Delia Smith Chicken Casserole Recipe

If you searched for a Delia Smith chicken casserole recipe, I should be upfront: I couldn’t find one with that title on Delia Online. What I found instead is a handful of other sites that use her name and give completely different recipes. So this page does two things. It points you to the chicken casseroles she did publish, and it gives you a plain British chicken thigh casserole that follows the same basic method.

The recipe is mine, and I have no connection to Delia Smith or her team. It uses bone-in chicken thighs, bacon, leeks, carrots and mushrooms in a light gravy. It serves four, it takes about two hours from start to finish, and it needs just one pot. I’ve also checked the oven time against several published versions, because they disagree more than you’d expect.

Jump to the recipe card at the end of this page for exact quantities and a printable version.

What’s in It

This casserole uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, smoked back bacon, onion, carrots, chestnut mushrooms, leeks and garlic. The sauce comes from plain flour, hot chicken stock, thyme and a bay leaf, with olive oil for browning and parsley at the end. You’ll need a lidded, flameproof casserole of about 3.5 litres (6 pints). That is the size Delia asks for in her Chicken in the Pot and Spanish chicken recipes. If your dish can’t go on the hob, brown everything in a frying pan and move it across.

Is This Really Delia Smith’s Chicken Casserole?

No, and I’d rather say so than let you cook the wrong thing. I searched Delia Online for a recipe called chicken casserole and didn’t find one. Her casseroles and stews section lists 53 recipes and I could only see part of that list, so read this as “I couldn’t find it”, not “it doesn’t exist”.

What I did find is a pile of other pages using her name. One has a whole chicken cooked with garlic, lemon and rosemary. Another has thighs with bacon, mushrooms and carrots. A third has potatoes, rosemary and lemon with 600 ml of stock. They can’t all be the same recipe, and I couldn’t trace any of them back to one of her books.

If you want her own chicken casseroles, these are the ones I could confirm on Delia Online:

• Chicken Cacciatora, from Delia’s Complete How to Cook. Jointed chicken simmered gently in tomatoes.
• Chicken Paprika. Part-boned chicken breasts or thighs, finished with soured cream.
• Chicken and Chickpeas, from Delia’s Frugal Food. Quartered chicken, chickpeas, bay and Herbes de Provence, serves 4.
• Chicken in the Pot, Chicken Basque, and Spanish Chicken with Butter Beans, Chorizo and Tomatoes. All three are from The Delia Collection: Chicken.

For my version I took the basic idea from her casserole guide on Delia Online. The meat is in smallish pieces, it cooks in liquid inside the oven where the heat surrounds the pot, and it goes slowly. Everything else, including the quantities and timings below, is my own.

Why I Use Bone-In Thighs

Thighs have more fat and connective tissue than breast, so they stay juicy through a long, gentle cook. The bone and skin also add flavour and body to the sauce. Breast meat dries out quickly in a pot, so if you want to use it, see the FAQs. If you’d like a lighter sauce, take the skin off before browning and use a little more oil.

How I Make It

1. Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas 4) with a shelf in the middle. Pat the thighs dry with kitchen paper and season them well. Cut the bacon into 2 cm pieces, slice the onion, cut the carrots into slices about 1.5 cm thick, cut the leeks into 2.5 cm pieces and halve the mushrooms. Thick carrot slices hold their shape for the full cooking time.
2. Brown the chicken. Heat the oil in the casserole over a medium-high heat. Add half the thighs skin-side down and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until deep golden. Turn them for 2 to 3 minutes, then move them to a plate and repeat with the rest. Browning in two batches stops the pan steaming, and the golden crust is where much of the flavour comes from.
3. Pour off the fat. Thigh skin gives out a lot of fat. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon and leave the dark browned bits in the pot.
4. Soften the base. Add the bacon, onion, carrots and mushrooms. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the bacon has some colour and the mushrooms have let out their water. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
5. Add the flour. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute. This cooks off the raw flour taste and makes a paste that thickens the sauce.
6. Add the stock. Pour in the hot stock a little at a time, stirring well after each addition and scraping up the browned bits. Adding it gradually, and hot, helps avoid lumps. Drop in the thyme and bay leaf.
7. Return the chicken. Nestle the thighs back in skin-side up, so the skin sits just above the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer, then put the lid on.
8. Bake covered. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
9. Add the leeks and finish uncovered. Take the pot out, stir the leeks in around the chicken and keep the skin above the liquid. Return it without the lid for another 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the leeks are soft. The thickest part of a thigh should read at least 75°C on a probe. The meat should also pull easily from the bone.
10. Rest and finish. Leave it for 5 minutes with the oven off and the lid off. Spoon any fat from the surface, then remove the thyme stalks and bay leaf. Taste and season at the end, because the bacon and stock are both salty. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

The Oven Mismatch Nobody Explains

Published chicken casseroles can’t agree on the oven. I found temperatures from 160°C to 180°C and times from under an hour to two hours. Here are the ones I could check, next to mine.

My reading is that the oven temperature matters less than three other things: how big the pieces are, whether the skin is on, and how much liquid there is. Skinless thighs in a small amount of liquid cook quickly. Whole joints with a lot of liquid and potatoes need much longer. Anything from 160°C to 180°C works if you adjust the time, and I picked 180°C because it thickens the sauce nicely in the uncovered stage. A fan oven runs hotter at the same dial setting, so set it about 20°C lower than a conventional one. Check your manual if you’re unsure.

The Dish Size Nobody Mentions

Delia’s chicken recipes for four use a 3.5 litre lidded casserole. Here is how I’d scale this one. This is my own maths. I multiplied the thighs, stock and flour, then chose a dish that leaves it about two thirds full. These sizes come from calculation and from the dish sizes in her recipes, not from cooking each batch, so check the chicken with a probe. Scale the bacon, vegetables and garlic by the same amount.

For six, I’d add 5 minutes to the covered stage because a fuller pot takes longer to come up to heat. That’s my reading, not a tested figure. For eight, two dishes are easier than one huge one, and the chicken browns better in smaller batches.

Skin Side Up Keeps the Skin Out of the Gravy

Braised chicken skin will never be crisp like roast skin, but it doesn’t have to be pale and slippery either. If the skin sits above the liquid and the lid comes off for the last 20 minutes, it stays golden and firm enough to enjoy. Drown it and it turns soft and fatty. This is also why the stock is 500 ml for eight thighs. More than that and the chicken sits in it.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

1. Pale, bland sauce. The cause is usually a crowded pan or a pan that isn’t hot enough. Brown the thighs in two batches and scrape up the browned bits when the stock goes in.
2. Thin, watery sauce. This happens when there’s too much stock or the lid stays on the whole time. Keep the uncovered stage. If it’s still thin, mix 1 teaspoon of cornflour with a little cold water, stir it in and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Lumpy gravy. The flour went into cold liquid or the stock went in all at once. Add hot stock slowly. If you already have lumps, whisk hard or push the sauce through a sieve.
4. Greasy top. Skin-on thighs give out a lot of fat. Spoon it off after browning and again before serving. If you’re making it ahead, chill it and lift the set fat off the next day.
5. Soggy leeks. They went in too early. Add them with 20 minutes to go.
6. Too salty. Bacon and stock cubes both bring salt. Use low-salt stock and season only at the end.
7. Tough meat near the bone. The chicken needs longer. Thighs have a lot of connective tissue that softens with time, so put the lid back on and give it another 10 to 15 minutes.

Variations and Swaps

• White wine: replace 100 ml of the stock with dry white wine and let it bubble for a minute before adding the rest.
• Creamier: stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of crème fraîche at the end with the heat off. Mary Berry’s version adds it near the end too.
• Skinless thighs: brown them in a little extra oil and expect a lighter, less rich sauce.
• Boneless thighs: my reading is that they need about 35 to 40 minutes in the oven rather than 65. Cut them into big chunks and check them early.
• Gluten free: skip the flour. Once the casserole is cooked, stir in 1 tablespoon of cornflour mixed with cold water and simmer for 2 minutes. Check your stock is gluten free too.

What to Serve With It

Buttery mashed potato is the classic partner because it soaks up the gravy. Crusty bread, rice or tagliatelle all work too. For something green, try steamed cabbage, kale, peas or green beans. There are no potatoes in the pot on purpose, so you can choose the side and the leftovers freeze better.

Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing

Make ahead. Delia’s own getting-ahead advice for her Chicken Cacciatora is to brown the chicken and cool it, make the sauce up to the point where the chicken goes in, chill both, and finish the next day with a few extra minutes because everything starts cold. I’d use the same idea here. Do steps 1 to 6 the day before, chill the chicken and sauce separately, then on the day combine them and bake covered for 50 minutes before adding the leeks. That’s my adaptation, so check that the chicken is piping hot all the way through.

Fridge. Cool the casserole quickly, ideally within about 2 hours, then cover and chill for up to 2 days. Reheat gently until it is steaming hot all the way through.

Freezer. Delia says most casseroles freeze well, and other published chicken casseroles say the same. Freeze portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months, which is the usual guidance. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot throughout. The leeks and mushrooms will be softer afterwards.

FAQs

Did Delia Smith publish a chicken casserole recipe?

I couldn’t find one titled that on Delia Online. She has several chicken casserole style recipes, including Chicken Cacciatora, Chicken Paprika and Chicken and Chickpeas.

What temperature do you cook chicken casserole in the oven?

Published recipes use anywhere from 160°C to 180°C. This one uses 180°C (160°C fan, gas 4).

How long does chicken thigh casserole take in the oven?

Bone-in, skin-on thighs need about 65 minutes at 180°C here: 45 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered. Skinless thighs in less liquid can be done faster.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes, but it dries out quickly. Delia simmers part-boned breasts for just 20 to 25 minutes in her Spanish chicken with butter beans. I’d add bone-in breasts for the last 30 minutes of oven time, which is my reading rather than a tested time.

How do I thicken chicken casserole?

The flour in this recipe does most of the work, and the uncovered stage reduces it further. For a thicker sauce, stir in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with cold water and simmer for 2 minutes.

Can I make it on the hob instead?

Yes. Delia describes casseroling as oven cooking and stewing as hob cooking. For the hob, keep the heat very low with the lid on and stir now and then. Allow about an hour and check the chicken with a probe.

Do I have to brown the chicken first?

It isn’t needed for safety, but it adds a lot of flavour and renders fat from the skin. If you skip it, the sauce will taste flatter and look paler.

Can I freeze chicken casserole?

Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool it quickly, freeze it in portions, defrost it in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot.

One Last Thing

If you came for Delia’s own recipe, start with her Chicken Cacciatora or Chicken and Chickpeas on Delia Online. If you want a plain thigh casserole with bacon and leeks, this one is ready for a weeknight. Cook it once as written, check the chicken with a thermometer, and season at the end.

Nancy Wilson

Chicken Casserole with Bacon, Leeks and Mushrooms

A one pot British casserole of bone-in chicken thighs, bacon, carrots, leeks and mushrooms in a light gravy. Baked at 180°C for 65 minutes, it serves four.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

resting 5 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Calories: 525

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the casserole

• 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, about 900 g in total
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g smoked back bacon cut into 2 cm pieces
• 1 large onion sliced
• 300 g carrots peeled and cut into 1.5 cm slices
• 200 g chestnut mushrooms halved
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 tbsp plain flour heaped
• 500 ml hot chicken stock
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 g leeks about 2, cut into 2.5 cm pieces and washed well

To finish

• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

• Lidded flameproof casserole, about 3.5 litres (6 pints)
• Chopping board and sharp knife
• Tongs and a wooden spoon
• Large spoon for skimming fat
• Digital probe thermometer (optional but useful)

Method

 

1. Heat oven. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas 4) with a shelf in the middle.
2. Prep everything. Pat the thighs dry and season them. Cut the bacon, onion, carrots, leeks and mushrooms as listed.
3. Brown chicken. Heat the oil in the casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown half the thighs skin-side down for 7 to 8 minutes, turn for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove. Repeat with the rest.
4. Pour off fat. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat, keeping the browned bits in the pot.
5. Soften base. Add the bacon, onion, carrots and mushrooms and cook over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
6. Add flour. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add stock. Pour in the hot stock a little at a time, stirring and scraping the base. Add the thyme and bay leaf.
8. Return chicken. Put the thighs back skin-side up, with the skin above the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer and cover.
9. Bake covered. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
10. Add leeks. Stir the leeks in around the chicken and bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the thickest part of a thigh reads at least 75°C.
11. Rest and serve. Rest for 5 minutes, skim off any fat and remove the thyme stalks and bay leaf. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes

• Fan oven: 180°C conventional is 160°C fan or gas 4. Check your oven manual if it runs hot or cool.
• Dish size: a 3.5 litre (6 pint) lidded flameproof casserole leaves the pot about two thirds full. For other serving sizes, see the scaling table in the article.
• Timing cue: the sauce should coat the back of a spoon and the meat should pull easily from the bone. If not, cover and give it another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Thin sauce: stir in 1 teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little cold water and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Storage: cool within about 2 hours, then chill for up to 2 days or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.
• Salt: bacon and stock are salty, so only season at the end.

Have You Tried This Chicken Casserole Recipe?

I’d love to hear how your Delia Smith Chicken Casserole Recipe turned out! Did you serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, or crusty bread? Or did you add your own twist?

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