Everybody will love this Chicken in Creamy Mustard Sauce. It’s just 4 base ingredients – chicken breast or thighs, cream, Dijon mustard and wholegrain mustard. Optionally bump the dish up another rung with the addition of fresh tarragon and parsley too!
Chicken with creamy mustard sauce
This is one of those recipes that will save you on those nights you’re staring at chicken breast or thighs and wondering, “What the heck am I going to make for dinner, fast?”
Here, chicken is seared until golden and served with a creamy mustard sauce that takes barely a minute to come together. The trick to making such a simple cream sauce delectable is to mix the cream with 2 types of mustard. Dijon is there for its smooth and mild mustard flavour as well thickening power, while wholegrain mustard adds visual interest and lovely pops of mustard seeds.
If you want a truly guest-worthy version, there’s the option to add fresh tarragon. This soft herb is commonly used in French cuisine, and has a delicate but distinct flavour that goes wonderfully with anything creamy. It really gives this sauce a restaurant-like vibe. Try it once and you’ll understand exactly what I mean!
What you need for this dish
Here’s all you need to make this simple-yet-fabulous chicken dinner:
Chicken – While I prefer to make this with thighs because they’re juicier and require no prep, it will work just as well with chicken breast.
Other proteins – This sauce and same cook method will work perfectly with thin pork chops, turkey steaks or white fish fillets.
Cream – The creamy base for the sauce. It’s best to use thickened / heavy cream as you get a head start on thickening the sauce. However, it will also work with ordinary pouring cream.
Low fat cream – It will work but the sauce will not have the same luscious mouthfeel due to the lower fat content. The sauce will also be thinner for the same reason.
Dijon mustard – This plus the cream are the two key ingredients for the sauce. Dijon is a smooth, mildly-flavoured mustard that adds flavour as well as thickening the sauce. While not all Dijon mustards are created equal, there’s no need to use a pricey gourmet Dijon here. Just your everyday brands are fine.
Wholegrain mustard – The mustard seeds add visual interest as well as little pops of faint pungency in this sauce. Because this sauce is so simple as it is, I really urge you to use this mustard, but it’s handy to know that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have it either. Just dial up the Dijon by an extra teaspoon or so to compensate.
Make it dinner party-worthy with fresh herbs
The mustard cream sauce is delicious as-is but the addition of fresh herbs really gives the sauce a bit more finesse. Here are the herbs that I like to use:
Tarragon – This herb has a mild aniseed flavour with subtle vanilla undertones. It’s commonly paired with both chicken and cream in French cuisine, which means I automatically think it gives this sauce a “fine dining” pedigree of sorts! 😂
Fresh parsley – For a hint of freshness but more for colour than flavour.
How to make Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce
If you’re using boneless chicken thighs as I’ve done, there’s no prep required. However, if you’re using chicken breast, you’ll need to split each breast in half to form 2 thin steaks. For the best results, I’d also recommend pounding them to an even thickness to both tenderise and cook through evenly.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. (Note: If using breast, cut in half to form 2 thin steaks, and pound into 1 cm / 1/3-inch even thickness).
Cook chicken – Sear the chicken until golden and cooked through.
– Thighs: Use medium-high heat; 4 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 minutes on the second side.
– Breast: It will only take around 2 minutes on each side over high heat.Pro tip: Don’t use a non-stick pan. The secret to a great pan sauce is the residual golden bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan after searing the meat (called fond in French). They’re packed with meaty, umami-laden flavours and dissolve into the sauce once you add liquid to the pan.
However, if you use a non-stick pan, you will not get fond. So it is best to use a cast-iron skillet or other heavy-based pan that does not have a non-stick coating to encourage fond development – we want a little sticking!
Remove chicken to a plate. The chicken will rest while we make the sauce. Resting meat is a key step with any cooked protein. Resting time allows the juices to re-settle within the meat so when you cut into the chicken to eat it, the juices stay in the meat instead of bleeding on to the plate. Wasted meat juices are the tears of weeping food angels …
Scrape out and discard any loose burnt bits so you don’t end up with black bits littered in your sauce.
Sauce – To make the sauce, simply put the cream and both mustards into the pan and stir until the mustard has dissolved. Scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir if you can feel the fond still stuck, to get all that good stuff into the sauce. Keep heating the sauce until it’s hot and that’s all you need to do. You don’t even need to bring it to a simmer, nor do you need to reduce to thicken the sauce as the dijon mustard thickens it for us.
Stir in the herbs right at the end, which preserves their fresh vibrancy. Adjust the sauce consistency if needed with a tablespoon of water.
Serve – To serve, simply place a piece of chicken on the plate and spoon over the sauce. The recipe makes about 2/3 cups of sauce which is plenty for the chicken with some leftover to also sauce up your mash or vegetable sides!
What I serve with this
For a speedy dinner option, I served this today with a Rocket Salad (though I skipped the parmesan) and a bread roll for mopping my plate clean.
Other starchy options for sauce-mopping include mash, rice, everybody’s favourite no-knead Crusty Artisan Bread or pasta. Try it with a Mega Italian Salad on the side, a fresh Garden Salad or a big pan of roasted vegetables.
I’d love to know if you try this! Let me know what you think. 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chicken in Creamy Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
- 700g / 1.4 lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless boneless (4 – 6 pieces, Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Creamy mustard sauce:
- 1/2 cup thickened/heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 tbsp water , as needed
Optional herbs:
- 2 tsp fresh tarragon , finely chopped (Note 2)
- 2 tsp parsley , finely chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken with the salt and pepper.
- Sear chicken thighs – Heat oil in a large pan that is not non-stick over medium-high heat. (Note 3) Place chicken in pan smooth side-down and cook for 4 minutes or until deep golden. Turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes until cooked through (internal temperature 72°C/162°F, Note 4). Remove to a plate.
- Breast – If using breast (prepared per Note 1), sear on high for 2 minutes on each side, target temp 67°C/153°F.)
- Clean pan – Scrape any loose black bits out of the pan and discard.
- Make sauce – Return the pan to medium heat. Add cream and both mustards. Mix with a wooden spoon until mustard dissolves, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Once sauce is hot but not simmering, stir in salt, pepper and herbs (if using). If getting too thick loosen with a touch of water.
- Serve – Place chicken on serving plates. Spoon over sauce. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Thighs – pull off stove at 72°C/ 162°F, rises to 76°C/169°F after resting
- Breast – pull off stove at 67°C/153°F, rises to 71°C/160°F after resting
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
That time Dozer couldn’t attend an event with me so the organisers made a giant cut out of him to sit by my side on the stage. 😂 I’ll be doing a book tour update post soon where I’ll share more details about this event. I even did a cooking demo on stage!
I have half the amount of cream needed on hand. I also have lots of buttermilk. Could I use half heavy cream and half buttermilk? Or would that be too funky?
Yes you could. I might add something to soften the flavour of the buttermilk such as a tough of honey or some apple juice (I usually make a dish like this with the juice and boil it down with the cream). But taste it without the sweetener first to see if you like it with as is. Good luck.
Ahhh, I didn’t think to use honey. Great idea. And if it’s a bit much I’d just make it a honey mustard sauce … who’s gonna know?! I ended up adding yogurt instead and it turned out fantastic. Family wants this again and I couldn’t be happier to make this impressive, super fast, easy & affordable meal.
Big hit! I used to cook a similar creamy mushroom, white wine, chicken dish, but this tops it. Love the pops of mustard seed. I used dried tarragon and it seemed fine. Might have to plant some! Thanks 🙏
Love this recipe – is it suitable to freeze?
How can I make a lactose free cream sauce?
We originally used a ratio of 1/3 heavy cream and 2/3 Lactaid (lactose-free) whole milk and that worked really well. Next time, we’ll use just Lactaid whole milk. (I’ve seen that you can add oil to the milk to get the right “thickness” but we will skip that and just simmer the sauce a bit longer to cook it down. It will be a little bit thinner but still great. Another option is to add a bit of flour or arrowroot powder to help thicken the sauce.)
This recipe is incredibly quick and tasty and has instantly been added to the favourites list! Made with chicken breast and chicken was perfect. My 1 year old loved it too.
Hi, could I use this sauce with corned silverside ?
Love all your recipes, thank you.
This Chicken in Creamy Mustard Sauce was so easy and so delicious. I often skip over recipes with mustard sauce, but am glad I tried this one. I made with chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks. And, I deglazed the pan with a splash of dry vermouth (no white wine open), which I cooked out before adding the cream. I used quality dried French tarragon from Curio in Somerville, Mass. Served with basmatic rice and raw, slivered Brussels sprouts salad.
Yum yum yummmmm!! I made this and it was absolutely divine! I added some marinated artichoke hearts, sautéed mushrooms and red peppers but did eat quite a bit of the sauce alone during the “tasting phase” and will say without my veggie additions it will WOW anyone who eats it!!! Another favorite recipe from my absolute favorite, Nagi!
I made the Creamy chicken last night and what a winner. Quick and easy and I had all the ingredients so did not have to leave home.
BIG THANKS IF FIND YOUR RECIPES ARE ALWAYS A SUCCESS
I love this recipe so much. I’ve used dried tarragon in the past, but plan to plant it so I have fresh on hand. Not only is it a pretty plant, but so yum with chicken! Another winner Nagi, thank you. (Also great if doing keto or a low carb diet)!
This looks so delicious Nagi, can’t wait to make it. However I’ve been warned off seeds to avoid gut problems so hoping it will still have the same flavours with all Dijon. I’m loving French flavours at the moment and I have tarragon growing in my garden so this is perfect.
Can this be done in the slow cooker?
Nagi, any reason I can’t use thighs with the skin on? I like the skin….
Friend sent this recipe to me yesterday and I made it for lunch today. Left the skin on. Adapted it to my air fryer. Was delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes so freely. You are a very caring generous and talented person.
Yum! A restaurant that used to be on Glebe Point Road (I think it was called Café Troppo and this is going back to the late 80s) had something similar on the menu. I actually recreated it but didn’t use Dijon, only the seeded mustard so I’m definitely trying your version next time. So good! Can’t wait to receive your book here in Canada.
I have to say I’ve made this for years and agree with all you say apart from the mustard, I used a Coles brand recently and it just didn’t taste the same. Michael
Interesting Michael!! Was that for the Dijon?? Maille is my fave from grocery stores but I use Masterfoods a lot for everyday cooking. 🙂 N x
What can I substitute for the heavy cream if I am dairy free (lactose intolerent)? Thank you.
We originally used a ratio of 1/3 heavy cream and 2/3 Lactaid (lactose-free) whole milk and that worked really well. Next time, we’ll use just Lactaid whole milk. (I’ve seen that you can add oil to the milk to get the right “thickness” but we will skip that and just simmer the sauce a bit longer to cook it down. It will be a little bit thinner but still great. Another option is to add a bit of flour or arrowroot powder to help thicken the sauce.)
Hi Ngai:
I signed up for a copy of your Cook Book thru Amazon in the U.S, but it appears that the availability date is in question. Would you be able to give an estimate date?
I’m not sure if this is helpful, but U.S. Amazon indicates the title release is Feb. 21, 2023, which is the same when I ordered through Barnes & Nobles.
How ’bout if I come to Australia to dog-sit Dozer while you do your book tour?? It’s about a 15-hour flight but it would be so worth it to meet both of you. I miss my Goldens very much…tears in my eyes wheneveer I think of them. Sigh.. We now have 2 rescues of varied parentage, and they are very cute, but there is just something about those
goldens……….
Nagi,
What brand utensils do you use?