Crispy Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Braised Leeks
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This creamy chicken and leeks dinner brings together golden chicken thighs, a creamy mushroom and onion sauce and leeks braised in white wine and chicken broth. The chicken browns in a skillet before finishing in the oven, and crème fraîche enriches the cooking juices for the sauce. A squeeze of lemon and a pinch of dried tarragon flavor the sauce.
With the mushrooms and onions in the sauce and the leeks alongside, it’s a hearty chicken dinner that only needs a simple side of potatoes or rice.
Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce at a Glance
- Prep time: About 20 minutes
- Cook time: About 75 minutes, plus extra time if browning in batches
- Total time: About 1 hour 35 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Main ingredients: Chicken thighs, mushrooms, onions, leeks and crème fraîche
- Cooking method: Skillet browning, oven roasting and stovetop braising
- Storage: Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3 days
Why You’ll Love It
- You get browned chicken skin with a creamy mushroom sauce, and you can spoon on as much sauce as you like.
- The braised leeks are part of the recipe, so you don’t have to plan a separate vegetable dish.
- You can cook the onions and mushrooms ahead to reduce the work before dinner.
- The recipe is also good with a Dijon mustard sauce if you don’t want lemon and tarragon.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on thighs of a similar size. Skinless thighs won’t give you the crisp skin this recipe calls for.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms [closed cup mushrooms] work well. Slice them so they cook evenly and are easy to spoon up with the sauce.
- Onions: Give them time to soften and take on a little color before adding them to the roasting pan.
- Crème fraîche: This is the creamy part of the sauce. Don’t forget to set a small spoonful aside to mix with the cornstarch.
- Chicken broth [stock]: The chicken roasts in lightly flavored stock made with ½ stock cube. I used fresh chicken stock but you can use stock or bouillon powder if that’s easier. The leeks need a separate small amount of broth, so don’t take it from the roasting-pan quantity.
- Lemon and dried tarragon: I used a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of dried tarragon. Add the lemon at the end and taste before adding more.
- Leeks: Discard the tough outer layer and dark green tops. Rinse between the layers after cutting them lengthwise, keeping the root end attached.
- White wine: Use a dry white wine for the leek braising liquid. I used Gavi because that’s what I had on hand but any white wine should work.
- Cornstarch [cornflour]: Mix it until smooth with a little cold crème fraîche before stirring it into the hot sauce.
Cooking the Chicken and Leeks
The onions and mushrooms cook first, followed by the chicken. Once the thighs go into the oven, you can reuse the skillet for the leeks. Finish the sauce in a saucepan while the cooked chicken rests; this keeps the leek braising liquid separate from the mushroom sauce.
Cook the onions, then sauté the mushrooms.
Brown the thighs and transfer them to the baking dish.
Braise the leeks while the chicken is cooking.
Finish the mushroom and onion sauce with crème fraîche and dried tarragon.
Tips for Crisp Chicken Skin
- Pat the thighs dry before seasoning them. Lay them skin-side down in the skillet and allow them to brown before flipping.
- Leave enough space between the thighs for the skin to contact the pan. If they won’t fit, I recommend browning them in batches and allowing extra time.
- Roast the chicken skin-side up with the broth around it. Keep the skin above the liquid and leave the roasting pan uncovered.
- Cover the cooked thighs loosely while you finish the sauce. A tight foil covering traps steam against the skin.
- Spoon the sauce around the chicken when serving so you don’t soak all the browned skin.
Substitutions and Variations
- For a Dijon version, omit the lemon and tarragon and stir 2 heaped teaspoons of Dijon mustard into the sauce with the crème fraîche.
- For leeks without wine, use all chicken broth for all the braising liquid. If you don’t mind the wine flavor but don’t want alcohol, you can use alcohol-free white wine. You might want to use sodium-free chicken broth if doing this, so you don’t end up with an overly salty dish.
- Use sliced cremini or chestnut mushrooms if you prefer those to white button mushrooms.
- You can use sour cream instead of creme fraiche. Make sure you use full-fat not reduced-fat which is more prone to splitting. Sour cream is a bit tangier but it will work. Add it at the very end over a low heat and heat gently without letting the sauce boil. Also, if using sour cream, I recommend using less lemon juice because sour cream is a little more acidic than creme fraiche.
What to Serve with Creamy Chicken and Leeks
With the chicken, mushrooms, onions and leeks all accounted for, you only need to decide what to serve with the meal. Mashed potatoes, white rice or buttered noodles all work with the mushroom sauce. If you’d like roasted potatoes, my spicy roasted potatoes are an option.
I found this recipe made more sauce than I needed, so start with a spoonful or two on each plate and serve the rest separately. There’s no need to pour the whole lot over the chicken.
Equipment
- Large nonstick skillet with a lid: For cooking the vegetables, browning the chicken and braising the leeks.
- Large roasting pan: Choose one that holds the chicken in a single layer. Leave out the rack for this recipe.
- Saucepan: For finishing the mushroom and onion sauce.
- Silicone-tipped tongs: For lifting the thighs and gently flipping the leeks.
- Instant-read thermometer: For checking the thickest part of each thigh without touching the bone.
Make It Ahead
- Cook the onions and mushrooms for their full cooking times, then cool promptly and refrigerate in covered containers. You can store them together once cooked.
- Brown the leeks, then braise for 12 to 15 minutes, stopping while they still hold their shape. Cool promptly and refrigerate. Finish heating them in a covered skillet with a splash of broth until steaming hot throughout.
- Measure the crème fraîche and mix a small spoonful with the cornstarch. Keep both covered in the refrigerator until needed.
- Chop the parsley and refrigerate it in a covered container.
- Do this preparation the day before but don’t brown and roast the chicken until you’re ready to cook dinner, otherwise you’ll lose that crispy skin.
How to Store
- Refrigerate: Put the chicken, sauce and leeks into covered shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days. Refrigerate any extra sauce too.
- Reheat: Cover the chicken and reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Uncover toward the end if you want to dry the skin. Stir the sauce as you heat it in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reheat the leeks covered in a skillet until steaming hot throughout.
- Freeze: Freeze the chicken and sauce in portions for up to 3 months. For the best leek texture, cook fresh leeks when you serve the thawed chicken. The sauce may need stirring after thawing and the skin won’t be as crisp as when freshly cooked.
- Thaw: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Heat only the portions you plan to eat.
Creamy Chicken and Leeks FAQs
Yes, but they’ll need a different cooking time. Skin-on boneless thighs are the closest alternative. Start checking earlier and cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C); the full browning and roasting times here are for bone-in thighs.
No. Crème fraîche is cultured cream with a thicker texture and a slightly sour flavor. Heavy cream [double cream] is pourable and will give the sauce a different consistency, so it isn’t an exact swap in this recipe.
It can be, provided the chicken broth or stock cube and the cornstarch are labeled gluten-free. Check the Dijon too if you make the mustard variation.
Yes. Use 4 thighs and halve the remaining ingredients for 2 servings. Choose a smaller roasting pan so the broth doesn’t spread too shallowly. Keep the same oven temperature and check the chicken for doneness; halving the recipe doesn’t halve its cooking time.
A little of the root base holds the layers together while you flip and braise them. Trim away the roots and tough dark green tops and rinse carefully between the layers before the braise.
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Braised Leeks
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 9 ounces (250g) white button mushrooms [closed cup mushrooms], thinly sliced
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ⅔ cups (400ml) chicken broth [stock], made with ½ stock cube
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (100ml) crème fraîche
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch [cornflour]
- 1 pinch dried tarragon
- 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh parsley, to serve
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 leeks, tough outer layer and dark green tops removed, quartered lengthwise with root base attached, rinsed well
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75ml) chicken broth [stock]
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75ml) dry white wine
- Water, as needed if the leek pan begins to dry out
Equipment
- Large nonstick skillet with a lid
- Large roasting pan or ovenproof baking dish
- Saucepan
- Tongs
- Instant-read thermometer
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Small bowl
- Wooden spoon
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C conventional or 180°C fan). Set out a large roasting pan that will hold the thighs in a single layer.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Spoon them into the roasting pan.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Increase the heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Adjust the heat if they start to scorch. Transfer them to the roasting pan with the onions.
- Pat the thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-high and place the thighs skin-side down. Cook for about 10 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more. Work in batches if necessary, moving each batch straight to the roasting pan. Arrange all the thighs skin-side up.
- Pour the 1 ⅔ cups (400ml) broth around the chicken, keeping the skin above the liquid. Roast uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each thigh, away from the bone, reads at least 165°F (74°C). Larger thighs may need longer.
- While the chicken roasts, carefully remove excess fat from the skillet and wipe it clean. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Lay the leek quarters cut-side down and cook for about 4 minutes until lightly golden.
- Gently flip the leeks so the browned sides face up. Add the ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75ml) broth and the same amount of white wine. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat. Braise for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Check occasionally and add a small splash of water if the pan begins to dry out.
- Move the cooked chicken to a clean plate and loosely cover it with foil. Transfer the mushrooms, onions and roasting juices to a saucepan. Mix the cornstarch with a small spoonful of the cold crème fraîche in a small bowl until smooth.
- Stir the remaining crème fraîche, the cornstarch mixture and the pinch of tarragon into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Remove from the heat, add a squeeze of lemon and taste before adjusting the salt and pepper.
- Serve 2 thighs per person with the leeks. Spoon on as much mushroom sauce as you like and offer the extra separately. Scatter over the parsley and finish with black pepper. Trim away any tough leek root base before eating.
Notes
- Sauce quantity: This makes plenty of sauce. Serve any extra separately.
- Mustard variation: Omit the lemon and tarragon and add 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard with the crème fraîche.
- Wine-free option: Braise the leeks in 150ml chicken broth (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons).
Other Chicken Recipes
If you like this creamy chicken and leeks recipe, you might also enjoy baked chicken breasts with tomatoes which cooks chicken with mushrooms and melted cheese in a baking dish. If you’re in the mood for pastry, traditional English chicken pot pies have a creamy filling and individual puff pastry crusts.
Pastel de choclo is a Chilean chicken dish with egg, olives and corn and this chicken BLT with avocado makes a delicious lunch.
