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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.
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.