This delicious mustard chicken is simple enough for weeknights, but special enough for company.
This one-pan easy mustard chicken has a creamy mustard sauce, bacon and onions. Simple enough for weeknights, but special enough for company.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Chicken – I made this with skin-on/bone-in chicken thighs and legs (drumsticks). If you prefer boneless chicken, I suggest picking up bone-in/skin on chicken breasts and just cutting the bone out yourself. Chicken breasts are easy to take off the bone, and at least you’ll get the skin to brown and add flavour. It’s also usually cheaper than buying boneless chicken breasts.
Mustard – you will need both regular Dijon mustard and Grainy mustard for this recipe.
Pancetta – the pancetta bring a lovely salty note to this dish, so I highly recommend it. If you don’t have pancetta, you can substitute bacon.
White wine – if you prefer not to use wine or you don’t have any on hand, substitute chicken broth for the wine in the same quantity.
Recipe tips!
- Be patient when browning the chicken and let it cook long enough to develop a nice colour on the skin. It will not only look nicer but the browned bits left in the pan will add a lot of flavour to the gravy.
- There is a good bit of wine in the sauce so start with a wine you enjoy drinking so you will enjoy the flavour in the finished sauce.
What to serve with mustard chicken
This dish would be perfect with some creamy mashed potatoes, as the gravy is delicious. The mustard sauce is also well suited to serve with pasta or rice.
On the side, a nice green vegetable such as broccoli or green beans would be perfect.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Mustard Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs, or breasts/drumsticks or mixture
Chicken Marinade:
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
For the rest:
- 1/2 cup pancetta, diced (can use bacon)
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
- 3/4 cup white wine, or chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons grainy mustard
- 2-3 Tablespoons creme fraiche, or heavy cream
- Fresh thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Chicken Marinade: Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in the marinade mixture, coating well. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet with a cover (or a Dutch oveover medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s just starting to brown. Remove bacon from pan in to a small bowl. Leave about 1 Tbsp. of bacon fat in the pan (or add a bit of olive oil if you used pancetta and there isn’t much fat). Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the thyme and let cook for a few minutes more. Remove onion to bowl with bacon.
- Add a bit of olive oil to pan and heat. Add half the chicken to the pan (Don’t over-crowd. Cooking in two batches is best). Cook over medium-high heat until browned on one side, then flip over and brown the other side. Remove to a plate and cook the second batch, adding more olive oil, as necessary. Remove this batch to a plate, as well.
- To the hot, empty skillet, add the wine and stir/scrape well to loosen the brown bits on the bottom. Return the chicken, bacon and onions to the pan. Cover and cook over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning the chicken in the sauce a few times during cooking. Test chicken for doneness and cook a few more minutes, if necessary.
- Remove chicken from pan to a serving plate. Stir grainy mustard and creme fraiche or heavy cream in to the sauce and stir just until heated through. (If sauce is too thick, you can thin with a little warm water). Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with some thyme.
- This dish is nice with pasta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
More chicken dinner recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I use Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey in place of the wine. Makes the sauce a little sweet and smoky and even more delectable!
Interesting! Must try that Kandyce :)
SO good. Husband is in love with it too. I’ve made it twice, but my sauce doesn’t come out quite as yellow or abundant as what appears in the photo. Any suggestions? Add dijon mustard and more sherry and cream?
Hi Suze. It could just be the mustard you are using. I use Maille. Also, are you using skin-on chicken. The skin adds more liquid. If you already are, you could add a bit of chicken stock, to increase the sauce a bit. Not too much, so you don’t water down the flavours.
I loved cooking this dish! Gourmet cooking made easy
So glad you enjoyed it, Patricia :)
sounds so yummy! Can I use something else instead of white wine?
I really recommend the white wine in this … if you can. If you absolutely can’t, I would just add a bit more chicken broth with a Tablespoon or so of white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, for the acidity.
Loves this! I added mushrooms to add nutrition- sautéed them with the onion
So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle. Mushrooms are a great addition!
can i omit the bacon?
Hi Andrea. Sure, you can omit. It adds a nice flavour layer, but there is still lots of flavour with the mustard and onion.
Sounds amazing! Cannot wait to make, what kind of white wine do you suggest?
Thanks!
Hi Katie, I usually use what we have around, which it typically a dry white – nothing too expensive, but definitely something you’d drink.
I just made this dish and it is absolutely delicious!!! I used 2 chicken breasts bone/skin on and decided to not add the heavy cream to save some calories. I let it cook on low heat for about 45 minutes shredded and it’s perfect. Thank you!!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Natalie!
Oh. My. God. Where has this recipe been my whole life?? Made this last night in my large cast iron and it was ridiculously good. Served it with fresh pasta and fresh parsley and basil, similar to what you had suggested. It was the perfect accompaniment with its simplicity and sauce soaking abilities. It’s not an everyday meal (sadly!) as it took me an hour 15 minutes to cook everything (I was following directions pretty carefully) and I don’t even want to begin to think about the fat and calorie content, but it was well worth it all! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Jill. I loved the flavours in this dish, but agree, it’s not one for everyday. It wouldn’t be as special then :)
Made this tonight for a special family dinner. As usual with your recipes, it was a big hit! Instant favorite! Thank you so much : )
So glad Amy and thanks so much for coming back to let me know :)
I absolutely love all flavours here and can’t wait to make it. I am always on a lookout for a new chicken recipe. Your photos are stunning and I always struggle with yellow food!
Thanks so much, Julia. Yes, yellow food is always a struggle, for sure! :)
So gorgeous, I have to try this when the weather cools off a bit – the mustard marinade sounds divine!
Thanks Laura. Things have been anything but hot here this summer, but you’ll enjoy this when it’s cooler in your neck of the woods, for sure.
After the way this week started out, this is EXACTLY what I need for dinner right now. A good hearty meal to set me right again! Gorgeous photos!
Thanks so much, Meghan. I was in the mood for a good hearty meal, too and this fit the bill perfectly.
this sounds (and looks!) so delicious! i love braising and i especially love whole grain mustard. pinning this to make this fall when it gets a little cooler in florida!
Thanks Yelle. Good plan! We’ve had a cooler and wetter summer than normal here, so I’ve been cooking more than I usually would :)
This sounds just amazing! So comforting.
Thanks Crystal. Yes, it’s perfect comfort food, for sure.