Creamy Mustard Chicken is an easy 30-minute family dinner made with golden, juicy chicken breast in a rich and creamy dijon and wholegrain mustard sauce with garlic, parmesan and thyme. Serve it over buttery mashed potato with steamed greens for a comforting weeknight dinner that tastes far more impressive than the effort it takes to make.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Ingredients
Chicken
2boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make thinner steaks (for chicken thighs, see note 1)
1tspsea salt flakes
¼tspfreshly cracked black pepper
1tspsweet paprika
35gplain (all-purpose) flour (use gluten-free flour to make the recipe gluten-free)
1tbspolive oil
Sauce
125mlchicken stock
2tbspunsalted butter
1tbspfreshly minced garlic
300mlthickened (whipping/heavy) cream
1tbspdijon mustard
1tbspwholegrain mustard
1tspfresh thyme (can be substituted with dried thyme)
Prepare the chicken – Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking (parchment) paper and pound to an even thickness if needed. Season both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika, then lightly coat in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Cook the chicken – Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Cook the chicken for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil.
Start the sauce – Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any golden bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Build the sauce – Add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly.
Finish the sauce – Stir in the thickened cream, dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, thyme and honey. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil rapidly) and cook for 3–4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
Add the parmesan – Reduce the heat to low. Stir through the parmesan until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Return the chicken – Nestle the chicken back into the sauce along with any resting juices. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until the chicken is heated through and coated in the creamy mustard sauce.
Serve – Spoon the chicken and plenty of sauce over creamy mashed potatoes. Serve with steamed green beans and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Notes
Note 1 – Chicken thighs Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breast. Cook them a little longer (6–8 minutes per side, or a total cooking time of 12–16 minutes). Pound the chicken thighs to an even thickness if needed.
Make Ahead
Creamy Mustard Chicken is a great recipe to prepare ahead for busy weeknights. The complete dish can be made ahead, see the Leftovers instructions below.
Leftovers
Store any leftover Creamy Mustard Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat (stovetop) – Warm gently over low heat until the chicken is heated through, stirring the sauce occasionally. Add a splash of chicken stock or cream if needed to loosen the sauce.
To reheat (microwave) – Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring the sauce between each burst, until piping hot.
Freezing – Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The cream sauce may separate slightly after freezing, but a gentle stir while reheating usually brings it back together.
Leftover tip – Slice any leftover chicken and serve it over pasta, spooned onto toasted sourdough, or tucked into a toasted (grilled) sandwich with baby spinach and extra parmesan for an easy lunch.VariationsAdd mushrooms – After cooking the chicken, add 200–250 g (7–9 oz) sliced mushrooms to the same pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened and golden. Remove and set aside with the chicken, then continue with the sauce as written. Return the mushrooms to the pan with the chicken at the end.Add spinach – Stir two large handfuls of baby spinach through the finished sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until just wilted, before returning the chicken to the pan.Add bacon – Before cooking the chicken, add 150 g (5 oz) diced bacon to the pan and cook until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Reduce the olive oil slightly if needed, then cook the chicken as per the recipe. Stir the bacon through the sauce just before serving.
Recipe source
Thank you to Kim Coverdale for your help developing this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Mustard Chicken
Amount per Serving
Calories
615
% Daily Value*
Fat
50
g
77
%
Saturated Fat
28
g
175
%
Trans Fat
2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
15
g
Cholesterol
146
mg
49
%
Sodium
1608
mg
70
%
Potassium
322
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
21
g
7
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
5
g
6
%
Protein
21
g
42
%
Calcium
241
mg
24
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.