Tender Romanian chicken in cream sauce: this is a typical Romanian recipe for chicken smothered in a rich creme fraiche sauce with dill.
This Romanian chicken recipe is a well-known Moldavian dish, famous throughout the country. Most Romanians have at least heard of it, and many have tried some version of this delicious chicken in cream sauce.
If you like this recipe, check out Chicken Meatballs in Cream Sauce or Creamed Turkey.
You only need two main ingredients: chicken and smetana or crรจme fraรฎche. These affordable ingredients come together to create a meal fit for a king. Originally a peasant recipe, its simplicity rivals, if not surpasses the taste of any fancy dish made with expensive ingredients.
Making this chicken in cream sauce takes very little time and effort. Your kids will love it, and you'll likely find yourself making it over and over again.
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Recipe ingredients
Chicken: Traditionally, you would use a whole chicken, which you would cut into pieces. But you can also use chicken quarters (divided at the joint) or already separated chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks.
Smetana or crรจme fraรฎche: In Romania, smetana is typically used. It's a high-fat sour cream common in Eastern Europe. If you can't find smetana, crรจme fraรฎche is a great substitute.
And if you happen to find smetana and would like to try other recipes using it, how about this Peach Cake with Sour Cream or these Polish Meatballs with Sour Cream Gravy?
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make this Romanian chicken recipe?
- Step #1: Cut the chicken into parts, dry them with paper towels, and sprinkle them with salt.
- Step #2: Sear the chicken along with the chopped onions for 2-3 on each side until golden. Add the garlic during the last few minutes.
- Step #3: Add the stock and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Check!
- Step #4: Mix the smetana or crรจme fraiche with flour and egg yolk. Pour the mixture into the pan, bring to a boil, and let bubble for about 1 minute.
- Step #5: Adjust the taste and add chopped parsley and dill. Serve immediately.
How to serve?
The Romanian chicken in cream is best served with polenta or mamaliga, but if you don't have any, don't like it, or are completely unfamiliar with it, try rice, boiled potatoes, or even pasta (in extreme cases - I consider pasta to be quite un-Romanian).
A green salad with yogurt dressing or shopska salad (without the feta) on the side or even some pickled vegetables like pickled green tomatoes or gherkins would be great as well.
If you go for a salad, I suggest adding an extra tablespoon of vinegar to the vinaigrette; I find the vinegar to cut through the extreme creaminess of the cream sauce very well. But that is just a matter of taste; try it and see how you like it best.
Romanian Chicken in Cream Sauce
Equipment
- Large, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 medium chicken Note 1
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- about 2 cups chicken stock 500 ml, to barely cover the chicken parts
- 1 ยพ cups crรจme fraiche or smetana, 400 ml, Note
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill chopped
- fine sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into pieces: drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breasts. If using only chicken legs, divide them at the joint into chicken thighs and drumsticks. Salt the chicken parts.1 medium chicken
- Sear chicken: Melt the butter in the pan. Sear the chicken pieces until golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, along with the finely chopped onion. Add the garlic during the last 2-3 minutes.1 tablespoon butter + 1 medium onion + 2 garlic cloves
- Add stock: Pour some chicken stock into the pan to cover about ยพ of the chicken.about 2 cups chicken stock/ 500 ml
- Simmer Romanian chicken: Cover, turn the heat down, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. To make sure that the chicken is done, make a small cut into the thickest part of a thigh with a sharp knife, there should be no blood or any pink at all around the bone.
- Add dairy: Mix the smetana or crรจme fraiche with flour and the egg yolk. Pour the mixture into the pan, bring to a boil, and let bubble for about 1 minute.1 ยพ cups crรจme fraiche/ 400 ml + 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour + 1 egg yolk
- Serve cream chicken: Remove from the heat, adjust the taste with salt and pepper, add the chopped parsley and dill, and serve hot with polenta (or rice or potatoes) and salad or pickled vegetables. fine sea salt and black pepper + 2 tablespoons parsley + 2 tablespoons dill
Notes
- Chicken: You can use only chicken thighs and legs (4 thighs and 4 drumsticks).
- Smetana: Romanian cream chicken is traditionally made with smetana, a typical Eastern European sour cream. The best substitute is creme fraiche.
mjskitchen says
What a great little story about the first time you had this dish. Love memories like that. You're right - this does look easy. My kind of dish in so many ways! Love the use of creme fraiche instead of cream.
Balvinder says
This dish sounds delicious. It looks elegant, and I can imagine myself cooking this with chicken legs only.
Love the capture!
Sissi says
(Sorry, I meant "grandfather's". Written too quickly!)
Sissi says
Moldavian cuisine sounds fantastic! Thank you for sharing with us food memories from your childhood. I'm sorry to hear about your father's family...
Shashi at Savory Spin says
Adina - this sounds so comforting - am sorry you didn't get to see your grandfather much after the split - but am glad you shared this amazing recipe with us - thank you for that.
Marvellina says
This looks so scrumptious and you are like me, remember mostly food ? good food that is