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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.
I made this for the 1st time tonight, and I was not disappointed. My oven went out on me the other day so I ended up making this on the stove top and my instant pot. So I was able to save time and not heat up the house. I also added baby carrots into the instant pot. I am hosting a dinner party in a few weeks and I plan to make it again. It was the perfect test run.
I am so glad the test run was successful, Teresa! 🙂
hello,
this dish looks delicious. i don’t have an oven at home, however, and was wondering is this could just be done on stove-up? thank you!
Yes it can be, Sarah, just make sure it’s done over low heat and check the bottom isn’t burning once in a while. Enjoy!
This will now be my “go to” recipe when we have guests for dinner. Easy to prepare, simple ingredients, add whatever veggie side you want. I’ve made it twice now. Misread the timing the first time, so boosted heat and cut down cooking time by 30 – 40 minutes. Flavour was good, but sauce was runny. Made to time 2nd time, sauce was perfect thickness. Flavours were great both times. Served with mixed steam veg, browned mushroom with roasted garlic and a side dish of squashed crispy baked potatoes. Very rustic. Yum!!
I often make this for guests as well. It’s a sure thing that is not labour intensive and people just love it! So glad you feel the same, Vicki.
Hello. This looks amazing. Can it be done in a slow cooker? If so, what would the cooking time be?
Many thanks
I haven’t tried but I am sure you can. Usually the recommended settings are 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. I would add the cream last. Good luck and let me know how it goes!! 🙂
Dear Julia, thanks for sharing your amazing recipes! This is the second one I have made from your blog, but it won’t be the last! I was pretty faithful to the recipe other than using all thighs, throwing in a bay leaf, and I added diced carrots (so, a classic mirepoix) because I somehow was mistaken about using carrots when prepping the recipe and then figured, why not add them? And I am not sure my cider was super dry, but this was a huge hit in our house. I served with mashed potatoes, and the leftovers were still great reheated three days later. My husband says to me, “You should serve it for company,” which is his standard comment whenever I make a nice meal for just our family, but right now we’re “shelter in place”, so that will have to wait. Up next: stuffed peppers? I am part Hungarian and your recipes appeal to that side of my heritage. Thanks again, Kerry from Boston
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this chicken recipe, Kerry! All these comments and messages from my readers make such a huge difference for me and especially right now! Stuffed peppers is definitely the next recipe to try for you! Sending the best wishes from London!
Made this for the second time and it was even better than the first time! Everyone loved it so much so they asked to take doggy bags home. Really a wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much for such a lovely review, Pat! 🙂
This dish was so delicious that even I was surprised when I made it ! It was easy to make and everyone loved it. Will definitely add it to my foolproof entertaining menu!
What a great outcome, Pat! I am so happy to hear it!
Made this last week for a small dinner party with some minor tweaks: used Calvados in lieu of brandy & fried the apple slices with a touch of allspice & a splash of spiced rum.Outstanding reaction from everyone at my table!
Calvados is a perfect substitution for brandy here. So glad you enjoyed this dish! It’s definitely one of our favourites.
Made this tonight. Had 2 chicken breasts, so used them. Used pancetta bc it’s what I had. And used while cloves of garlic bc I read a different recipe and thought it was in this one, and I peeled a head of garlic. I flambed with calvados, added miso and cream. Served with mashed potatoes. Chicken was moist, tender. Cooked 20 minutes covered, added cream and cooked 20 minutes uncovered. Definitely make it again.
It sounds absolutely delicious, Debbie! Bon appetit! 🙂
Hi, this looks great, can I use left over chicken in this recipe?
Thanks
Jan
Hi Janet, I am not sure leftover chicken would yield the same flavour. Leftover chicken would work better in quicker recipes while this one relies on a longer cooking method to deliver the best results. This turkey or chicken stew is developed specifically for leftover meat, so you can try it instead.