30-Minute Chicken Dijon with Creamy Sauce
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Chicken Dijon is one of those French bistro classics that translates perfectly to a home skillet — bone-in thighs seared until the skin crackles, then braised in a sharp, herby mustard sauce that thickens as it simmers.
Break out your big sauté pan — the whole thing comes together in one pan, and the sauce makes itself while the chicken finishes cooking. Once you make this, bone-in thighs will be your default.
“So good! My whole family enjoyed this recipe and asked me to add it to our dinner lineup permanently!”
~Jennifer
Three key ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs are the most forgiving cut on the bird — the higher fat content means they stay juicy even if you cook them a minute or two past done. Bone-in, skin-on pieces are what I use here: The bones conduct heat evenly during the braise, and the skin renders into something genuinely worth eating after a proper sear. Boneless, skinless thighs or breasts will also work — see the recipe notes for timing adjustments.
- Dijon mustard: True Dijon is made with yellow mustard seeds and white wine, and the French have been making it this way for centuries (it’s also a key ingredient in maple-mustard glazed salmon). What makes it indispensable is how it behaves in a sauce. It emulsifies into the cream without breaking, adding a sharp, tangy backbone that keeps the dish from feeling too rich. Paired with garlic, lemon, and herbes de Provence, the sauce ends up tasting like it took far longer than 30 minutes.
- Herbs: I often reach for one of my favorite dried herb blends, herbs de Provence when cooking dinner. The perfect word to describe this aromatic herbal mix is mélange (French, of course). The assorted herbs in the mix are ones you might trample on while cavorting through a field in the South of France. We’re talking thyme, tarragon, basil, marjoram and the lovely-smelling lavender. You can substitute with a mixture of dried thyme and tarragon, or use fresh herbs — if so, increase the amount to about 2 tablespoons.
How to make chicken Dijon
1. Combine Dijon mustard, herbs, garlic, lemon juice and red pepper in a bowl. 2. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper, on both sides.
3. Sear the chicken skin-side down in olive oil until deep golden, then flip and cook 2 minutes more. 4. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add chopped onion to the fat in the pan and cook until softened.
5. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. 6. Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir 1 minute, until the mixture looks paste-like and smells faintly nutty.
7. Stir in the Dijon mixture and remaining broth. 8. Add the chicken back to the pan, skin-side up. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
9. Uncover the pan and pour in the cream. Scatter the kale or spinach over the chicken. 10. Cover and return to a simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the greens are wilted. 11. Serve straight from the pan with the sharp, herb-scented sauce spooned generously over the top.
30-Minute Chicken Dijon with Creamy Sauce
Bone-in chicken thighs seared until the skin is golden, then braised in a tangy, herb-scented Dijon cream sauce with wilted kale or spinach. Cook this all in one skillet, start to finish.
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Creamy Dijon sauce
- 3 tablespoons (85 g) Dijon mustard
- 2 grated or crushed garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, about ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence, or 1 teaspoon each dried tarragon and dried thyme
- ¾ cup (125 ml) chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
Chicken
- 6-8 pieces (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 2½-3 pounds
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion, about ½ medium onion
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or brown rice flour/gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2 cups spinach or kale, chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 grated or crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence. Reserve the heavy cream and chicken broth.
- Pat the chicken thighs as dry as possible with paper towels (this will help crisp up the skin). Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place a large (12-inch) non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilnd heat until the surface is shimmering. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down in the pan and cook without moving them, until the skin turns golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan to a large plate. Note: Brown the chicken in two batches if the chicken seems crowded in the pan.
- Add ½ cup chopped onion to the fat in the pan, and cook about 2 minutes, stirring, until softened. Pour in ¼ cup of chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the onions and stir it in, just until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in the Dijon mixture and remaining ½ cup broth. Add the chicken back to the pan, skin-side up. Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer (not boiling).
- Uncover the pan. Pour ½ cup heavy cream around the chicken pieces, and scatter the spinach or kale leaves over the top. Bring back to a simmer, then cover the pan and cook about 5 more minutes, until the greens are wilted and the chicken is cooked through (no longer pink at the bone).
- Serve the chicken with the pan juices spooned over. Enjoy!
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The chicken keeps up to 5 days after cooking. Store in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350 oven until hot, about 15 minutes.
- If you’d like to use boneless, skinless chicken parts (thighs or breasts), reduce the browning time to 2 minutes per side in step 3, and continue with the recipe as written.
- Substitute the dried herbs with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, tarragon, or a mixture.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 143kcal Carbohydrates: 6g Protein: 2g Fat: 13g Sodium: 213mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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This was a great recipe, my wife loved it. It was easy to make and came out great. Thank you for sharing.
This was unexpectedly excellent! I chose this recipe because I just happened to have all of the ingredients (ok I didn’t have the cream, so I used whole milk) wow it was so delicious! I will definitely make again on the regular! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Wow! Delish! Didn’t change a thing. Served over gnocchi!
Could anyone suggest a side dish for this recipe please?
Hi Summer – Absolutely! I have a few ideas. I love to serve this with these garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes, sauteed broccoli, or herb butter orzo
I will never understand why those who post recipes are so wildly inaccurate with prep and cook times. I’m an experienced home cook and this dish took at least an hour to prep and cook. This is not 30 minute chicken, not even close.
If you’re not a huge fan of mustard flavor, cut a TB or so out of the recipe; it comes across pretty strongly. Otherwise this was a delicious dish but I’m glad I started making it early.
Tara – “30 minutes” refers to the actual cooking time for the chicken. Yes, when you total in the prep time, it might take longer than you anticipate because everyone’s cooking style and kitchen environment are different. Just like some people can run a mile in 8 minutes and for others it can take an hour! As for cooking the chicken, I’ve tested this recipe many times. Once you sear the chicken over medium-high heat, the pan-braising process shouldn’t take more than 25 minutes. I’m glad you enjoyed the dish after all!
So good! My whole family enjoyed this recipe and asked me to add it to our dinner lineup permanently!! I made spaghetti and put the chicken and sauce on top. Delicious and pretty easy to make.
Oh yes! This is soooo damn good!
This looks so good I think we will make it tonight! Can’t wait!