more adventurous, why not enjoy it with our Sweet Potato and Swede Mash. Serving over a bed of fluffy rice is another great way to enjoy it.
The sauce contains an unbelievable amount of flavour, and you won’t want any of it to go to waste. I suggest serving with hearty slices of bread, either Sourdough or, if you want something a bit quicker and easier, No Knead Farmhouse Bread.
Storage and leftovers
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container. The microwave will work for reheating, but I prefer to use my stovetop.
Add leftovers to a pan over medium heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce is looking too thick. Cover with a lid or foil so the casserole doesn’t dry out and let it heat for around 15 minutes or until it is hot throughout.
More French recipes
- Classic Coq au Vin
- Chicken Provencal
- Chicken in Wine and Mustard Sauce
- Duck Confit
- Creamy Tarragon Chicken and Potatoes
French Chicken Casserole a la Normande
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken thighs and legs
- salt
- 4 shallots, diced or one medium onion
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 4-5 thyme sprigs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 125g/4 oz bacon lardons, or 6 strips of bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp brandy or whiskey
- 2 tbsp flour
- 85 ml/1/3 cup This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 400ml/1 1/2 cups hard dry apple cider, such as Strongbow
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
- 125ml/1/2cup double cream/heavy cream
Instructions
- Turn the oven on to 180C/350F. Pat dry chicken legs and thighs with a paper towel and salt all over.
- In a large casserole dish brown the chicken parts in 1 tbsp of oil over medium- high heat until golden. Remove to a separate platter and set aside. Discard the chicken fat or reserve it for another use if desired.
- Fry the bacon lardons over medium heat until the fat is rendered. (If the bacon is very fatty, discard most of the fat.) Remove the bacon to the same platter as browned chicken.
- To the same pan add the shallots and celery with 2 sprigs of thyme and cook over low heat until soft but not coloured for 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer while stirring. Then hit the pan with some brandy and stir while scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, continue cooking until the alcohol burns out.
- Then add the flour and stir until it’s combined with the fat and turns into a paste, then slowly add the chicken stock and stir until the mixture resembles a thick gravy, then pour in the apple cider and stir to combine.Return the chicken and bacon to the casserole dish with 2-3 sprigs of thyme and bring to a boil.
- Then put the casserole into the preheated oven and cook with a lid on for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for 30 minutes longer. While the chicken is in the oven fry the apple wedges in 2 tbsp of the reserved chicken fat or butter. Watch them carefully as they burn quickly.
- Take the casserole out of the oven and stir in the heavy cream and cook for 20 minutes longer uncovered. Take out of the oven, stir in the cooked apple wedges and serve with potatoes or rice.
Video
Notes
- Use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and legs. The dish will have a much more complex and rich flavour by using chicken with bones.
- You can give the dish better flavour and texture by browning the chicken before braising. Using a splatter guard will help keep the hot oil from getting on you.
- Hard cider works very well with chicken and adds a lot of flavour to the sauce. If you want to avoid using alcohol, substitute it with non-alcoholic cider or apple juice for flavour and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar for acidity.
- Deglazing with whiskey or brandy is important to get as much flavour as possible from the pan and into the sauce. Sherry will also work well. To avoid alcohol, you can also use chicken stock.
- Be sure to season the dish carefully with salt, and taste before serving to be sure it has enough.
- The chicken should be braised for at least one hour for the sauce to reduce and thicken, and for the chicken to be as tender as possible.
- Braising is a very forgiving cooking technique so there is lots of space to adapt or vary this recipe!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why can I not Pin this recipe. It looks and sounds scrumptious!
You should be able to pin it, Brooke. There is a pin button at the bottom of the post. Let me know if it’s not working for you.
Of course, now that Ive whined bout it, it works flawlessly!? Thanks!
So glad it’s worked! 🙂
Would you serve this with any kind of Starch (i.e. Potato, Noodle, etc) and if so what would you recommend.
Hi Patricia, this dish works particularly well with any kind of potatoes or rice.
So we can call this Blanquette de Poulet. Correct?? So many people will not eat veal!! Thank you for this great recipe!
Hi Margaret, yes you can and you are welcome! 🙂
Oh my goodness gracious me this looks like the most incredible comfort food dish ever! I need to be making this recipe soon!
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! This one is a real winner for sure!
Can you substitute the hard cider for regular cider? Also, will this still work if I don’t have any brandy on hand?
Hi Shelby, I haven’t tried but do let me know what you think if you do. You can skip the brandy. The main difference between hard cider and a regular one apart from alcohol is that the recipe calls for a dry hard cider, so using a regular one might make the dish too sweet.
I’m not at all a thigh and leg girl- more of a breast and wing girl. Do you think I can adapt the recipe with those?
Hi Nicole, yeah you can definitely adapt the recipe for chicken breasts but I would shorten the cooking time to no longer than 30 minutes or you can use another French recipe of mine developed specifically for chicken breasts. Chicken Provencal.
What can be used in place of the alcohol?
I suppose you can use alcohol-free apple cider and omit the brandy altogether, Theresa. There is no substitute for brandy I am afraid.
Julia, this dish is prefect! I served this to my family and a guest last night and everyone enjoyed, even my kids. It’s just enough richness from the cream and the rosemary adds a fresh delicious flavour. Prefect for a fall evening with friends! Thank you.
I am so happy that everyone, including the kids loved it, Erica! I am not the one to combine sweet and savoury but I loved the addition of apples here.
You have such a way with chicken! These photos are so deliciously warm and autumnal and the recipe sounds just amazing too. When I am I coming over for dinner?
Oh thanks so much. When Vika came up to say this chicken is really tasty I knew the recipe was solid. That kid doesn’t shower me with compliments! lol Dinner together needs to be planned asap!
Oh Julia. This looks fantastic! Your images are just so gorgeous and help us look forward to delicious braises and slow cooked comforting meals. Once I can get my Pinterest account to reconnect (grr!) I’ll be pinning 🙂
Thanks so much, Kellie. The weather is still quite nice but is getting very windy, so comfort food dishes are a must! I hope your Pinterest issue gets resolved!
Julia, this looks amazing! I love your braiser chicken recipes so will definitely be making this one. Just one question…..what is dry apple cider?
Will let you know how it turns out. Thank you for all your yummy recipes.
Leslie
Hi Leslie, I am so happy you love this new recipe. Dry cider is an apple cider that is less sweet, for example Strongbow is one of them. Let me know how you get on!
Hi there,
So just to confirm—you mean a dry “hard” cider. Not a fresh pressed apple cider that’s like a juice, right?
Hi Rebecca, you are correct. That’s the only kind that really exists in the UK, so didn’t occur to me to clarify.:-)
No problem at all! I’m excited to try this tonight. I may suggest amending your recipe to read “hard dry cider, such as Strongbow” -sincerely yours, a recipe editor who can’t help herself
Thanks, Rebecca. Done!