Crispy French Mustard Chicken

If you ask me, mustard and chicken are a match made in heaven.

This French-inspired dish brings together tender chicken breasts with a creamy mustard sauce that’s packed with flavor. The tangy Dijon mustard pairs with white wine and a touch of cream for a sauce that’s rich without being too heavy.

It comes together in one pan in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve it over rice or with crusty bread to soak up every bit of that sauce.

It’s the kind of dinner that feels fancy but doesn’t require much effort, ideal for when you want something special without spending hours in the kitchen.

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What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this recipe, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are really the way to go. The bones help keep the meat juicy and flavorful during cooking, while the skin gets nicely browned and adds richness to the sauce. If you can only find boneless, skinless thighs, they’ll still work, but you’ll want to reduce your cooking time so they don’t dry out. You could also use chicken breasts if that’s what you have on hand, though thighs tend to stay more moist and have better flavor for braised dishes like this one. When shopping, look for thighs that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly.

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Options for Substitutions

This French-inspired chicken dish is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Chicken thighs: You can use boneless, skinless thighs if that’s what you have – just reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes since they’ll cook faster. Chicken breasts work too, but keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out.
• Dijon mustard: This is really the star of the dish, so I wouldn’t skip it. But if you’re in a bind, yellow mustard mixed with a tiny bit of white wine can work in a pinch – though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
• Bacon: Pancetta or diced ham make good substitutes. If you want to skip the pork altogether, just use an extra tablespoon of olive oil for cooking.
• Shallots: Regular yellow or white onions work fine here. Use about half a medium onion to replace the two shallots.
• White wine: Chicken broth with a splash of white wine vinegar (about 1 tablespoon) gives you that acidic kick if you don’t have wine on hand.
• Heavy cream: Half-and-half or whole milk will work, though the sauce won’t be quite as thick. If using milk, you might want to add an extra teaspoon of flour to help it thicken up.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making French mustard chicken is not properly searing the chicken skin, which happens when you move the thighs around too much in the pan – let them sit undisturbed for 5-7 minutes to develop that golden, crispy exterior.

Another common error is adding the cream while the pan is too hot, which can cause it to break and look curdled, so remove the pan from direct heat and let it cool for a minute before stirring in the cream.

Don’t skip deglazing the pan with wine after cooking the bacon and shallots, as all those brown bits stuck to the bottom are packed with flavor that will make your sauce taste restaurant-quality.

Finally, resist the urge to cook the chicken all the way through during the initial sear – it only needs to brown on both sides since it will finish cooking in the sauce, and this prevents the meat from drying out.

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What to Serve With French Mustard Chicken?

This rich and creamy chicken is perfect over a bed of buttery egg noodles or mashed potatoes, which soak up all that amazing mustard sauce. I also love serving it alongside roasted green beans or steamed broccoli to balance out the richness of the dish. A simple side of crusty French bread is great for mopping up every bit of sauce on your plate, and if you want something a little lighter, try it with a crisp arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil. Rice pilaf or roasted baby potatoes are also solid choices that won’t compete with the bold flavors of the chicken.

Storage Instructions

Store: This chicken keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get even better the next day as everything has time to meld together. I like to store the chicken and sauce together so the meat stays moist and soaks up all that mustardy goodness.

Freeze: You can freeze this for up to 3 months, though the cream sauce might separate slightly when thawed. Let it cool completely first, then store in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to use it, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat: Warm it up gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring the sauce occasionally until heated through. You can also use the microwave, but I find the stovetop works better for keeping the chicken skin from getting rubbery. If the sauce seems too thick after reheating, just add a splash of chicken broth to loosen it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2750-3050
• Protein: 170-190 g
• Fat: 205-230 g
• Carbohydrates: 30-38 g

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• ground black pepper, to taste (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste

For the sauce:

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard (I prefer Maille)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (room temperature)

For the garnish:

• thyme sprigs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh)

Step 1: Season and Marinate the Chicken

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)

Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl.

Season them generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the Dijon mustard and use your hands to rub it all over the chicken, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated.

Set the chicken aside to marinate while you move on to the next steps.

Step 2: Render the Bacon and Brown the Chicken

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• marinated chicken from Step 1

Heat 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet, braiser, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the diced bacon and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

If there’s excess fat in the pan, drain most of it, leaving about 2 tablespoons.

Add the marinated chicken from Step 1 to the pan and brown on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per side.

Once browned, remove the chicken and reserve with the bacon.

Step 3: Sauté Aromatics and Deglaze the Pan

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup dry white wine

Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan if needed.

Add the minced shallots and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the fresh thyme leaves, stirring to combine.

Pour in the dry white wine, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan to deglaze and infuse the sauce with flavor.

Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, about 3–4 minutes.

I always take my time with this step—scraping up those browned bits gives the sauce amazing depth.

Step 4: Create the Sauce Base and Simmer the Chicken

• 2 tsp flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• browned chicken and cooked bacon from Step 2

Sprinkle the flour over the aromatics and mix well.

Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

Bring the mixture to a boil.

Once boiling, return the browned chicken (skin side up), cooked bacon, and any accumulated juices to the pan.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender (internal temperature at least 165ºF), about 15–20 minutes.

Step 5: Finish with Cream and Mustard

• 1/2 cup heavy cream (room temperature)
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard (I prefer Maille)
• salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste (freshly ground preferred)

Uncover the pan and stir in the heavy cream and grainy mustard.

Increase the heat to medium and let the sauce boil gently until it thickens to your desired consistency.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.

For a more luxurious flavor, I sometimes add a little extra cream at this stage.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh)
• thyme sprigs

Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley for brightness.

Serve the chicken hot, garnished with thyme sprigs on top for an aromatic finish.

Crispy French Mustard Chicken

Delicious Crispy French Mustard Chicken recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 16 minutes mins

Cook Time 34 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2900 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the chicken:

• ground black pepper, to taste (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste

For the sauce:

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard (I prefer Maille)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (room temperature)

For the garnish:

• thyme sprigs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh)

Instructions

 

• Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Season them generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the Dijon mustard and use your hands to rub it all over the chicken, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated. Set the chicken aside to marinate while you move on to the next steps.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet, braiser, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. If there's excess fat in the pan, drain most of it, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add the marinated chicken from Step 1 to the pan and brown on all sides, about 4–5 minutes per side. Once browned, remove the chicken and reserve with the bacon.
• Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan if needed. Add the minced shallots and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the fresh thyme leaves, stirring to combine. Pour in the dry white wine, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan to deglaze and infuse the sauce with flavor. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, about 3–4 minutes. I always take my time with this step—scraping up those browned bits gives the sauce amazing depth.
• Sprinkle the flour over the aromatics and mix well. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, return the browned chicken (skin side up), cooked bacon, and any accumulated juices to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender (internal temperature at least 165ºF), about 15–20 minutes.
• Uncover the pan and stir in the heavy cream and grainy mustard. Increase the heat to medium and let the sauce boil gently until it thickens to your desired consistency. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and freshly ground pepper if needed. For a more luxurious flavor, I sometimes add a little extra cream at this stage.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley for brightness. Serve the chicken hot, garnished with thyme sprigs on top for an aromatic finish.