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If you want a little escape from the mundane, make this chicken in wine and mustard sauce! Chicken thighs and legs browned, then braised in white wine and Dijon mustard sauce with a bit of cream.
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out another French classic Cod with Mustard Sauce.
Chicken Dijon
The inspiration for this Mustard Chicken came from a French restaurant we visited in Prague and I immediately knew I had to recreate it at home.
Chicken pieces are seared till a golden and crispy skin forms, then slowly braised in a This is an affiliate link.Dijon mustard sauce in the oven. Just at the end of the cooking time, I add a touch of cream to tame the mustard and to give the sauce creamy texture.
This method creates delicious and tender chicken with the sauce you want to pour on everything. Keep that crusty bread ready!
Mustard Sauce for Chicken
You might want to ask how the sauce with no cheese could be so addictive and delicious. And the answer is good quality mustard.
I am no stranger to cream-based sauces, flavoured with wine and mustard. However, by that point I never made a sauce, which flavour rested solely on a mustard.
Mustard is a heady ingredients and is the key ingredient here! When I first set out to create this recipe I was not sure whether I’d like that much mustard in my sauce.
What mustard should I use?
Here is what I learned. If you don’t like the taste of a certain mustard, chances are you won’t like it in a sauce, so choose the mustard you enjoy and the best quality you can afford.
Start with milder tasting ones, then go for bolder flavours if that’s your preference. I used French Dijon mustard but a good quality This is an affiliate link.wholegrain mustard will also work here.
Just don’t use American yellow mustard, that will surely kill this delicate sauce.
White Wine and Mustard Sauce
Wine has got to be my favourite cooking ingredient, so much flavour with so little effort. It adds acidity, which balances out the cream sauce. Overall, wine brings complexity and layers to the taste of this mustard sauce.
If you would rather not use it, replace with the same amount of apple juice plus 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
In the end, I had the sauce that was creamy in texture but not bland. It was actually quite vibrant and exciting. I would gladly choose this mustard sauce as one of the top 5 things to eat for the rest of my life if I am stuck on a desert island.
Can I use chicken breasts?
I prefer using chicken thighs and legs in most of my recipe because they are 1) more affordable and 2) more flavourful. My daughter is with me on it but my son and my husband are firmly in the chicken breast camp. Men.
I often get asked if chicken breasts could be substituted in my recipes, and the answer is always yes but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. Find out more in the tips and notes below.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Reduce cooking time by good 20 minutes if using skinless and boneless chicken breasts to prevent them from drying out.
- If you decide to go with the chicken thighs and legs option, make sure you brown those pieces until golden brown because pale and soggy chicken skin has got to be one of the worst cooking sins!
- The sauce is not going to be very thick as classic French sauces never are. However, if you like your sauces thicker, add 1 tbsp of flour in step 3 right before you add wine, mustard and chicken stock.
Serving suggestions
Chicken with a delicious sauce like this needs something to soak up all that flavoursome goodness. For that, I usually turn to tasty sourdough bread and a heap of fluffy mashed potatoes, although roast potatoes are pretty great too.
I also like to add a tasty roasted vegetable as well. Almost anything will work, including brussels sprouts and carrots or Tenderstem broccoli. The perfect way to round out the meal!
Storage and leftovers
You’ll be able to keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container. Reheating can be done in a microwave, but I prefer to use my stovetop.
I find it better to reheat in a pan over medium heat. The sauce might become too think, in which case just add a splash of water. Cover with a lid or foil so the chicken doesn’t dry out and let it heat for around 15 minutes or until it is hot all the way through.
More French chicken recipes
- Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Chicken Provencal
- Coq au Vin
- French Chicken Casserole a la Normande
- Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Chicken in Wine and Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 1kg/2 lbs chicken legs and thighs
- salt and pepper
- 2 shallots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3-4 thyme sprigs
- 3 tbsp This is an affiliate link.dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup /125ml white wine
- 1 cup /250ml chicken stock
- 1/2 cup /125ml light cream/single cream, 18% fat content
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
- In a large frying pan heat one tablespoon of olive oil and brown chicken parts seasoned with salt and pepper on each side until golden but not cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate.
- To the same pan add shallots, garlic and thyme leaves and cook over low heat for 5 minutes without getting any colour on them. Add wine, dijon mustard and chicken stock, stir to combine and bring to a boil, then return chicken to the pan, spoon the sauce all over chicken pieces.
- Put in the oven uncovered and cook for 45 minutes.
- Take out of the oven add light/single cream to the sauce, once again baste the chicken in the sauce, put back in the oven and cook for 10 minutes longer.
- Serve with rice, potatoes or roasted vegetables.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
utterly enjoyed it!
This is one of my favorite chicken dinners. I use only chicken thighs, which my hubby prepares nicely by trimming off the excessive fat and skin. The chicken is so tender, while the skin of the chicken remains crispy if you browned it well, despite the delicious sauce that bastes and coats every last inch of the thighs.
I serve it with potatoes or brown rice and some roasted veggies. This night it was carrots and brussel sprouts with browned garlic butter. Wow! I could have licked the plate!😆
I am thrilled this recipe has become a favourite, Melissa!
I’m going to try this with pork chops because that’s what i got, and maybe substitute yogurt for the heavy cream
Pork chops will work well in this sauce but I do not recommend using yogurt as a substitute for the heavy cream. It will definitely separate when heated and especially if combined with acidic mustard.
Made this for dinner this evening. This was an amazing recipe.
Will go in our dinner rotation. Followed recipe to a T.
So glad you enjoyed it, Deborah!