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This mustard chicken recipe is a fresh twist on the French classic!
Chicken Dijon is infused with minced rosemary and simmers to perfection in a creamy white wine sauce. Have it on the table in under 30 minutes!
You don’t have to be Julia Childs to cook up a delicious French-inspired chicken dish at home. One of the more simple French recipe to perfect is Chicken Dijon!
The secret to this mustard chicken recipe is to first properly season the meat with salt and pepper. Then, simmer it in the sauce until it absorbs all the flavor and becomes fork-tender.
This white wine and Dijon mustard sauce for chicken is tangy and a little bit sharp, yet mild enough to be pleasing. Up your weekday dinner game with this simple Chicken Dijon recipe or use up leftover mustard for a delicious oven-roasted pork tenderloin.
Craving comfort food? You’ll love my Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole or this canned-free version with broccoli and yellow curry powder.
Key ingredients & substitutions for Chicken Dijon
- Chicken cutlets — Purchase these ready-to-go or make your own from boneless, skinless breasts. To make four servings, you’ll need about a pound total.
- Flour and fresh rosemary — Adding fresh rosemary to the flour for dredging gives the dish so much flavor and freshness. Chop up some extra to sprinkle over the dish at the end as well.
- Dijon mustard — The sharp, tangy taste is the base for the sauce. Dijon mustard is a condiment from France made from black mustard seeds and white wine or verjuice, the acidic green juice from grapes. I prefer to use a stone-ground version like the one by Grey Poupon.
- White wine — Do not substitute cooking wine! The flavor is simply no good. Always cook with wine that you wouldn’t mind drinking by itself. Not only will you enjoy how it tastes, but you’ll probably already have a bottle on hand.
- Heavy cream — This makes the mustard sauce for the chicken extra creamy and rich. For a lighter option, use half and half instead.
- Olive oil and butter — Using both fats together to fry the chicken adds incredible flavor and prevents burning.
- Minced garlic — Use fresh cloves whenever possible for the best flavor.
How to make this mustard chicken recipe?
STEP 1 | Season the meat
Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. In a shallow dish, combine the flour and rosemary, then dredge the cutlets in the mixture and shake off the excess.
STEP 2 | Pan fry the cutlets
Heat butter and oil together in a large skillet. Once the butter starts to foam, place the chicken in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp and golden brown, then remove to a plate.
STEP 3 | Make the sauce
Deglaze the pan with some of the white wine and add the minced garlic. Once fragrant, stir in the cream, remaining wine, and mustard. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.
STEP 4 | Simmer the chicken
Nestle the cutlets down into the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining rosemary. Simmer over medium-low heat until the meat is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
The sauce will reduce and thicken and the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
tips
- Remember that butter will smoke at a high temperature, so add the chicken as soon as the butter is melted and foamy.
- If you’re not a wine drinker, any bottle of Chardonnay at a mid-range price will do the trick. Or, substitute chicken broth for an alcohol-free version of this chicken dijon recipe.
Frequently asked questions
The main difference between these two condiments is the taste. Yellow mustard is milder, while Dijon mustard is sharper and tangier.
You could substitute the yellow variety in mustard sauce for chicken, but you would miss out on all those lovely flavors! In a pinch, you can make your own Dijon mustard by combining one tablespoon of dry mustard powder with one tablespoon of mayonnaise. Then, stir in a pinch of sugar with a teaspoon each of white wine vinegar and water.
If you’re feeling really adventurous — and have some elbow muscle — you may even want to try making homemade Stone-Ground Mustard from scratch! Grind up brown mustard seeds with a mortar and pestle and combine with a few more pantry staples.
Absolutely! Store cooked chicken with the sauce in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Reheat on the stove until the meat is warmed through, adding a splash of cream as needed to loosen the sauce.
Serving suggestions
I love to pair this mustard chicken recipe with fresh green beans and fingerling potatoes. You could even toss the green beans in the pan after you deglaze and let it cook all together!
Chicken Dijon is just as delicious over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes to soak up any leftover sauce. If you’re still craving some greens, add a handful of spinach towards the end up simmering.
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Chicken Dijon
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary divided
- 4 chicken cutlets 1 lb.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups white wine or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons stone ground Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary in a shallow bowl. Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat until the butter starts to foam.
- Cook the chicken 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
- Add minced garlic and 1/2 cup of the white wine to the skillet and stir to deglaze the pan. Stir in the remaining wine, cream, and Dijon mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining minced rosemary. Continue cooking on medium low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is done. The sauce should reduce by about half and will thicken as the chicken cooks.
Notes
- Do not substitute cooking wine for the white wine.
- Remember that butter will smoke at a high temperature, so it is time to add the chicken to the pan once the butter is melted and foamy.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
