Hamdi Saidani This easy chicken casserole is full of flavor and perfect for a cozy dinner. The chicken is cooked slowly with bacon, carrots, and mushrooms in a tasty broth. It’s simple to make and comes out tender and comforting every time.
Jump to RecipeIngredients Needed:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (around 850g/1lb 14oz)
- 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in slices
- 150g/5½oz small mushrooms, halved or quartered if larger
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into roughly 1.5cm/⅝in slices
- 20g/¾oz plain flour (around 2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 500ml/18fl oz hot chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube)
- 1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into roughly 1cm/½in slices
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Chicken Casserole Recipe?
- Preheat the oven: set the oven to 190C.
- Season the chicken: sprinkle salt and lots of black pepper on the chicken thighs.
- Brown the chicken: heat oil in a large casserole pan. Place the chicken skin-side down and cook for 7–8 minutes until golden. Flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the veggies: add onion, bacon, and mushrooms to the same pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often, until they start to brown.
- Add carrots and flour: stir in the carrot slices and flour so everything gets coated well.
- Pour in the stock and thyme: sprinkle in the thyme, then slowly pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring between each addition.
- Add the chicken back: place the chicken pieces back into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid.
- Bake in the oven: cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Add the leeks: take it out, stir in the leeks, then return to the oven for another 15 minutes until tender and the sauce has thickened.
Recipe Tips:
- Brown the chicken well: don’t skip this step. Browning the skin adds deep flavor to the sauce and gives the chicken a better texture.
- Use hot stock, not cold: pouring cold stock into the pan can slow down the cooking. Use hot stock to keep the temperature steady and help the sauce thicken properly.
- Slice carrots evenly: keep all carrot pieces the same size so they cook at the same speed. Uneven chunks can turn out too soft or too hard.
- Stir the flour in well: after adding flour, mix it properly so it coats everything. This helps the sauce thicken without lumps later.
- Don’t add the leeks too early: leeks cook fast. If you add them at the start, they’ll go mushy. Adding them in the last 15 minutes keeps them tender but still firm.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the chicken casserole cool until it’s no longer hot. Then put it in a sealed container and keep it in the fridge. You can store it like this for about 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool the casserole first, then freeze it in a closed container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: place the casserole in a pan over low to medium heat. Stir often and heat gently until fully warmed through about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
- Sodium: 720mg
- Potassium: 600mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 10g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 4g
- Protein: 35g
Try More Delia Smith Recipes:
Delia Smith Chicken Casserole Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: EasyServings
4
servingsPrep time
10
minutesCooking time
1
hourCalories
430
kcalThis easy chicken casserole is full of flavor and perfect for a cozy dinner. The chicken is cooked slowly with bacon, carrots, and mushrooms in a tasty broth. It’s simple to make and comes out tender and comforting every time.
Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (around 850g/1lb 14oz)
1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in slices
150g/5½oz small mushrooms, halved or quartered if larger
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into roughly 1.5cm/⅝in slices
20g/¾oz plain flour (around 2 tbsp)
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
500ml/18fl oz hot chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube)
1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into roughly 1cm/½in slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven: set the oven to 190C.
- Season the chicken: sprinkle salt and lots of black pepper on the chicken thighs.
- Brown the chicken: heat oil in a large casserole pan. Place the chicken skin-side down and cook for 7–8 minutes until golden. Flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the veggies: add onion, bacon, and mushrooms to the same pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often, until they start to brown.
- Add carrots and flour: stir in the carrot slices and flour so everything gets coated well.
- Pour in the stock and thyme: sprinkle in the thyme, then slowly pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring between each addition.
- Add the chicken back: place the chicken pieces back into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid.
- Bake in the oven: cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Add the leeks: take it out, stir in the leeks, then return to the oven for another 15 minutes until tender and the sauce has thickened.
Notes
- Brown the chicken well: don’t skip this step. Browning the skin adds deep flavor to the sauce and gives the chicken a better texture.
- Use hot stock, not cold: pouring cold stock into the pan can slow down the cooking. Use hot stock to keep the temperature steady and help the sauce thicken properly.
- Slice carrots evenly: keep all carrot pieces the same size so they cook at the same speed. Uneven chunks can turn out too soft or too hard.
- Stir the flour in well: after adding flour, mix it properly so it coats everything. This helps the sauce thicken without lumps later.
- Don’t add the leeks too early: leeks cook fast. If you add them at the start, they’ll go mushy. Adding them in the last 15 minutes keeps them tender but still firm.