One pot spring chicken is an easy spring chicken casserole recipe that combines chicken breast and new potatoes with a variety of spring fresh vegetables and herbs cooked in a simple white wine and stock based sauce.
This is one of my favourite easy spring chicken recipes, as aside from preparing some vegetables, it’s a simple case of just layering up the other flavours. With this one pot chicken casserole everything is cooked in one pan, keeping all the flavour in the dish.
I like this healthy spring chicken recipe as it uses lean chicken breast and combines it with a variety of spring fresh vegetables like radish, asparagus, garden peas and gem lettuce. However, feel free to add in any other vegetables that you and your family enjoy eating.
I’ve use spring vegetables to make this easy chicken casserole, but throughout the year you can swap in other vegetables, depending on what’s in season. Try green beans, tender stem broccoli, courgette (zucchini), bell peppers, carrots, turnip, butternut squash – the options are endless.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Everything is cooked in one pot which keeps all the flavour in the dish.
- Easy to adapt if there’s a flavour or a vegetable you don’t like, swap it for something you do.
- Adjust the recipe serving either up or down, to suit the number of diners.
Recipe ingredients
- Oil: for flavour, I like to sauté the chicken and vegetables I use regular olive oil, but you can use the oil of your choice.
- Chicken: I use 4 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe to serve 4 diners.
- Seasoning: I keep the seasoning simple with sea salt and black pepper.
- Lettuce: I like to add a wedge of charred lettuce. Go for a compact lettuce that can be cut through the core, allowing the wedge to remain intact. A gem lettuce is ideal.
- Potatoes: use any variety of new or baby potato and keep the skin on for extra flavour.
- Vegetables: I like to use a leek and celery to form the base flavour in the sauce. Then add radish, asparagus and garden peas at various points throughout the cook. These vegetables add great flavour and texture to the dish.
- Fresh herbs: for flavour I like to add crushed garlic and 2-3 springs of fresh tarragon, with the leaved removed and chopped up.
- Wine: I add white wine to the sauce. Add wine that you would happily drink a glass of as it does flavour the entire dish.
- Chicken stock: the final flavour of this dish does hinge on using a good quality chicken stock, either homemade or store bought, to flavour the sauce.
How to make spring chicken
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper and add to the pan. Sauté for 3 minutes then turn the breasts over and cook fur a further 3 minutes on the second side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cut the gem lettuce in quarters, cutting through the core and leave it intact so that you have 4 wedges of lettuce.
- Place the lettuce wedges into the frying pan and sauté for 1 minute on each cut side, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, along with the potatoes and sauté for 3 minutes. Now add the leek and celery and continue to sauté for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the radish and garlic to the pan, along with the white wine. Increase the heat to high and reduce the wine by 3/4 to a syrup like consistency, this will take around 4-5 minutes.
- Now return the chicken to the pan, all with any of the resting juices, and pour over the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add the asparagus, garden peas and tarragon to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through and add a few more minutes if required.
- Finally add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to the pan, stir through and add back the sauteed gem lettuce and cook for 1 minute to warm through in the stock.
- Take the pan off the heat and serve.
Recipe variations
- Chicken – I’ve used whole chicken breast in this recipe, however boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work well in this recipe too. If you prefer to use bone-in, skin-on joints they will work too. Just ensure you adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Vegetables – This is a really versatile recipe so when it comes to vegetables feel free to add those that you and your family enjoy. I’ve opted for a selection of spring fresh vegetables, some of which you might have growing in your own garden at home. However, as the season progress you can swap spring vegetables for any other vegetables, try green beans, courgette (zucchini), bell peppers, tender stem broccoli or kolrabi.
- Fresh herbs – I’ve used garlic and tarragon to flavour the sauce as they both pair really well with chicken. However, feel free to add in any other herbs like basil, parsley, thyme or rosemary.
- No alcohol – If you prefer to leave out the wine complete, you can swap it for some freshly squeezed lemon and some lemon zest which will add acidity to the sauce.
- Low carb – For a lower carb spring chicken casserole, leave the potatoes off the dish and swap in some cauliflower or broccoli florets instead, again adjusting cooking times. Also swap the wine for some lemon juice instead.
- Gluten free – For gluten free spring chicken use a gluten free chicken stock.
- Cream – For a creamier sauce you can finish it with some double cream (heavy cream).
Serving suggestions
This spring chicken casserole is a whole meal in one, so I tend to serve it as it is. If you wanted to add anything you could serve it with some crusty or garlic bread to help mop up the sauce.
Useful hints and tips
- Chicken: Look for even-sized chicken breasts as they will take roughly the same time to cook through. Worth noting that cooking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts, so adjust as required and don’t overcook the chicken, you want it tender and juicy.
- Potato: Cut the new potatoes depending on the size of potatoes used. Smaller baby potatoes can be left whole or cut in half. While larger new potatoes may need to be quartered.
- Only use one pan: Don’t be tempted to use more than one pan. The entire meal is cooked in one pan to keep all the flavour in the dish.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
I start by sautéing the chicken which adds great flavour. However, I then remove it from the pan until I am ready to poach it in chicken stock. The trick with chicken breast is not to over cook it and also when poaching, do so gently at a simmer – no rapid boil needed here! Remember, cooking times do vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you are using.
If the chicken looks to be ready before the potatoes and other vegetables have cooked through, simply remove it from the pan and set aside. You can then add the chicken back into the stock to warm through just before serving. This is the best tip for not overcooking and results in moist and juicy chicken.
Once cooked and cooled, any leftover chicken and vegetables can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. When ready to enjoy simply place into a pan back on the stove and heat until warmed through.
Yes, this dish is easily frozen. Once cooked and cooled, place into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge before warming through on the stove.
It’s worth mentioning that the spring vegetables will not be at their vibrant best once frozen which is why I prefer to enjoy this dish freshly made.
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Additional recipe suggestions
If you like this recipe then try some of my other family favourite chicken recipes:
- Italian Style Chicken
- Chicken & Asparagus Salad
- Creamy Chicken in Tarragon Sauce
- Lemon & Paprika Chicken Kebabs
- Pan-fried Chicken with Bacon & Beans
- Chorizo Bean Stew with Chicken
For other family dining suggestions have a look at my Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners post. In this guide you will find useful hints, tips and lots of recipe suggestions.
One Pot Spring Chicken
Equipment
- Large frying pan or skillet
- chopping board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- weighing scales
- Measuring jug
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 700 g boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 medium chicken breasts)
- 1 tsp sea salt (divided)
- 1 tsp black pepper (divided)
- 1 gem lettuce
- 400 g new potatoes (skin on, halved or quartered depending on size)
- 1 leek (washed and sliced)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 120 g radishes (halved)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 250 ml white wine
- 1 ltr chicken stock
- 230 g asparagus
- 200 g frozen garden peas
- 2-3 sprigs fresh tarragon (leaves removed and chopped)
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper and add to the pan. Sauté for 3 minutes then turn the breasts over and cook fur a further 3 minutes on the second side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cut the gem lettuce in quarters, cutting through the core and leave it intact so that you have 4 wedges of lettuce.
- Place the lettuce wedges into the frying pan and sauté for 1 minute on each cut side, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, along with the potatoes and sauté for 3 minutes. Now add the leek and celery and continue to sauté for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the radish and garlic to the pan, along with the white wine. Increase the heat to high and reduce the wine by 3/4 to a syrup like consistency, this will take around 4-5 minutes.
- Now return the chicken to the pan, all with any of the resting juices, and pour over the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add the asparagus, garden peas and tarragon to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through and add a few more minutes if required.
- Finally add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to the pan, stir through and add back the sauteed gem lettuce and cook for 1 minute to warm through in the stock.
- Take the pan off the heat and serve.
Notes
- Look for even-sized chicken breasts as they will take roughly the same time to cook through.
- Cooking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts, so adjust as required.
- Cut the new potatoes depending on the size of potatoes used. Smaller baby potatoes can be left whole or cut in half. While larger new potatoes may need to be quartered.
- Don’t be tempted to use more than one pan. The entire meal is cooked in one pan to keep all the flavour in the dish.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •