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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.
This was delicious! I didn’t spoon the sauce over thighs as I wanted the skin to stay crispy but otherwise followed recipe. Easy and wonderful!
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!
Can you substitute creme fraiche for the cream in this recipe? I have it on hand and would like to avoid running to the store.
Hi Natalie, yes that would be absolutely fine.
I made this and it was good. Chicken was so tender. The only problem was my sauce broke. Doing a little research to find out why and how not to do it again. I will make it again.
I am so glad you enjoyed the taste of this chicken, Kristen. There is a number of reasons why sauces split and for this recipe it could be that the temperature was too high. Home ovens temperature vary, so it’s possible yours runs a bit hot. I add the cream in the last 10 minutes to prevent the sauce from breaking but you can also try whisking it in right before serving next time.
This looks delicious! Could I sub full fat coconut milk for the cream and vegetable stock for the chicken stock? I’m hoping to make a little extra sauce for a vegan friend, but also don’t want to compromise on taste!
If I were to veganize this recipe, I wouldn’t mix coconut and mustard, two very dominant flavours, but soya cream or oat cream might work as they have much milder taste.
I first made this in March 2017, within days of reading the recipe. I used a tiny pot of French Dijon mustard that I had brought home from the French country side. It was delicious…
I have made it many times since but have never captured that perfect mustard again. May I ask what brand you are using?
Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I usually use Dijon mustard by the French brand Maille.
I made this last night and loved it. I was short on the Dijon mustard and i need to make it again with the full amount. I only had about 1-1/2 tbsp. Would be ideal for company. Can come out of the oven ready to serve. Love it can be done in one pan.
Thank you for your review, Sharon! I am so glad you enjoyed it and found it easy to make.
I made this last night for my husband. Absolutely delicious! We will have leftovers later in the week.
Thanks so much for shay.
My pleasure, Karen!
Always a hit! Elegant enough for a dinner party. I use boneless chicken thighs. Yummm
Thank you for your lovely review, Christina!
Thank you for this : I made it last night and it was excellent. The sauce was so creamy from the mustard that it hardly needed the cream. I can see us using the sauce in a variety of other dishes.
Glad you liked it, John! I agree the sauce is creamy enough with just the mustard. The cream is added to take the edge off just a tiny bit. 🙂
This recipe was outstanding. That hint of Dijon mustard absolutely made this dish. We will make this recipe again, and again, and again. It was that good!
Thank you so much for a lovely review, James!
Sounds delicious, do you have a recommendation for a non-dairy substitute for the cream? Almond or oat milk maybe?
Hi Tracy, yes I do. My son is dairy intolerant, so we use Alpro Soya cream (Single cream in the UK) regularly. It’s perfect for creamy dishes and the best tasting that I found.
This has become one of my all time favorite things to make! My boyfriend and I love it! It’s so easy, and we can throw it together quickly, and it’s so, so, so good! I would highly recommend it!
I am so, so happy to hear that, Derian! Thank you for such a lovely review!
Delicious! I could literally drink that sauce LOL I’m still sitting at the dinner table as I type this. Love love love! As a born and raised Euro girl, I never met a sauce I wouldn’t just eat as soup 😂 Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure, Anda! This mustard sauce is really quite delicious and works equally well on chicken or fish!
What kind of fish would this be good with? Im thinking white fish but would it work with something like salmon too?
Yes it will work with salmon, halibut or cod, Aggie. I think the only fish it might not work with is sardine. Every other fish is a go! 🙂
Outstanding, very tasty and easy to make, a keeper.
Looks amazingly delicious, thank you! Could I cook on the stove top instead of baking it in the oven?
You certainly can, Bibi. I would just cover it with a lid.
Easy and delicious recipe thank you!
I know this will be great! Can I freeze this??
I haven’t done it, Shirley but I can’t see why not.
Obsessed.
Made this last night and making it again tonight!
This recipe was explained perfectly – so easy to follow and beyond delicious. Thank you!!
PS
Is there anything I can substitute for Dijon to basically make the same thing but with a slightly different flavour – so I can make this multiple times a week!
That’s what I like hearing! 🙂 Thank you so much for such amazing review, Brooke! Please explore my chicken recipes, there will be many more you might enjoy just as much!
5 star for sure! Reminds me of the year I spent in Quebec. All the elements of wonderful French cooking… garlic, thyme, shallots, Dijon, wine and cream. Delicious with mashed potatoes and French peas.
Thanks you so much Mary Beth for such a wonderful review.
I am going to make this sauce today but every time I add cream to sauce it seems to split! Is there a trick o it? I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong
Hi Joanna, turn the heat down to a low simmer before adding cream. High heat is what causing separation. Enjoy!! 🙂
Joanna, if you heat the cream in the microwave to be the same temperature as what you’re adding it to, you don’t get the separation. It’s what I do for cream of tomato soup from scratch.
Great tip, Brenda!
Julia,
Will the skin of the chicken still be crispy after it’s been covered in the sauce for the last 10 minutes? This recipe sounds incredibly good and I can’t wait to try it out. Could I also throw in a few chopped portabella mushrooms?
The sauce doesn’t actually cover the chicken all the way, so the skins stay crispy. Mushrooms sound like a great addition, William.
Can not wait to try this. Looks amazing. Great photos too!
Amazing!!! I found this recipe on Pinterest.
So glad you liked it, Shamila!
I made this and it is to die for.
Sharon
That is great, Sharon! So happy you loved it!
What do you mean light cream/single cream?
These are the terms used for cream with lower fat content depending on the location. I live in the UK, where we have single cream (18%) and double cream (48%).
I live in the US.
Sharon
Some US stores carry table cream, which is lighter than whipping cream but has a higher fat content than half and half. Since half and half is half milk, I don’t think it would work as well for this recipe. Alternatively, you can always use heavy (whipping) cream. It will just make the dish a bit richer. Or you could probably use heavy cream thinned to a lighter consistency with a tablespoon or two of half and half. You will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
Hi, I used half heavy whipping cream and half whole milk, it was wonderful! This recipe will be a weekly regular in our house, it was delicious!!
Thank you for sharing, Debbie.
Made this today and it was amazing.
Really tende andjuicy, definitely worth the trip for groceries at my butcher.
The sauce was fine, but noticed the cream hadnt really mixed nor thickened the sauce. Should i take the chicken out, bring it to a boil and dd the chicken back in?
Would like to know! 🙂
It’s the flour that is added in the beginning that should thicken the sauce, Melissa and the cream just adds creamy texture. If yours isn’t thick enough, you can definitely reduce it more on the stovetop!
How much should i add ?
I didnt see it in the recipe.
I am so sorry but I was actually thinking about a different recipe when replying previously, Melissa! I am out of the country at the moment, traveling with family. No flour for this one but you can definitely reduce your sauce to desired consistency and mix the cream in the sauce lightly after adding. I hope this helps.
Excellent! Really tender and flavorful. Made it twice already and will be making it again. Used leg/thigh quarters and dried thyme to reduce cost.
So happy to hear it, Keith!
I made this in a cast iron skilletband 20 minutes into cooking the sauce is burning in the oven! Too shallow of a pan? Will adding chicken broth help?
Hi Natalie, my guess is your oven temp was too hot. An internal thermometer usually helps with that. 🙂
Rick made this for dinner tonight….it was heaven!!!! and we will be serving it again!
Lovely!! Thanks for letting me know, Lynn! So happy to hear you enjoyed it and didn’t have to cook it yourself! 🙂
I made this for dinner today. It was easy and delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe.
So happy to hear it, Alicia!! We always enjoy this recipe as well!!
I love anything with chicken, Dijon and wine especially in a creamy sauce. My idea of absolute heaven! I was forever avoiding cooking with chicken thighs as they are quite fatty but yes the flavour is so much better especially with the bone in.
I actually looked at a calorie comparison between the two and the difference was something like 25 calories, I think I can live with that. 🙂 I love this chicken so much and my kids went crazy for it!! Vika wanted all the leftovers.
Can i use chicken breast instead of legs and tights?
Hi Alexandra, you sure can, just reduce the cooking time by about a half.