Prepare to fall madly in love with this Creamy, dreamy Mustard Chicken Recipe. Classic French dish that tastes outstanding.
Friends, this is going to be a long post, but I get lots of questions so I try to add plenty of information to help you make the best creamy Mustard Chicken ever!
Also, try my 30-minute Honey Mustard Chicken and Mustard Chicken Meatballs
I don't mean to brag, but this is it.
Forget everything you knew about creamy chicken dishes and listen up. I'll be honest with you, I've tried many chicken recipes before, way too many.
I sure can tell you the characteristics of a deliciously cooked chicken.
Jump to:
Now, imagine a perfectly braised falls-off-the-bone chicken swimming in a creamy and flavourful mustard sauce.
It's too irresistible, and words cannot even describe the deliciousness of this recipe.
I said this before and I'll say it again.
French folks sure know good food. I was lucky enough to experience delicious food galore when I visited this beautiful country in the mid of 2000s.
French recipes are unique, often very simple, and absolutely mouthwatering.
Funny though, back then, I didn't try Dijon Mustard Chicken.
I was too obsessed with their French Onion Soup, cheese, and seafood. Can you blame me?
But ever since I started a food blog, I've been dreaming to make recipes from all over Europe.
Being in love with French cuisine, I just couldn't leave creamy Mustard Chicken thighs recipe without proper attention.
French call it Poulet à la Moutarde. Feeling fancy? Call it that way too.
You'll spend most of the 15 minutes browning the chicken and onions. The oven will do the rest while your mouth waters from a great depth of flavor coming from the oven.
Equipment
This is definitely one of the best one-pot recipes.
To make it, I recommend using a Dutch oven. This is the Dutch Oven that I use these days and I'm absolutely in love with this pot.
An alternative version is a good oven-proof cast iron skillet, like this one.
Be prepared to get your hands dirty. Because the mustard sauce for chicken comes out so good, you can't help, but finish the last bits of it before you leave the table.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs, skin-on, and bone-in - you can use chicken breasts, read my Frequently Asked Questions section for substitution tips
- mustards - I used Dijon mustard and whole grain Dijon mustard
- butter
- Creme Fraiche - if you don't have it, read my Frequently Asked Questions section for substitution tips
- chicken broth
- herbs - bay leaf, fresh thyme, parsley
- yellow onion, shallot - the combination of the two contributes to the flavor. That being said, if you only have a yellow onion, you can use it and still have a delicious dish
- salt, pepper
Seasoning
What does mustard do to a chicken? The combination of mustards that go into a marinade tenderizes the chicken and adds great flavor.
In addition, Creme Fraiche that's also used in the recipe makes the sauce extra creamy, rich, and literally irresistible.
Instructions
1. Season the chicken with salt, and pepper and rub with both mustards.
2. In a Dutch oven or big oven-proof skillet, melt butter on medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. To the same pan, add the shallot and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add chicken stock, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add thyme and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the Crème Fraîche and return the chicken back to the pan.
Cook uncovered in the oven at 350 F for 50-60 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
Garnish with parsley and serve immediately!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Substitute Chicken Breasts for Chicken Thighs?
You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs. There is one thing to keep in mind.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast cooks faster than bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs.
To make sure chicken breasts remain juicy, cook them in the oven for no more than 25–30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
That's where an instant meat thermometer comes in handy.
Can I Make creamy French Mustard Chicken Ahead Of Time?
Parts of the creamy Mustard Chicken thighs recipe can be prepared ahead of time.
I recommend sautéing the onions and preparing the sauce 1 day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
On the day when you're ready to serve the dish, brown the dijon chicken, add it to a sauce, and finish everything in the oven.
How Can I Make This Mustard Chicken For A Large Group Of People/Party?
I've been making this recipe for years, but I never actually thought about how to make a batch of it.
But then Thanksgiving 2018 happened and we hosted a party for a large group of family/friends.
Mustard Chicken was the main dish, and there was no way I could fit 16 pieces of chicken thighs into my Dutch Oven pan.
So here's what I did:
1. Working in batches I seared all chicken. To speed up the process I actually used two pans but this is optional.
2. Next, in the same pan I sautéed the onions and prepared the sauce.
3. Finally, I put all the dijon chicken in a large rectangular baking dish, poured over the sauce, and baked it according to the recipe instructions.
So if you ever have to make this recipe for a party, now you know how to make it work:)
How can I substitute Creme Fraiche?
My quickest and easiest solution is to use the combination of heavy cream and sour cream in equal proportions.
So if the recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of Creme Fraiche, you would use 2.5 tablespoons of heavy cream and 2.5 tablespoons of sour cream.
Also, try these chicken recipes
Side dishes
- French Style Mashed Potatoes - full head of roasted garlic, a bit of Crème Fraîche and you have the best-mashed potato recipe ever
- White Basmati Rice - simple and quick side dish that goes really well with saucy and creamy Dijon Mustard Chicken
- Cauliflower and Cucumber Salad - a healthy and easy salad that goes really well with chicken in mustard sauce
Wine pairings
This chicken with mustard sauce pairs really well with medium to full-bodied red wines such as:
Similar Recipes
- Hungarian Chicken Paprikash- authentic and easy one-pan dinner recipe made with pantry staple ingredients
- Chicken With Parmesan-Mustard Sauce - a 30-minute recipe that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal
- Chicken Contadina - traditional Italian recipe with juicy, vegetable-braised chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken - another easy one-skillet meal your family will love
- Chicken Mushroom Stroganoff - you only need 30 minutes to make this yummy and luxurious chicken dish
Recipe
Mustard Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Click on the underlined text below to buy ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on you can use chicken breast, see the tips in the post above
- 6 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 5 tablespoon Crème fraîche see my substitution tips in the post above
- 1 c chicken broth
- 10-15 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 small shallot sliced
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Season chicken with salt, pepper and rub with both mustards.
- In a Dutch oven or big oven-proof skillet melt butter on a medium high heat. Add chicken and brown from both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- To the same pan add shallot and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add chicken stock, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add thyme and bay leaves and bring a mixture to a boil.
- Stir in Crème Fraîche and return chicken back to the pan.
- Cook uncovered in the oven for 50-60 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this Mustard Chicken Recipe, don't forget to snap a picture and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #lavenderandmacarons. I'd love to see your creations.
NLC says
sauce separated. you rub the thighs with mustard before you brown? did not make sense. this was awful. stick to being vegan
Iryna says
NLC, this recipe was made long before I started introducing vegan recipes on this website. It's my most popular recipe for a reason. I made it many times myself, and it never disappointed me. I'm sorry it didn't meet your expectations! However, this website is not a place for rude comments.
Melissa says
Saturated fat content over the roof! Could this turn out well if most of the fat was removed before browning and a light coating of seasoned flour was used for dredging?
Iryna says
I haven't tried it this way, but I believe it would work just fine:)
SithLordMera says
I've made this numerous times and it just never fails to please. Everyone loves it and cannot get enough of that sauce...amazing! I double the sauce for use over potatoes and to just soak up with bread. Good for you? Nope. Good to you, oh my yes!!
Iryna says
SithLordMera, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm very happy you love this recipe:)
Stephen says
When do you add the mustard?
Kat says
Hi! Any way of doing this on the stovetop rather than an oven?
Iryna says
Kat, you can make it on the stove. I would cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 185F.
Kristin says
Love this recipe! I have made it a bunch of times.Such great flavour! Everyone should make this - whole family loves it! Thank you.
Iryna says
Kristin, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy your family enjoyed this recipe.
Janae says
Holy cow this was sooo good! My 3 kids all demolished it. We did have a little mishap when my 8-year-old spilled it leaving a yellow stain on the carpet. Other than that, I will be making it again! Did you happen to know of a good carpet cleaning recipe 😅😂
Iryna says
Janae, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm so happy you and your kids enjoyed this recipe.
Kim says
I bought a cast iron skillet (and seasoned it over the last couple days) just to make this recipe because it looked so good and these are some of my favourite flavours. Wow, I am very happy with myself! Haha! The flavours are perfect. I was wanting more mustard flavour as I ate it, but now, an hour later, the flavour in my mouth is perfect. This is my new chicken thigh recipe. Dee-lish!
Iryna says
Kim, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm so happy you liked this recipe!:) And also, congratulation on the purchase of a cast iron skillet. It's my favorite staple kitchen essential.
Laura says
Can you make this recipe ahead? Either for entertaining or as a care package for a friend? Tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
Iryna says
Parts of the Mustard Chicken recipe can be prepared ahead of time. I recommend sautéing the onions and preparing the sauce 1 day in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
On the day when you're ready to serve the dish, brown the chicken, add it to a sauce, and finish everything in the oven.
Bea says
Fantastic recipe. Used sour cream instead of creme fraiche, but otherwise followed recipe to the letter; so flavorful.
Iryna says
Bea, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Codi says
Pretty good, though a little bland (perhaps it's because I used chicken breasts?). I definitely suggest adding maybe a little seasoning salt to the chicken and adding veggies like broccoli and carrots to the dutch oven as well to roast with the chicken!
Iryna says
Hi Codi! I'm sorry the recipe tasted bland. It's the dish that I love and made many times with great success. As you mentioned, chicken breast might be culprit. I found that chicken thighs work best in this recipe. If you give it a try with the thighs please let me know how it turns out.
Lynne says
Chicken breasts are less flavorful. Did you use bone in breasts with the skin on? Bone marrow adds a lot of
savory flavor. The skin and chicken fat under the skin also add a velvety richness to the sauce and keep the meat from drying out especially because the chicken isn't covered in the oven. Make sure the Dijon mustard you are using has a good sharp flavor. This is an excellent recipe. try again. 😃
meghan says
I love this recipe! so delicious, the chicken is juicy and I can't get enough of the sauce.
is there a version where this can be in a crockpot?
Iryna says
Hi Meghan! No, unfortunately I don't have a crockpot version of this recipe.
Iryna says
To add to my previous comment...if I had to make it in a crockpot, I would first sear the chicken in the pan (I would do all the steps 2-5). Then I would transfer everything in a slow cooker along with Creme Fraiche and herbs and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7 hours. Hope this helps:)
Angela says
I really enjoyed this recipe and will definitely make it again. Mine was not a bright yellow like the picture though. Any thoughts on that?
Jessica says
It was fun to make! My husband loves it with mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the mustard stood out too much for me. I don't like mustard, but thought why not try this. If I were to try this again, I would use way less mustard, and boneless thighs.
Iryna says
Hi Jessica! Thank you for your comment! This recipe is delicious with less mustard as well. Sometimes I hardly have 3 tbsp of mustard and would use whatever I have. Chicken would still come out delicious with subtle mustard flavor.