Easy French Chicken Cassoulet You Can Make in an Hour
Lazy never tasted so luxurious! This one-pot cassoulet is brimming with French flavor — savory chicken, sausage, beans, and thyme. Pour yourself a glass of wine, grab a crusty baguette, and say bon appétit!
Servings: 4 Servings
Equipment
- Baking dish 8x11-inch
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless, patted dry 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- ½ cup olive oil or canola oil divided
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion chopped
- 6 ounces smoked sausage such as kielbasa, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped, plus more whole sprigs, to taste, for garnish
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 30 oz. white beans, such as great northern beans or cannellini, drained and rinsed 2- 15-ounce cans
- 1 cup chicken stock unsalted
- 1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil.
- Add the chicken thighs to the hot oil and cook, undisturbed, until the edges turn opaque and the bottoms are browned, about 6 minutes. Make sure to adjust the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Step 5
- Flip the chicken and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and do not clean the pan.
- Place the skillet with the chicken drippings over medium heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil, the onion, and the sausage. Cook while stirring often until the onion is tender and lightly golden, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, the allspice, the remaining salt, and the remaining pepper and cook, while stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and tomato paste, stirring to combine.
- Bring the sausage mixture to a simmer.
- Cook, stirring often, until the flavors have melded together and the wine has reduced slightly, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the beans, chicken stock, and 2 tablespoons of the oil, and cook, stirring to combine, until the sausage mixture comes to a simmer.
- Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the sausage mixture.
- Transfer the cassoulet mixture to an 8x11-inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly into a layer.
- In a large bowl, add the breadcrumbs and the remaining oil and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cassoulet mixture in the baking dish.
- Bake until the dish is heated through, the top is browned, and the sides are bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- Serve garnished with the extra thyme sprigs.