The Shortcut French Chicken Dinner That'll Never Leave My Rotation

Before you skip over this recipe thinking this is a multi-day project full of duck fat and specialty meats, let me reassure you that this cassoulet recipe is not your traditional French cassoulet. Rather, it’s a modified (read: easy) version that’s both weeknight-friendly and just as rich, comforting, and deeply seasoned as the original.

While it’s not as fast as, say, a 20-minute dinner, I’ve added in several shortcuts to get the cassoulet in the oven quickly without compromising flavor. First off, chopping the vegetables in a food processor cuts the prep work to almost nothing while transforming them into a quick-cooking medley that melts into the braising liquid. Canned beans not only save time, but the canned bean liquid — which has an earthy bean-forward taste, slick viscosity, and thickening power — also replaces the need for broth or stock. Plus, the rest of the time is hands-off, as everything roasts together in the oven.

Why You’ll Love It

• Shortcuts make this recipe easy and fast without sacrificing flavor. From canned beans to using a food processor for chopping vegetables, small shortcuts shave off time.

• Half of the cooking time is totally hands-off. Once the cassoulet is in the oven, you can unpack your bag from the day, make a salad, or just sit with a glass of wine while dinner cooks.

• Unlike a traditional cassoulet, you can easily find all the ingredients. You may already have most ingredients in your pantry, but if not, they are easy to pick up at almost any market.

Key Ingredients in Cassoulet

• Chicken thighs: Bone-in chicken thighs are not only affordable, but when you crisp and render the skin, you also get crackly topped, tender chicken and the liquid gold that is chicken fat to simmer with the beans.

• Kielbasa: The smoky, garlicky flavor of kielbasa gives the cassoulet a long-cooked taste in a short amount of time.

• Tomato paste: The convenience and concentration of tomato paste in a tube makes it worth the slightly higher cost, but if you have canned paste just add a second tablespoon and let it toast until very aromatic and a few shades darker.

• Dry vermouth: Forget martinis — dry vermouth is a massively underrated ingredient when it comes to cooking. The various botanicals steeped into vermouth add layers of flavor to pan sauces, soups, or stews, making it my top choice when deglazing.

• White beans: White beans are a pantry essential with countless ways to become dinner, including this recipe where they soak up so much flavor they might be the best part of the dish. Great Northern are the perfect medium-size bean, as they become tender and creamy quickly without falling apart.

How to Make Cassoulet

1. Brown the chicken and sausage. If the chicken thighs do not easily release from the bottom of the pot when crisping, let them keep cooking until they do to avoid tearing the skin.

2. Sauté the vegetables and simmer the beans. Concentration of flavor is the name of the game in this recipe, so cook the water out of the vegetables, toast the tomato paste well, and then let the beans simmer for a few minutes in the mixture to get a head-start on absorbing flavor.

3. Bake everything together. In traditional cassoulet, you break the surface of the baking casserole several times to help it build a crust, but to keep things hands-off we let the top brown on its own.

4. Top with crunchy breadcrumbs. A crispy lid of breadcrumbs is a hotly debated aspect of cassoulet, and truthfully there is no right or wrong choice. We opted to sprinkle toasted panko over the whole cassoulet or each plate before serving for some crunch. It’s a lovely finishing touch, but won’t make or break the meal if you prefer to leave it off.

Helpful Swaps

• If you don’t have dry vermouth or white wine, dry red wine, hard cider, or brandy all work, and for an alcohol-free option, use water or low-sodium chicken broth with a few teaspoons of Worcestershire or balsamic or red wine vinegar.

• Andouille sausage can stand in for kielbasa, as they share smoky, garlicky flavor profiles, but it will add some spice to the cassoulet.

• Instead of thyme, or in addition to it, add a sprig or two of rosemary.

• If you prefer to cook beans from dry, maybe keep a stash of freezer beans, use them and some of their cooking liquid in place of canned in this recipe. Use 3 cups of cooked beans, plus about 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Like any braised dish, this would be wonderful made 1 day ahead. Do not top with the breadcrumbs and parsley, and let cool completely before refrigerating. Reheat uncovered in a 350ºF oven until warmed through and bubbly. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley before serving.

Store the baked cassoulet right in the pot in the refrigerator, covered. Let it stand at room temperature while the oven heats and then bake until hot and bubbly, covered at first and then uncovered to crisp the skin.

What to Serve with Cassoulet

• Arugula & Fennel Salad 

• No-Knead Bread

• Perfect Simple Salad

• Easy Sautéed Kale

• Antipasto Platter

Cassoulet Recipe

This easy take on the traditional French dish is weeknight-friendly and just as delicious.

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 1 hour

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the cassoulet:

• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered

• 1 medium stalk celery, quartered

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and quartered

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 12 to 14 ounces kielbasa sausage, cut on a slight diagonal into 2- to 3-inch-long pieces

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

• 1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste (from a tube)

• 1/3 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

• 2 (about 15-ounce) cans white beans, such as Great Northern (do not drain)

• 3 large sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves (from about 4 sprigs)

For the breadcrumb topping (optional):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the cassoulet:

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Place 1 peeled and quartered small yellow onion, 1 quartered medium celery stalk, and 1 peeled and quartered medium carrot in a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped.

2. Season 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs all over with 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven safe, high-sided sauté pan (at least 10 inches) or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken skin-side down. Sear undisturbed, until the skin is very crisp and deep golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate skin-side up (the chicken will not be cooked through).

3. Add 12 to 14 ounces cut kielbasa to the pan in a single layer. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes total. Reduce the heat if needed if starting to burn. Using tongs, transfer to the plate with the chicken.

4. Add the chopped vegetables and 3 smashed garlic cloves to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook until it darkens in color, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour in 1/3 cup dry vermouth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Simmer until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

5. Stir in 2 (about 15-ounce) cans white beans with their canning liquid, 3 large fresh thyme sprigs, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer until the liquid thickens slightly and the beans are well-coated, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the sausage pieces. Turn off the heat. Return the chicken skin-side up to the pan, nestling it into the beans.

7. Transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the top of the liquid has a crust, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the breadcrumb topping if desired.

Make the breadcrumb topping (optional):

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the panko browns and crisps, 2 to 3 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat.

Finish the cassoulet:

1. Let the cassoulet cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves over the cassoulet, and serve topped with the breadcrumb topping if using.

Recipe Notes

Tomato paste: Don’t skimp on the time when toasting the tomato paste, as the deeper color and concentration of flavor gives the sauce body and flavor. I prefer tomato paste in a tube, but you can substitute it with 2 tablespoons canned tomato paste as it is less concentrated.

Make ahead: Like any braised dish, this would be wonderful made 1 day ahead. Do not top with the breadcrumbs and parsley, and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat uncovered in a 350ºF oven until warmed through and bubbly. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley before serving.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. You can stir everything together and store it like a stew, or use tongs to remove the chicken and sausage to store them separately from the beans. Add a splash of water or broth when reheating if the beans are not brothy anymore.

Further Reading

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