Embrace the simple elegance of traditional French seasonings with this quick and easy recipe for a flavorful main course!
I fell in love while I was studying in France. But I didn’t fall for a boy—it was the complex flavors of herbes de Provence that captured my heart! The family I lived with used the herb mixture in everything from salad dressing to fish fillets to sautéed veggies. I brought some home with me, then felt deep loss when I ran out of it. Luckily, my local grocery store stocks it, though I suspect it’s not as fresh. Le sigh.
This herbes de Provence chicken recipe is quite close to a dish my French mom cooked regularly. She preferred chicken thighs for their richer flavor profile, but I like to use breasts for leanness. Either will work in this recipe, though thighs will render a higher volume of fattier pan juices. And you needn’t worry about white meat drying out because the wine helps it cook up moist and juicy.
Plus, this dish is plate-ready in just over an hour, making it an excellent choice for both weeknights and special occasions. It brings a certain je ne sais quoi to your culinary repertoire!
Ingredient spotlight: herbes de Provence
Herbes de Provence—often shortened to HdP by the pros—is a fragrant blend of dried Mediterranean herbs that evokes the cooking of southern France, especially the sun‑baked hillsides of the Provence region. Traditionally, the phrase herbes de Provence referred loosely to whatever hardy herbs were growing around Provençal kitchens rather than a fixed formula. It wasn’t packaged as a defined mix until the mid‑20th century, when spice companies and cooks like Julia Child helped popularize it abroad. Modern commercial blends usually center on thyme, rosemary, summer savory, marjoram, and oregano, sometimes with extras like basil, tarragon, or lavender—which is more common in North American versions than in most traditional French ones.
To make a simple herbes de Provence mix at home, combine one tablespoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, and summer savory with two teaspoons each of dried oregano and marjoram. Add one teaspoon of dried culinary lavender for a floral note, if you like. Stir to blend and store in an airtight jar at room temp for up to six months.
How do I store leftovers?
Let your herbes de Provence chicken cool completely before storing, but don’t leave it at room temp for more than 2 hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or bags with as much air removed as possible. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave in short bursts until the chicken is steaming hot and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serving suggestions
Serve your herbes de Provence chicken as part of a French-inspired feast. Start with French Onion Soup. Then pair your chicken with Sautéed Carrots and French Onion Mac And Cheese. For the cheese course, present this gorgeous Grand Cru Inspired Cheese Board With Apple Cranberry Chutney. And for le dessert, this Crème Brûlée Recipe will make your guests say “ooh la la!”
Herbes De Provence Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts bone in, skin on
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place the pieces skin-side up in a large ovenproof skillet or baking dish, leaving a little space between each piece.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and honey until smooth.
- Whisk in the herbes de Provence, salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper until evenly combined.
- Pour the honey mixture over the chicken, turning or brushing the pieces so they get evenly coated. Return them to skin-side up.
- Pour the wine around the chicken in the pan.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and an instant‑read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast (without touching bone) registers 165°F. If the skin begins to char before the chicken is cooked through, loosely tent the pan with foil for the last 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, tent loosely with foil to keep warm, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Place the skillet with the pan juices over medium‑high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour and chicken stock together to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the slurry into the boiling pan juices and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve warm.
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