Petits Pois a la Francaise with Chicken

Petits Pois a la Francaise with Chicken is the perfect dish for entertaining family style. This colourful, fragrant dish looks wonderful being carried steaming hot to the table and it always meets with rave reviews.

Lightly updated April 2026 with some new tips and fresh photos.

Petit Pois a la Francaise is a classic French side dish consisting of fried bacon lardons, green onions (scallions), fresh tiny peas, chicken stock and wilted lettuce. It’s served alongside many things in France but I love the way this recipe actually incorporates it into the dish itself.

I was inspired once again by Nigella Lawson – this is an adaptation of a recipe from her book ‘Kitchen‘ (affiliate link). Nigella’s books are all so good I find it hard to choose a favourite but Kitchen is definitely one of my top three!

Tips for Making This Recipe

Petits Pois a la Francaise with Chicken has hard (alcoholic) cider in place of chicken stock but if you need to avoid alcohol then you can use chicken stock instead.

The two types of tarragon (dried and fresh) create wonderful layers of flavour, so if you can do use them both.

Add the shredded lettuce at the very last minute – you want it to wilt but not look too wilted or grey. The beauty of this dish is its bright green colour.

Use a shallow casserole that will go from stove top to oven to table for this recipe if you can. This is the one that I use (affiliate link).

How to Serve

There is a lot of broth in Petits Pois a la Francaise with Chicken so it is good served with mashed potatoes or crushed new potatoes. It’s also nice with rice.

I definitely recommend serving some crusty bread alongside to mop up the juices, preferably a baguette to stay in the French spirit.

Petits Pois à la Française with Chicken – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Petit Pois a la Francaise with Chicken

Course Main Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 6

Based on a traditional French recipe, Petits Pois a la Francaise with Chicken is an easy, one pot meal all the family will love.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 teaspoons mild olive oil
• 3 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
• ½ cup pancetta cubes You can also use lardons or chopped bacon
• 6 skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons freeze-dried tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1½ cups medium-dry alcoholic cider
• 1½ cups frozen petit pois
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Little Gem or small Romaine lettuces, shredded
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large wide stove to oven casserole with a lid over medium heat.
• Add the leeks and cook, uncovered, for a moment or two.
• Toss in the pancetta, lardons or bacon and continue to cook until the meat they start to brown up a little.
• Add the chicken breasts to the pan, nesting them in amongst the pancetta and leeks.
• Cook for about five minutes, then turn the chicken and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Add the cider, garlic, dried tarragon, salt and pepper.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn back to a simmer over low heat.
• Put the lid on the pan and cook for about 15 minutes. Check that the chicken nearly done. (It should have an internal temperature approaching 165°F or 74°C.)
• Stir in the mustard and the peas and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes more.
• When the chicken is cooked (165°F or 74°C internal temperature with no pink remaining inside), toss the shredded lettuce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chopped fresh tarragon. The lettuce should wilt a little but you don't want it to get too limp.
• Serve over mashed potatoes, crushed new potatoes or rice with crusty french bread to mop up the juices.

Notes

Slightly adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson.

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If you enjoyed this recipe you may also enjoy Poulet au Vinaigre de Vin