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Meat, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Champagne chicken with rice

Champagne chicken with rice is a braised dish for 4, ready in 1 hour, rated easy, at a cost of €3.60 per person. Chicken simmers in champagne with shallots and mushrooms, then cream ties the sauce together. The key is letting the champagne reduce before covering the pot, and never letting the sauce boil once the cream goes in.

A bit of weeknight celebration, chicken simmered in champagne with shallots, mushrooms and cream, served over rice.

Champagne chicken with rice
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.60
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Champagne chicken is all about the sauce. Shallots and mushrooms soften slowly, the champagne reduces into something with real character, and cream smooths it out without drowning it. The free range chicken soaks up that sauce over thirty five minutes of simmering, the skin stays golden, the meat stays tender throughout.

This is a dish for a weeknight dinner that deserves a bit more effort, or an easy Sunday meal with no fuss. Kids tend to like it because the sauce is mild and the rice soaks up everything. For guests, just double the quantities, the pot does the work while you catch up over drinks.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Free range chicken pieces 1.4 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • White mushrooms 250 g
  • Shallots 3

Pantry

  • Champagne 25 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Heavy cream 20 cl
  • Butter 30 g

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken pieces in the butter and oil, then set aside. 12 min

    Pat the skin dry first, it will brown better.

  2. Cook the sliced shallots and mushrooms in the same pot.

    Keep the heat high so they pick up some color.

  3. Deglaze with the champagne, return the chicken to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cover. 35 min

    Let the champagne reduce well before covering the pot.

  4. Cook the rice in salted boiling water. 11 min

    Let it rest covered for five minutes, the grains turn out fluffier.

  5. Stir the cream into the sauce, let it thicken slightly, and serve over the rice. 5 min

    Don't let it boil once the cream is in.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick firm, dry white mushrooms, they release less water as they cook and keep the sauce more concentrated.
  • If the sauce looks too thin after adding the cream, let it simmer uncovered a couple more minutes on low heat, without boiling.
  • Cook the rice during the chicken's thirty five minute simmer, everything lands on the table at the same time.

The variations

  • Swap the champagne for a dry sparkling wine or a dry white wine, the flavor barely changes and the result still holds up.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with chunks of celery root and extra mushrooms, keeping the same sauce.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the chicken and sauce over pasta instead of rice, it cooks a bit faster.

What to serve it with

  • Plain white rice
  • A simple green salad
  • Bread for the sauce

Storage

Champagne chicken keeps 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It freezes well without the rice, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently over low heat, stirring, without letting the cream sauce boil.

Questions about this dish

Can you make champagne chicken ahead of time?

Yes, cook the chicken and sauce the day before without the cream, then reheat gently the next day before stirring in the cream. The sauce actually tastes better after a night in the fridge.

Which chicken pieces work best?

Bone in, skin on free range chicken pieces give the best result, thighs or drumsticks especially. They stay tender through the thirty five minute simmer, unlike breast meat which dries out faster.

Can you substitute the heavy cream?

Regular heavy whipping cream works too, just let the sauce reduce a bit longer to thicken. Skip low fat cream, it tends to split when heated.

Does the rice need rinsing before cooking?

Not for this recipe, the rice cooks directly in salted boiling water. Letting it rest covered for five minutes afterward is enough to get fluffy grains.

How long does it take to make a champagne chicken with rice?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a champagne chicken with rice?

About 630 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a champagne chicken with rice cost?

About €3.60 per serving, or €14.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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