Curried Chicken Thighs with Onion Cream Sauce

Curried Chicken Thighs with Onion Cream Sauce is the easy version of Julia Child’s classic French chicken recipe, Fondue de Poulet a la Crème. The only translation we really need to worry about is that Crème = Cream, and there is plenty of it. With this simplified version of Julia’s recipe, learn how to make an easy cream sauce for chicken with all the flavors of the original dish. Lightly curried chicken thighs, onions, and bell peppers simmer away in a white wine and heavy cream sauce. To quote the queen of the kitchen herself, this French chicken recipe is “rich and delectable”.

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Have I mastered the art of French cooking? Well I’m glad you asked, but the short answer is no, and the long answer is heck no. I did, however, grab a digital copy of the mother-of-all-cookbooks, and I did master Julia’s creamy chicken and onions recipe!

If you’re like me, you love revisiting the best retro recipes, but you don’t have time for anything too complicated. Well I’ve got you covered.

Life (and recipe) simplified.

TIPS FOR MAKING AMAZING CURRIED CHICKEN THIGHS THE EASY WAY

• Use only one skillet for the entire dish
• Buy a pack of chicken thighs (and skip the whole disjointing of the raw chicken mess)
• Thicken the heavy cream sauce in less time using cheese
• Most importantly: Drink a glass or two of the white wine before deglazing your skillet with it. As Julia Child might say, “It is essential to ensure that the wine is worthy of the dish.” (Or as I would say, “Let’s get drunk while we cook! It’s been that kind of a day! [Insert image of sarcastic housewife here])

PRODUCTS YOU MAY NEED

An 11-inch cast iron skillet is the size I use for this Curried Chicken Thighs recipe. It is wide enough to fit 5 or 6 thighs. Cast iron is known for distributing heat evenly throughout the pan, which is important when you are working with heavy cream – you don’t certain spots to get too hot. Another great option is a casserole with shallow sides that is wide enough for a pan full of chicken and sauce. Just be sure that it is heavy-bottomed, and don’t forget a lid.

How to Make Curried Chicken Thighs with Onion Cream Sauce

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Now let’s cook!

HERE ARE THE STEPS FOR HOW TO MAKE CURRIED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ONION CREAM SAUCE

First, trim your chicken of any excess skin or fat and pat dry with paper towels.

Season both sides with salt, white pepper, and curry powder. If you don’t have white pepper, black pepper is just fine.

Next, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet.

Add the chicken, skin side down and cook for about 6 minutes, flipping once. The chicken should be a light golden color but not browned. Set the chicken on a plate for a bit while we work on the onions and peppers. We’ll put it back in in a few!

Saute the onions and peppers until the onions are beginning to turn translucent and tender.

After the onions are somewhat tender, nestle the chicken back into the skillet between the onions and peppers, skin side down, and cook for 10 more minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through, and stir the onions and peppers occasionally so they don’t burn.

Good news! It’s wine time!

Pop open your favorite dry white wine (I like Chardonnay, but I’m no sommolier either). Pour yourself a glass. Cheers!

Let’s not forget about our chicken dish! Splash a bit of that wine into your skillet (about 1/3 cup, but just eyeball it). Scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Let it boil until it is almost evaporated.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour a pint (2 cups) of heavy whipping cream around the chicken.

Add chopped parsley and stir. Keep an eye on the cream as it cooks and adjust the heat lower if it starts to boil up. We want a nice, steady simmer.

Baste the chicken with the cream using a spoon. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Baste the chicken every now and then and give it a stir so nothing sticks to the bottom of the skillet. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure that the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165 F. We’re going to leave the chicken in the skillet while we finish the sauce.

To thicken the heavy cream a little more, we are going to add that magic touch of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It’s not cheap, but it is tasty! Plus, it melts really nicely in the cream sauce. All you need is 1/2 cup grated for this recipe.

Stir in the cheese and then do a final sauce taste-test. You’ll probably want to add more salt and white pepper.

Last, add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon and a fresh parsley for a pop of color. Voila! (I just realized I do know some French.)

I hope you enjoy your delectable French chicken in cream sauce as much as I did. Bon Appétit!

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Curried Chicken Thighs with Onion Cream Sauce

An easier version of Julia Child’s recipe, lightly curried chicken thighs, onions, and peppers simmer away in a white wine and heavy cream sauce. Rich and flavorful! [Low Carb, Keto]

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Author Cherry and Spice

Ingredients

• 5-6 chicken thighs with skin
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp curry powder
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly grated
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Squeeze of lemon juice to taste

Instructions

1. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels and season both sides with salt, white pepper, and curry powder.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the chicken, skin-side down. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate temporarily.
3. Add sliced onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are fairly tender but not yet browned.
4. Return chicken to skillet skin-side down and cook for 10 minutes, turning once and stirring the vegetables occasionally.
5. Pour in the wine and boil until it has almost entirely evaporated.

6. Reduce heat to low/medium-low. Add the cream and parsley and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Use a spoon to baste the chicken with the cream. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Rotate the chicken around, flip, and baste occasionally. Adjust temperature to keep a simmer and prevent cream from boiling up. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165° F.

7. To finish the sauce, add the grated cheese; stir until melted. Taste the sauce and add additional salt and white pepper as desired. Add a couple squeezes of lemon juice, to taste.

8. Garnish with additional parsley and lemon zest. Bon Appétit!

Recipe Notes

Note: You may substitute boneless, skinless thighs or breasts; Adjust cooking time as needed.

This recipe is linked up with other saucy bloggers at Weekend Potluck!