French Mustard Cream Chicken (Printable View)
Tender chicken in creamy Dijon mustard sauce with shallots, garlic, and herbs. A classic French dish ready in 45 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6–7 oz each)
→ Seasoning
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ For Searing
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Sauce Ingredients
06 - 2 shallots, finely chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
09 - 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
10 - ½ cup dry white wine
11 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
12 - ½ cup heavy cream
13 - 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
→ Garnish
14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# How-To Steps:
01 - Pat chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. Sear chicken 4–5 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Transfer to plate and rest.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped shallots to rendered drippings; sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Stir in Dijon and whole-grain mustards, coating aromatics evenly. Pour in white wine, scraping browned fond from pan bottom. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Add chicken stock and bring to gentle simmer. Pour in heavy cream and sprinkle fresh thyme leaves. Stir to incorporate fully.
06 - Return seared chicken to skillet, nestling into sauce. Cover and cook 10–12 minutes over medium-low heat until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F and sauce thickens to coat spoon.
07 - Taste sauce and adjust salt or pepper as needed. Sauce should balance creaminess with mustard sharpness.
08 - Transfer chicken to serving plates. Spoon generous amount of mustard sauce over each portion. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered for hours
- Its equally impressive for dinner guests or a solo Tuesday night treat
02 -
- Letting the chicken rest for a few minutes after searing keeps it juicy when it returns to finish cooking in the sauce
- The sauce continues thickening as it stands, so remove it from heat slightly earlier than you think necessary
03 -
- Room temperature cream incorporates more smoothly into the sauce without risk of curdling
- Keep a small bowl of warm water nearby to dip your spoon in when tasting the sauce, so the temperature does not fool your palate