This Chicken Fricassee with Garlic and Sage is a simple French classic made with tender chicken, plenty of garlic, fresh sage, and white wine. The chicken is first browned, then gently cooked until tender while the garlic softens into a wonderfully fragrant sauce.
If you love classic French chicken dishes, my fricassee chicken with morels and wine is a richer, creamier variation worth trying. And for anyone who cannot get enough of mellow cooked garlic, my 40 Cloves Garlic Chicken is another favorite that lets garlic take center stage.
Recipe Overview: Chicken Fricassee with Garlic and Sage
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Servings: 6 people
- Cook Method: Pan-browned, then oven-cooked and finished with a reduced white wine sauce
- Flavor & Texture: Tender, juicy chicken with mellow garlic, earthy sage, and a savory white wine sauce
- Difficulty: Easy. Simple ingredients and straightforward techniques make this classic French chicken approachable for any home cook.
- Why this Recipe? A comforting French classic that turns a handful of simple ingredients into an elegant, flavorful chicken dinner.
In this Article
What is Chicken Fricassee?
Chicken fricassee is a classic French preparation in which pieces of chicken are gently cooked and finished in a flavorful sauce. Traditional versions are often served with a pale or creamy sauce, although there are many variations.
This version keeps things lighter, using white wine, garlic, fresh sage, and the natural chicken juices to create a deeply savory sauce.
If you enjoy French chicken cooked with white wine, my Coq au Vin Blanc uses the same wine-forward French approach but adds bacon, mushrooms, herbs, and chicken stock.
A Note From Giangi
Key Ingredients
Whole Chicken – Cut into serving pieces so the chicken cooks evenly and stays tender and juicy.
Garlic – The star of the sauce. As it cooks, the garlic becomes soft, mellow, and slightly sweet.
Fresh Sage – Adds an earthy, aromatic flavor that pairs beautifully with chicken and garlic.
Dry White Wine – deglazes the pan and creates the flavorful base for the sauce.
Olive Oil – Used to brown the chicken and gently cook the garlic.
Salt and Black Pepper – Simple seasoning that enhances all the flavors in the dish.
How to Make Chicken Fricassee
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the chicken into six serving pieces and season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown until golden. Turn and quickly brown the other side.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to low and add the unpeeled garlic cloves. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened but not browned.
Step 4: Add the sliced fresh sage and season with additional salt and pepper. Pour in the white wine, stir, and bring everything to a boil.
Step 5: Transfer the skillet to the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°F. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Step 6: Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Strain the pan sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly on the garlic and solids to extract as much flavor and garlic pulp as possible.
Step 7: Return the strained sauce to the pan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half. Spoon the rich garlic, sage, and white wine sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Chicken Fricassee
With such a flavorful garlic-and-white-wine sauce, I love serving this chicken with something that can catch every drop. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes are particularly delicious if you want a rich, comforting dinner, while French green beans almondine keep the meal a little lighter.
You can also serve it with the easy roasted tomatoes I originally prepared alongside this chicken. Their sweetness and acidity are a lovely contrast to the savory garlic-and-sage sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Store: leftover chicken fricassee and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Once completely cooled, transfer the chicken and sauce to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat: Place the chicken and sauce in a skillet over low to medium heat. Cover and warm gently until the chicken is heated through, adding a small splash of chicken broth or water if the sauce has thickened.
You can also reheat it in a 325°F oven, covered, until warmed through. Avoid overheating, as this can dry out the chicken.
More Side Dishes You Will Love
If you tried this Chicken Fricassee with Garlic and Sage or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Chicken Fricassee with Garlic and Sage
Ingredients
- 4½ pounds chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 20 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 sage, bunch sliced fine
- 1 cup white wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 400.
- Cut the chicken into 6 serving pieces. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat until sizzling hot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; add to the pan, skin side down, and brown quickly. Then turn and brown the other side.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic cloves, and cook until soft but not colored, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the sliced sage, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the wine. Bring to boil and then transfer to the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375 and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Then cover and cook the chicken until the juices run clear when thigh is pierced with the point of a knife, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
- To serve, transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, pressing down on the solids to extract the garlic pulp; discard the solids.
- Cook over medium heat until reduced by about one half. Spoon sauce over the chicken.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Dinners, Poultry, Sunday Night Dinner
- Cuisine: French
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