This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission.
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 will be making this tomorrow night for my parents. I have a slight problem: I don’t have a covered saute pan large enough to comfortably fit four large chicken legs, so I’ll have to brown the chicken in two batches, then transfer it to a baking dish for the oven. I would like to maintain some crispiness in the skin, so I plan to cook it uncovered. Has anyone else done this? Any suggestions to make it work?
Hi Linda, the last 50 minutes of the oven time is actually uncovered. That will give the chicken skin plenty of opportunity to crisp up.
Thank you!
This was amazing. My family loved this and will be one of my go to chicken recipes. Thank you for the detailed steps.
My pleasure, Raynah!
Oh my gosh this is divine. First time making tonight with the French cooking music on with a cheeky wine. Thanks so much for this simple but absolutely beautiful dish. Made it to the recipe and perfect in my brand new cast iron 29cm pot.
Enjoy, Lou! 🙂
I have made this recipe 3 times now and it is the best! It’s such a comforting dish with so much flavor. The long cook time is definitely worth the wait! I dice an apple to throw into the dish before going in the oven and they melt so beautifully into the cream. I do the other apple with the slices as directed! LOVE!
What a lovely review. Thank you so much, Larisa!
Dear Julia,
What a delicious recipe! That sauce is addictive and I think one could even use it with pork? I used chicken breasts as I’m not a fan of thigh/leg with bone & skin and although my chicken still came out tender and delicious I can fully understand why you choose to use thigh/leg pieces with skin and bone. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe we love it!
I am absolutely thrilled you loved it, Bronwyn!! Thank you for sharing your experience with me!
Hi, l am panning on making this tomorrow for lunch as l have guests coming. Would be OK to prepare/pré cook this evening and reheat tomorrow?
Yes, it reheats well!
Hi just wondering how you would reheat it 🙂 What would be the best temp and for how long without drying out the meat?
I would reheat at 180C/350F. If you are worried about drying out the meat, cover it with a lid for the reheating and take it off for the last few minutes for the skin to crisp up.
This was totally delicious and easy to make. Everyone enjoyed it and were surprised at how well cider and apples worked with chicken. I used breast meat rather than thighs but they stayed really moist. The apple slices added an extra dimension. This will definitely be added to my favourite all time recipes.
I am thrilled to hear you’ve found another favourite recipe, Helen! 😃
Did you adjust the cooking time when using breast meat without skin/bone?
I would cut the oven time in half if using skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs.
This was delicious!
Bon Appetit!
Can’t drink alcohol as on antibiotics. Could you use apple juice in lieu of cider?
Apple juice won’t produce the same results. You can try adding 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the apple juice, which will add needed acidity. It won’t be exactly the same but should still be tasty.
Made a small batch with only two chicken thighs. Came out great even though I forgot to put in the garlic! Oh well, next time! Thanks for the great recipe. Love your website!
Thanks so much, Kristine! I am so happy you enjoyed this chicken recipe. There is plenty of flavour there even without the garlic! 😉
This chicken casserole, although I haven’t been to France in a while, seems to be totally authentic. It was a real hit and I cannot thank Julia enough for posting this wonderful cuisine recipe. There’s little doubt I’ll be making this again with guests next time! The flavours and texture and tips were on point. Keep up your great work!
I am so pleased you loved this recipe, Mark!! It’s definitely one of my favourites as well.
If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. We all love it!!!
Amazing! Thank you so much, Joan!