There’s nothing quite like a stew to get the tastebuds tingling. So, it seems only right that a healthier, real food version of the French classic, Chicken Chasseur should feature on the blog.
Growing up, my Ma would cook this fantastic French classic during the winter months. You could expect this hearty stew on the dinner table at least once a week, served up with either roast or mashed potatoes and baby carrots. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!
DARE TO DITCH THE FLAVOUR PACKET?
Like many Brits I know, our house would turn to the ‘flavour packet’ to make Chicken Chasseur. In our case, the contents of a “Colman’s Great Tasting Chicken Chasseur Family Seasoning Mix”. And, in all honesty, I can understand why. These handy sachets are super affordable (approx. 70p), cheaper than a jar of highly processed sauce, and pretty simple to make. Just add chicken, onions, mushrooms, tomato puree and water and the result – a hearty dinner on the table in about an hour and a half.
But, here’s the issue – sachets of seasoning mixes tend to include lots of processed ingredients. To give you an idea, here’s a lowdown of what you can expect to find, specifically in the “Colman’s Chicken Chasseur Family Seasoning Mix” sachet (as of August 2019):
WHEAT flour, corn starch, salt, onion powder (8.5%), tomato powder (6.5%), sugar, paprika (3%), flavourings (contains WHEAT, BARLEY), yeast extract (contains BARLEY), maltodextrin, mushroom juice concentrate (2%), garlic, BARLEY malt extract, herbs (parsley, sage), pepper, lemon juice powder. May contain milk, egg, celery and mustard.
Now, don’t get me wrong this is definitely not the worst list of ingredients I’ve ever seen. However, this little 43g packet of Coleman’s Recipe Mix does still include some processed ingredients that we don’t need in our body. For example:
MALTODEXTRIN
Maltodextrin is a highly processed ingredient approved for human consumption in minimal amounts. It is high on the glycemic index and is likely to cause your blood sugar level to spike. It’s probably being used here as a thickener, a filler, or a preservative. (Source)
THICKENING AGENTS
Food labels show ingredients in order by weight. So, that tells us that this pack contains mostly thickening agents or fillers. In this case, Wheat Flour and Corn Starch. They are the first two ingredients on the label.
Now, you do need to use some form of thickener to achieve the right consistency in the sauce. But, when you make a Chicken Chasseur from scratch, thickeners are certainly not the number one and two dry ingredients by weight!
SALT
Salt is the third ingredient on the ingredient list and totals 23% of our total daily allowance per portion.
SUGAR
Sugar is also high up on the list, most probably added in to enhance the flavour.
THE VERDICT
Naively, I would have hoped to see herbs and spices being amongst the main ingredients on the list. But, unfortunately, herbs are ranking close to last.
And, if you’re eating a gluten-free based diet, well, there’s no way you could eat this because the sachet is packed full of wheat and barley.
So, I believe we can do better.
This real food version of Chicken Chasseur will have you leaving the ‘flavour packet’ on the supermarket shelf for good. This recipe is hands down the best Chicken Chasseur I have ever tasted. It’s rich and flavourful and easy to prepare.
IS COOKING CHICKEN CHASSEUR FROM SCRATCH AS EASY AS USING A FLAVOUR PACKET?
Yes. Hands-on preparation time is about the same because Coleman’s Chicken Chasseur still requires you to prepare and cook some ingredients before adding them to a casserole dish.
IS COOKING CHICKEN CHASSEUR FROM SCRATCH AS BUDGET-FRIENDLY AS USING A FLAVOUR PACKET?
Unfortunately, no. Making chicken chasseur from scratch will cost you more than using a flavour packet because you will need to buy the ingredients separately.
However, the ingredients can commonly be found in most grocery stores. And, you will certainly have herbs and spices leftover for later use. Or, they will be on hand if you want to make Chicken Chasseur again in the future. Which I hope is true!
Personally, I think the nutritional value far outweighs the cost and the flavour is far superior. So, if you can swing it, I promise you it will be worth every penny.
IS COOKING CHICKEN CHASSEUR FROM SCRATCH AS QUICK AS USING A FLAVOUR PACKET?
Yes and no. As mentioned before, the hands-on prep time is about the same. However, the cooking time does take longer.
I’ve tested this recipe many times and the 2 hour cook time is just right for the flavours to infuse together for a delicious sauce and pull apart chicken. It’s worth it, I promise.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN CHASSEUR IN THE INSTANT POT?
Check out the below step-by-step instructions, or scroll down to find the printable recipe card.
STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare all your ingredients and get your equipment ready.
Wash the carrots and slice off the root end (no need to peel), brush the dirt from the mushrooms, peel the shallots and finely chop, wash and finely dice the tomatoes and finally, juice the lemon.
Turn on the sauté function on your Instant Pot and let it heat up.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper (¼ teaspoon of each salt and pepper on each breast).
Add the olive oil into the Instant Pot and brown two chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side.
When the first two chicken breasts are nicely brown, remove them from the Instant Pot, put them on a clean plate and place to one side. Repeat with the remaining two chicken breasts.
Browning the chicken adds so much flavour to the overall dish. Please don’t skip this step – it’s worth the time!
When all four chicken breasts are and lovely brown, keep them to one side.
Now, add the wine to the Instant Pot and scrape (deglaze) all the little bits of brown and chicken pieces that may have stuck to the bottom.
Now, more flavour. First, add the tomato puree, and give it a good stir until it dissolves into the wine. Now, add the garlic, anchovies, fresh tomatoes, paprika, parsley, sage, thyme, bay leaves, celery salt, onion granules, maple syrup and lemon juice. Stir everything together.
Now, turn off the saute function on the Instant Pot.
Add the chicken (and all its juices) back into the Instant Pot, together with the mushrooms, carrots and shallots.
Pour in the chicken stock and give everything one final stir, Ensure the chicken is submerged in the liquid and then secure the lid to the Instant Pot and select the Pressure Cook button.
You want high pressure for 1hr 40 minutes. Do not use the Meat Stew function as it does not cook the Chicken Chasseur long enough for the depth of flavour we want!
The Instant Pot should take 10 minutes to generate steam and start cooking.
Once cooked, do a quick release, and when safe to do so, remove the lid.
When you remove the lid, you can expect to see the stew looking something like this.
Immediately, turn on the sauté function. The sauce will begin to reduce down and develop even more flavour.
To encourage thickening, take a small bowl and add two tablespoons of arrowroot flour and combine this with four tablespoons of liquid from your stew. Mix until you have a smooth paste. Pour the arrowroot paste back into the Instant Pot and stir. After 10 minutes, your Chicken Chasseur will be ready to eat.
Serve and enjoy!
I think this stew is best served with some sort of potato or vegetable mash to soak up all the sauce. Try this Creamy Cauliflower Mash with Thyme.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Chasseur (Instant Pot Recipe)
If you love this recipe, rate it with 5 stars below!
PRINT PIN RATEEquipment
- Weighing Scales, Measuring Spoons, Measuring Jug
- Instant Pot
- Plate
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper, (Freshly Ground)
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 150 ml White WIne
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Finely chopped
- 3 Anchovies
- 180 g Fresh Tomatoes, Diced
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Dried Parsley
- 1 tsp Dried Sage
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme
- 3 Bay Leaves
- ½ tsp Celery Salt
- 1 tsp Onion Granules
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 400 g Button Mushrooms, Wiped clean
- 240 g Chantenay Carrots, The root ends removed (any baby carrots will do!)
- 200 g Shallots, Finely chopped
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 2 tbsp Arrowroot
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients and get your equipment ready.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper (¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper on each breast). Pour the extra virgin olive oil into the Instant Pot and brown your chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Once brown, put the chicken on a plate and leave to one side.
- Pour the wine into the Instant Pot and deglaze the pan, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom. Next, add the tomato puree, and give it a good stir until it dissolves into the wine. Now, add the garlic, anchovies, fresh tomatoes, paprika, parsley, sage, thyme, bay leaves, celery salt, onion granules, maple syrup and lemon juice. Stir everything together and then turn off the sauté function.
- Put the chicken, with all its juices back into the Instant Pot together with the mushrooms, carrots and shallots. Next, pour over the chicken stock and give everything one final stir, ensuring the chicken is beneath the liquid.
- Secure the lid to the Instant Pot and select the Pressure Cook button. You want high pressure for 1hr 40 minutes. Do not use the Meat Stew function as it does not cook the Chicken Chasseur long enough for the depth of flavour we want!The Instant Pot should take 10 minutes to generate steam and start cooking.
- Once cooked, do a quick release, and when safe to do so, remove the lid. Immediately, turn on the sauté function. The sauce will begin to reduce down and develop even more flavour. To encourage thickening, take a small bowl and add two tablespoons of arrowroot flour and combined this with four tablespoons of liquid from your stew. Mix until you have a smooth paste. Pour the arrowroot paste back into the Instant Pot and stir. After 10 minutes, your Chicken Chasseur will be ready to eat.
- Serve and enjoy!!
Notes
Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional information is estimated using an online nutrition calculator. For accuracy, we recommend you calculate using the exact ingredients and brands you used.
I hope you LOVE this recipe as much as I do!
And, if you do get the chance to give this Chicken Chasseur at try, please drop me a note in the comment section and provide star rating. I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
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PIN CHICKEN CHASSEUR (INSTANT POT RECIPE) FOR LATER!
Lucie
It was good, but I had higher expectations considering all the time and work it took. Mine didn’t had the same dark glossy color (I ran the carrots through the mixer, it might had something to do with it). Tks for sharing.
Cheryl Whyte
Hi Lucie, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for providing your feedback. It’s really great insight so I can improve recipes for the future. Yes, the color could indeed be affected by blending the carrots. It could also be down to the chicken stock used (color can vary), or the amount of browning on the chicken. Thanks again! Cheryl x
Lisa Espinosa
How would I do this if I wanted to use a crock pot ?
Cheryl Whyte
Hey Lisa! It really depends on your crock pot model. If you use a crock pot pressure cooker with a brown/sauté function, you can follow the exact instructions in the recipe card. If you have a traditional crock pot slow cooker, I recommend that you first carry out instruction 2 in a large skillet on the stovetop to sear the chicken and get some color on it. Then, put all the ingredients (except for the arrowroot) into the pot of your crock pot, and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Then, refer back to instruction 6 in the recipe card to thicken your stew with arrowroot. An important point, though. We use the instant pot sauté function to reduce the sauce down further at the end. If your crock pot does not have this function, your sauce may be thinner than intended. However, you could reduce the sauce in a saucepan on the hob if you wanted to. I hope that answers your question. Cheryl.