Authentic Cajun Chicken Fricassee - A Taste of New Orleans

If you love Cajun cuisine, you're in for a treat! Cajun Chicken Fricassee is a rich, flavorful Louisiana chicken stew made with a dark, nutty roux, tender chicken, and a blend of traditional Cajun spices. This dish embodies the heart of Southern comfort food and is a staple in many Cajun households.

Susan and I learned to make this amazing dish in a cooking school in New Orleans. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting to explore Cajun cooking, this easy Cajun Chicken Fricassee recipe will bring bold flavors to your table.

I first posted this blog in February 2017. Since then, I've made this recipe a number of times with consistently excellent results. This repost includes that original recipe, but with updated text, photographs, and a video.

What is Chicken Fricassee?

Chicken Fricassee is a classic dish that originated in French cuisine, where "fricassee" refers to a method of braising meat in a sauce. In Louisiana, this dish has evolved into a distinctly Cajun recipe, featuring a dark roux, onions, bell peppers, and celery (the Holy Trinity of Cajun cooking), and a deep, smoky flavor. Unlike its French counterpart, which often uses cream-based sauces, Cajun Chicken Fricassee is built on a hearty, slow-cooked roux that thickens the stew and gives it a rich, earthy taste.

How to Make Roux

Cajun Chicken Fricassee is a roux-based dish. 

Four stages of roux are commonly used in cooking:

1. White roux: This is the lightest stage of roux and is made by cooking equal parts flour and fat (such as butter or oil) together until the mixture becomes a pale, creamy consistency. White roux is typically used as a thickening agent for sauces and soups and is often used in dishes like macaroni and cheese.

2. Blonde roux: This roux stage is made by cooking the flour and fat mixture for a little longer until it becomes a light golden color. Blonde roux is slightly nutty and often used to make Béchamel sauce and mornay sauce. It is also used to thicken a cream-based gravy or to add body to soups.

3. Brown roux: This stage of roux is made by cooking the flour and fat mixture for an even longer period of time until it becomes a deep, rich brown color that resembles peanut butter. Brown roux has a strong, nutty flavor and is perfect for gravies. Brown roux is used in Cajun and Creole dishes like étouffée and gumbo.

4. Dark brown roux: The final stage is a dark brown roux, with a color resembling Nutella. Its aroma is more mellow than brown roux's strong, roasted flavor. This stage has the least thickening power of all four, and its main purpose is as a flavoring agent, with the thickening being secondary.

The cooking time for roux can vary depending on the recipe and the desired outcome. For all stages, it is important to stir the roux constantly while it cooks to prevent it from burning and ensure that it cooks evenly.

Ingredients: Here's What You'll Need

• The Chicken: For this recipe, I used a whole chicken. I could have also used chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a selection of chicken parts.

• The "Holy" Trinity: In Cajun cooking, the "holy trinity" refers to a combination of three aromatic vegetables used as the base for many dishes: onions, celery, and bell peppers. Often, garlic is added and sometimes referred to as the "pope's nose."

• The Mushrooms: I added mushrooms to this recipe, which have a rich, savory flavor that adds depth and complexity to the Cajun Chicken Fricassee.

• The Seasonings: This recipe included Cajun seasoning, Kosher salt, and black pepper. I used Emeril's Essence for the Cajun seasoning.

• The Roux: The roux in this recipe was a simple mixture of vegetable oil and all-purpose flour. Because of the high heat, I used canola oil and sometimes peanut oil. I knew that olive oil and other low-heat oils would not work here.

• The Liquid: The final ingredient was chicken broth or chicken stock which provided the liquid to this delicious Cajun stew.

Preparing and Cooking the Chicken

1. First, I used kitchen shears to remove the backbone from a whole chicken and cut the remaining chicken in half.

2. After patting the chicken dry with paper towels, I coated both sides of the chicken halves with 1 Tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.

3. Next, I heated ¼ cup of canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and added the chicken. I browned the chicken on both sides and removed it from the Dutch oven. This took about 5 minutes.

4. Finally, I added the remaining ½ cup of canola oil and the flour to the Dutch oven. I started stirring it constantly over medium-high heat.

Here's How I Made the Roux

I cooked the roux for the Chicken Fricassee to the dark brown stage. As previously mentioned, this stage has the least thickening power but the most taste.

1. I used the roux paddle I purchased in New Orleans to stir the flour and oil over medium-high heat constantly. At this point, the consistency of the roux was like a pancake batter. After about 5 minutes, the roux reached the blond stage, signaling it was time to lower the heat to medium.

2. I continued to cook the roux, constantly stirring over medium heat until it reached the dark brown stage. At this point, the roux had thickened and was the color of Nutella. This took about 10 minutes.

Adding The Rest of the Ingredients for Cajun Chicken Fricassee

1. Working quickly, I added the onions, celery, and bell pepper to prevent the flour from cooking. Still using the roux paddle, I stirred the mixture to ensure the vegetables were well incorporated. I cooked this mixture for about 5 minutes.

2. Then, I added the garlic and cooked it for about 30 seconds until it was fragrant. Next, I added the mushrooms and the remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. I continued cooking the mixture, occasionally stirring, for another 5 minutes.

3. After 5 minutes, I added the chicken broth and cooked the mixture, stirring constantly, until it was bubbly and had thickened.

4. Finally, I returned the chicken to the Dutch oven.

Finishing the Cajun Chicken Fricassee

I covered the Dutch oven and simmered the chicken over low heat for about an hour until the chicken was well cooked and starting to fall off the bone. At this point, I removed the chicken from the Dutch oven.

I removed and discarded the skin and bones from the chicken. Then, I shredded the chicken into bite-size pieces. Next, I returned the chicken pieces to the sauce.

Once everything was well heated, I served the Cajun Chicken Fricassee over white rice, along with a salad and crusty French bread.

Whether you're interested in trying something new or want to bring a taste of New Orleans to your dinner table, Cajun Chicken Fricassee is sure to be a hit. So why not try it and see for yourself just how delicious this dish can be? Yum!

Recipe FAQ

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• I like to use kitchen shears to remove the backbone. They tend to cut through the bones better than a knife.

• I removed the backbone for two reasons. First, I wanted the chicken pieces to lay somewhat flat in the Dutch oven. Second, the backbone sometimes imparts a bitter taste to dishes.

• Even though I used whole chicken in this recipe, you could certainly use chicken breasts and/or chicken thighs. I used a whole chicken for the added flavor and nutrients from the chicken bones during the slow cook.

• Cooking the roux requires somewhat high temperatures. Therefore, I generally use canola or peanut oil because of its high heat characteristics. You could, however, use vegetable oil. I would, however, avoid using olive oil because of its low heat characteristics.

• Emeril's Essence is my go-to Cajun Seasoning. I like to make this ahead of time and keep it in a sealed jar.

• I would avoid using either a plastic or silicone spoon or spatula when making the roux. The reason is that the high heat could melt or damage the plastic or silicone.

Other Classic New Orleans-Style Dishes

If you're looking for amazing classic New Orleans recipes to make for Mardi Gras or any time for that matter, you should also check out the following:

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Authentic Cajun Chicken Fricassee - A Taste of New Orleans

Chicken Fricassee is really a French stew that is typically cooked in a white wine sauce. This recipe is the Cajun version that is made with a traditional roux, and contains the holy trinity highlighted with Cajun seasonings. It's easy to make and incredible to taste!

4.67 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Southern

Servings 6 servings.

Calories 789 kcal

Equipment

• Dutch Oven
• Kitchen shears
• Wooden roux paddle or wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 4 pound whole chicken, backbone removed and cut in half (See Tip 1)
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, divided (See Tip 2)
• ¾ cup high heat oil, divided (See Tip 3)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups onion, diced (1 large)
• 1 ½ cups celery, diced (about 6 stalks)
• 1 cup bell pepper, diced (1 large)
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Hot sauce to taste, optional
• Green onions, chives or parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Coat both sides of the chicken with 1 Tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
• Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; brown on both sides. Remove the chicken from Dutch oven.
• Add the remaining ½ cup of oil and the flour to the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir constantly with roux paddle or other type of wooden spoon until the mixture reaches the blond or light brown stage, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the roux, stirring constantly until it reaches the dark brown stage, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully because the roux will quickly burn at this point. (See Tip 4)
• Add the onions, celery and bell pepper to the roux; stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat stirring occasionally, until the mixture is creamy, 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 30 seconds, and then add the mushrooms and remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir; cook for 5 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken broth or stock; cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to low; cover the Dutch oven and simmer for 1 hour, or until chicken is fork tender and beginning to fall off the bone.
• Remove the chicken from pan. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken; discard. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces; return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven. Heat the chicken fricassee for 5 minutes or until heated though. Serve over rice. Yield: 6 servings.

Video

Tips/Notes

1. I like to use kitchen shears to remove the backbone. The reason for removing the backbone is that it tends to impart a bitter taste.
2. Emeril's Essence is my go-to Cajun Seasoning. I like to make this ahead of time and keep it in a sealed jar.
3. Generally, I use canola or peanut oil because of its high heat characteristics. I would avoid using olive oil here.
4. Do not use plastic or silicone spoon or spatula. Because of the high heat, either may melt.

Nutrition

Calories: 789kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 63gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 226mgSodium: 660mgPotassium: 1024mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1660IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 4.5mg

Keyword Cajun, Cajun Chicken Fricassee, Mardi Gras, New Orleans Cuisine

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