What are rillettes?
It may sound like a trivial question, but once you understand what rillettes are—and the simple principles behind them—a whole universe of chicken, duck, pork, and countless other rillettes suddenly becomes possible. And that’s a wonderful thing.
In essence, rillettes are an age-old way of preserving meat: you gently confit it in fat long enough—just as you do with rillons—for most of the water to evaporate. The happy side effect? The meat turns unbelievably tasty.
Are chicken rillettes healthy?
My motto is simple: why buy processed junk when we can make it ourselves? Better yet, homemade rillettes can even be good for you!
Nutritional facts for rillettes
According to medisite, here’s the breakdown:
Rillettes are about 50 % fat, but roughly half of that is heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids.
Per 100 g serving, you get 15 g of protein.
They also contain less cholesterol than eggs or most cuts of meat.
We’re not pretending homemade rillettes are health food… but considering how effortless they are to make and their exceptional flavor, they’re absolutely worth it—and always better for you than store-bought versions!
Chicken Rillettes Recipe
Tips for Perfect Chicken Rillettes
Use thighs or drumsticks and debone them yourself—the meat is far more flavorful.
Leave the skin on; it enriches the final texture.
No need to chop the pieces unless they won’t fit in the pot—laziness is welcome here. Not only are chicken rillettes delicious, you can make them with minimal effort.
Don’t ignore the browned bits—they’re essential for deep flavor, so this step is non-negotiable, even if it means washing one extra bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless chicken
- 10 g salt
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 4 cloves peeled garlic
- 400 g lard or other animal fat (beef, duck, goose, etc.)
- 1 glass(es) water (start with half a glass; once the fat has melted, make sure the meat is completely covered)
Procédé
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan set over low heat (about 3 out of 10).
- Simmer, uncovered, for 4–5 hours.
- Turn off the heat. Remove and discard the herbs.
- Transfer the meat to a large bowl and pull it into shreds.
- In the pan you’ll see two layers: clear fat on top and dark, intensely flavorful juices underneath. We want to keep both.
- Ladle off as much fat as possible into a separate bowl, leaving mostly the cooking juices in the pan.
- It’s fine if a bit of fat stays behind—pour everything from the pan into the bowl with the chicken and stir well. Your rillettes are ready!
- Potting: Sterilize jam jars or other airtight containers. Layer the mixture and fat—two tablespoons of rillettes followed by one tablespoon of the reserved fat—until the jar is full, finishing with a layer of fat.
- Seal tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, unless you plan to sterilize the jars for longer storage.
