Skillet chicken in a pan sauce is a quick and easy meal that’s always tasty! The basic idea is that chicken breasts, or thighs, are seared in the pan before setting them aside. A sauce is then made in the same pan before serving the chicken smothered in the sauce. When the chicken is seared in the pan, little brown bits of the chicken stick to the bottom of the pan and when a liquid, like broth or wine, is added, it starts to sizzle, allowing those brown bits can be scraped up into the sauce where they add a ton of caramelized chicken flavour! The sauce can be made with many different flavours and this one is a cream based sauce with plenty of dijon mustard and a hint of tarragon. The chicken and pan sauce take vey little time to make so you can easy make some pasta, rice or mashed potatoes along with a steamed or roasted vegetable to make for a complete meal! I like to make a good amount of pan sauce to pour over everything else on the plate in addition to the chicken!
Creamy Dijon Mustard Chicken
Quick and easy chicken in a creamy dijon mustard pan sauce!
ingredients
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), pounded thin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flour (optional) (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth (or white wine)
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, and lightly coat in flour.
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the chicken and cook until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side, before setting aside.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook in the butter until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon while the broth sizzles.
- Add the cream and mustards, and mix before adding the chicken back to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Mix the tarragon in, season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Option: Add 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed into the cream, for a thicker sauce.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon thyme along with the cream.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon white miso paste near the end.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice near the end.
Option: Add 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated, near the end.
Option: Garnish with 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped.
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My husband is dairy sensitive. Is there a replacement for the heavy cream?
Thanks
There is no perfect substitute but some options are:
1. Use chicken broth instead of the heavy cream. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the cool chicken broth before adding it to the pan to help thicken the sauce.
2. Use canned coconut milk. (This will add coconut flavour..)
Hi, Kay, I just made this tonight. I’m lactose intolerant. I used avocado oil in place of butter and Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk (in the shelf stable packaging) and I don’t detect any coconut flavor. I would not use one of the good coconut milks that are super coconutty. But this dish is savory enough to overcome average grocery store coconut milk.
I made that recipe for supper tonight and it was a success! My husband loved it! This recipe is simple and absolutely delicious, thank you so much!
great dish dijon is always nice with a lot of stuff for me, and certainly adds another layer of flavor to chicken! thank you
Great recipe and really a nice one. Will surely try this