Chicken Cassoulet – French Chicken & Bean Casserole

If you’ve ever wondered what the French actually make at home, this Chicken Cassoulet is just the sort of thing! It is JB‘s easy take on classic French cassoulet, swapping duck confit and Toulouse sausages for chicken, and dried beans for canned. Gorgeously cosy, rustic, and hearty. I’m completely besotted!

JB’s Chicken Cassoulet

I know this might shock you, but believe it or not, the French aren’t whipping up Beef Bourguignon, Coq au Vin and fancy soufflés every night of the week! Just like us, they want delicious dinners that don’t take hours to make. And today’s Chicken Cassoulet is just the sort of thing JB tells me French families actually cook at home on Monday nights.

Inspired by the French classic cassoulet, JB has traded the duck confit and Toulouse sausages for chicken and bacon, and skipped the overnight bean soaking in favour of canned beans. But he’s kept all the things that make cassoulet so wonderful – tender meat, creamy beans, the crunchy topping (LOVE THIS!) and a beautiful tomato-based sauce that rich with wine and herbs.

Plus, he gets bonus points for making it a complete meal – protein, starch and a surprising amount of vegetables (tomato, onion and carrots!).

Ingredients In JB’s Chicken Cassoulet

Here’s what you need to make this chicken and bean casserole.

1. The chicken and bacon

• Boneless chicken thighs – Using boneless chicken thighs makes the baking time so quick (just 20 minutes), putting this within reach midweek. To use chicken breast, you’ll need to cook it through on the stove, then bake the beans without the chicken (else it will overcook), then pop it back on just at the end for the grilling/broiling part.

• Bacon – It’s best to use streaky bacon as the dish relies on the fat from the bacon to cook the chicken. Extra flavour! If you use lean bacon, you might need to add a bit of extra oil to brown the chicken.

2. FOR THE CASSOULET

• Cannellini beans – Traditional cassoulet is made with dried Tarbais or Lingot beans which are slow cooked with the meat. For this easy version, JB uses canned cannellini beans. Much faster to just crack open cans than soaking overnight and slow cooking! ? Feel free to use other beans, like kidney beans, butter beans or navy beans, though white beans are more traditional.

• Cherry tomatoes – JB wants me to tell everyone, tomato isn’t strictly traditional but it’s a modern variation. He likes how they soften and burst as the casserole cooks, releasing their sweet juices into the sauce. They also add lovely little pops of freshness that balance the richness of the dish. I like how they had bright pops of colourful red into an otherwise rather brown dish!

• Onions – Just regular brown onions, finely chopped.

• Carrots – Medium or large ones, we peel, cut into quarters lengthways then into small pieces.

• Garlic – 3 big cloves, finely minced with a knife. Actually, you could use a garlic crusher here.

• Herbs – rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. The sauce of Cassoulet is perfumed with herbs and it is what makes it so delicious! So really try to use fresh if you can (all 3 are very hardy, hard-to-kill plants – if I can grow them, anyone can!). But in case you don’t have fresh herbs, we’ve included dried herb amounts too.

• Chardonnay or other white wine – The French love to cook with wine, because they know it brings a wonderful depth of flavour to sauces, and that’s the role it plays in this Cassoulet. Chardonnay is JB’s favourite to cook with because it adds more flavour – he thinks sauvignon blanc is boring (?) – but really, you can use any dry white wine. No need to use an expensive one either. I stock up on heavily discounted bottles around $5 that I use exclusively for cooking.

• Cornflour / cornstarch – Thickens the sauce slightly. Traditional cassoulet cooks for hours, allowing the sauce to thicken naturally. This quicker version needs a little help, otherwise the sauce is watery.

• Chicken stock – The liquid for the sauce. Use low sodium if you can, if not, skip the salt in the sauce.

3. CRUNCHY TOPPING

The crunchy topping is a signature part of Cassoulet! Here’s what you need:

• Panko breadcrumbs – larger than regular breadcrumbs, for extra crunch. Find it in the Asian aisle of regular grocery stores, or cheaper in Asian stores.

• Olive oil – To mix through which makes the crunchy topping brown beautifully.

• Parsley – For lovely little green bits in the topping. I used chives as a substitute (because I have a thriving bunch in my garden whereas my parsley has been decimated).

How To Make Chicken Cassoulet

1. Cornflour slurry – Make a cornflour slurry by mixing the cornflour / cornstarch with a splash of the chicken stock. This will thicken the sauce slightly so it clings to the beans.

2. Bacon first – Cook the bacon first, until golden. Then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind in the pan.

3. Brown chicken – Next, we brown the chicken. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, then brown the first side in the bacon fat for 3 minutes. Then flip and cook the other side for just 1 minute. We don’t want to cook it through, as it will finish cooking on the beans.

4. Sauté – Add the onion, carrots and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion has softened, then cook the tomato paste and herbs for 1 minute. Don’t skip this step of cooking off the tomato paste, it cooks out the sour edge and deepens the flavour.

5. Beans – Add the wine and let it reduce for 30 seconds. Add the beans, chicken stock, cornflour slurry, bacon, salt and pepper. Give it a stir, then place the chicken and cherry tomatoes across the top.

6. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan-forced). Then take it out of the oven and flick to the oven grill/broiler to 240°C / 460°F (220°C fan-forced).

7. Crunchy topping – Sprinkle the beans with the crunchy topping (avoid the chicken and tomatoes, for visual effect). Then pop it under the oven grill / broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until browned.

8. Serve – Then that’s it! Ready to serve. Spoon the beans into bowls and top with chicken!

How To Serve Chicken Cassoulet

As mentioned earlier, this is a complete meal with vegetables, starch and protein so there’s no need to add sides to fill it out. If you’re wondering – what veggies? Well, there’s two onions (yes, it counts towards your veg daily intake!), two carrots and cherry tomatoes which averages out to be a reasonable amount per person, assuming 5 servings.

Finish with a slice of JB’s French Apple Cake, lightly warmed, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. What a meal! – Nagi x

Watch How To Make It

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JB’s Chicken Cassoulet (French Chicken & Bean Casserole)

Recipe video above. This is JB's gorgeously cosy chicken and bean casserole that is the sort of thing French people actually make at home. It's essentially an easy take on the famous French dish Cassoulet, with duck confit and Toulouse sausages swapped for chicken and bacon, and dried beans for canned. But he's kept all the wonderful flavours of cassoulet with tender meat, creamy beans, the crunchy topping (LOVE THIS!) and a beautiful tomato-based sauce that rich with wine and herbs.

It's got everything to make it a complete meal – protein, good-for-you-starch and vegetables – though that sauce is begging to be mopped up with crusty bread!

Course Baking, Chicken, Dinner, Mains

Cuisine French

Keyword chicken and bean stew, Chicken and beans casserole, Chicken cassoulet

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 5

Calories 739cal

Author Nagi and JB

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
• 800g / 1.75lb boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets , ~6 pieces (Note 1)
• 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , divided (half for table salt, 50% extra for flakes)
• 1 tsp black pepper , divided
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 200g / 7oz streaky bacon , cut into 1cm / 0.4" pieces
• 2 brown onion , finely chopped
• 2 carrots , peeled, quartered lengthways, cut into 1 cm / 0.4" thick pieces
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 thyme sprigs (substitute 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
• 2 rosemary sprigs , ~10cm / 4" long (substitute 1 tsp dried rosemary)
• 2 fresh bay leaves , or dried
• 1/4 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine  , (sub low-sodium chicken stock)
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock / broth , low-sodium (homemade if you want)
• 3 x 400g / 14oz cans cannellini beans , drained (or other beans)
• 12 cherry tomatoes

Topping

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs , substitute regular breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley , substitute 2 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , (half for table salt, 50% extra for flakes)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE

• Make cornflour slurry with 1/4 cup stock. Cook bacon, remove. Brown chicken but don't cook through, remove. Sauté garlic, onion and carrot, then cook tomato paste and herbs. Deglaze with wine, add beans, stock, cornflour slurry, bacon, salt and pepper. Top with chicken and cherry tomatoes, bake 20 min at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Sprinkle with topping, grill/broiler 2 – 3 min to brown. Serve!

FULL RECIPE

• Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan-forced).
• Slurry – Whisk the cornflour in a small bowl with 1/4 cup of the chicken stock until lump free. Set aside.
• Season chicken – Sprinkle both sides of the chicken using 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Cook bacon – Heat the oil in a shallow 30cm / 12" ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. (Note 2 for baking dish) Cook the bacon until golden (about 4 minutes), then transfer into a small bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving all the fat in the pan.
• Brown chicken – Turn the heat up to high. Add more oil if the pan is looking dry (eg if you used lean bacon). Place the chicken into the pan, smooth side down and cook for 3 minutes until golden brown, flip then cook the other side for 1 minute. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
• Sauté aromatics – Add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir for 1 minute.
• Deglaze – Add the wine and simmer for 30 seconds, scraping the base of the dish.
• Add the rest of the stock, cornflour slurry (give it a quick stir to redistribute the cornflour), beans, cooked bacon and remaining salt and pepper. Stir until combined, place the chicken on top (pour over any juices pooled on the plate), smooth side up. Press the chicken down slightly. Scatter over the cherry tomatoes.
• Bake – Bring it to a simmer, then place into the oven for 20 minutes, uncovered.
• Topping – While the chicken is cooking, mix the topping ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Brown topping – Turn the oven grill/broiler on to 240°C / 460°F (220°C fan-forced). Pull the dish out and sprinkle the panko topping on top, avoiding the chicken and tomatoes. Place the dish back into the oven (15cm / 6" away from the grill) and leave for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the surface to brown.
• Serve – Remove from the oven and serve hot!

Notes

1. Chicken – Chicken breast isn’t the best for this dish because you can’t be precise about the cook time to ensure it’s not overcooked. However, it can be done, as follows: Split breast in half horizontally. Fully cook through in the pan after the bacon, then bake the beans without the chicken. Only put the chicken back on for the part when it goes under the grill/broiler – this will reheat it.

To use bone-in thighs, brown per the recipe and bake for 40 minutes.

2. Baking dish option – If you don’t have a large oven proof pan, you can always transfer everything to a baking dish for the baking part. 

Leftovers will keep for 3 days, though the crunchy bits will go soggy. But it’s still beautiful! It can be frozen for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 739cal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 1370mg | Potassium: 1563mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4539IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 8mg

Life Of Jaffle

He really wants to do a face plant in that!!! ?

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