Chicken in Mustard Sauce (Poulet à la Moutarde)
As winter approaches, I can’t help but find comfort in warm meals like this chicken in mustard sauce recipe. This French dish, Poulet à la Moutarde, is an incredible one-pot meal that you can make with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Chicken in Mustard Sauce: the base
To create this chicken in mustard sauce recipe, you’ll obviously need chicken. The chicken can be made up of any part: drumstick, thigh, or even breast.
However, you should preferably use chicken that still has the skin on so that you can brown the chicken nicely without drying it out.
The Mustard
The mustard in this recipe takes on a very important role in providing fantastic flavor to the meal.
That’s why I suggest using the best quality mustard you can get your hands on.
Maille has been my go-to both in France and the U.S. No other mustard brand has crafted the variety of flavors and mastered them quite like Maille has.
Maille recently gifted me with their limited edition Black Truffle Cep and Chablis flavor, so for the photographed recipe here, I used a combination of that and the original flavor.
As the mustard-laden chicken browns in your pot, the mustard will stick to the bottom of the pot. This is not a problem, but rather a wonderful component of this meal.
Once you add some white wine and chicken broth, all those glorious mustard bits can be scraped from the pot and become one with the heavenly sauce.
Substitutes
I make most one-pot meals with the intention of not really measuring or fussing with ingredients. If the meal is going to be easy, I can’t be too strict with measurements and ingredients, right?
For example, in this recipe, I typically use thyme and a bay leaf as part of my bouquet garni. This is a preferred combination, but when I’ve run out of thyme before, I’ve used a small sprig of tarragon instead.
There is also a dose of milk in this recipe to mellow out the sauce. You can use cream for a richer sauce, or even creme fraiche, but whole milk has always done just fine for me.
In addition, I love using crispy onions in many of my stews and sauces. The crispy onions are coated in a flour mixture that help thicken the sauce.
If you’re using a regular onion, you can simply add a tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce, or just use heavy cream or creme fraîche rather than milk later in the recipe. I’ve made all these notes in the recipe card for your convenience.
To Enjoy
My favorite way to eat this chicken with mustard sauce is to serve it with a big chunk of crusty French bread and a simple kale salad.
The chicken has rich flavor, so there’s no sense in creating any side dishes that will compete with that. Another side that would work well is classic mashed potatoes, as its comforting nature compliments the chicken beautifully.
This post has been made in collaboration with Maille.
Chicken in Mustard Sauce
A one-pot chicken dinner where the chicken is marinated in dijon mustard then cooked in a delicious mustard-cream sauce until tender and juicy.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces to 5 of chicken, preferably drumsticks and thighs with skin on
- 1/3 cup top quality dijon mustard, or more, if needed
- salt for the chicken
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup crispy onions, or one small onion thinly sliced*
- 1 can low-sodium chicken broth, (14.5 oz)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup whole milk **, or creme fraiche, or heavy cream
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with a generous pinch of salt. Then spoon the mustard over the chicken, using your fingers to rub the mustard all over the chicken (front and back).
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottom pot (a dutch oven is good too) over medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot, add in the chicken. Cook each side until beautifully browned; approximately 5 minutes each side. Remove the chicken from the pot and place the pieces on a plate to rest temporarily.
- Lower the temperature to medium. To the pot, add the crispy onions and give them a quick sauté for a minute. (If you're using regular onion, add a tablespoon of flour to the pot first, and stir for a minute until a paste-like mixture forms. Then add the regular onion slices and sauté until softened and translucent; about 5 minutes.)
- Pour in the chicken stock and wine, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the aroma of alcohol is gone; about 4 to 5 minutes. The liquid should have reduced a bit as well. Pour in the milk and give it a stir.
- Reduce the temperature to medium-low, and transfer the chicken back into the pot, pouring any residual juices in with it. Tie the bay leaf and thyme together with kitchen string, then add to the pot.
- Put the lid on the pot and cook for 45 to 50 minutes. The chicken should be tender and the liquid in the pot should have significantly reduced and be thick. Remove the herb bouquet before serving.
Notes
*If you're using a regular onion, you can add a tablespoon of flour to help thicken the sauce the way the crispy onions would have.
**This recipe does perfectly well with milk, but if you're looking for extra richness, go for the creme fraiche or heavy cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 423
I have made this a number of times using regular onions and flour. It is one of my favorites!!
Fabulous! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment, Catherine! <3
This was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Do you think it would be okay without the wine and extra stock instead?
Hi Eve! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Yes, you can definitely use extra stock instead of wine. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment. 🙂
Delicious. Some may find that with a well-fitted pot lid the sauce will not reduce – steam will condense on the lid and fall back into the pot. In this case, leave the lid off or take it off halfway through the braise.
Hi Charles! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and feedback. 🙂
Bonjour Beeta,
We cooked this dish last night after returning from Paris in morning.
Délicieux…
Better than Polidor..
It helped make return to Australia better, still felt liking dining in Paris.
Merci beaucoup.
Such a kind comment, Peter! I really appreciate it and so glad you had a safe return! 🙂
I have family members that have to be dairy- &/or gluten-free.. I can easily do gluten-free with regular onions and cornstarch for thickener. However I wondered if you had a suggestion for dairy-free. I was thinking coconut milk but wasn’t sure if that would give the dish a more coconut than mustard flavor.
Hi Kelly! The cream is just added to give a richer finish to the sauce, so I think the coconut milk (or the canned coconut cream) would be perfect for that. I would start out one tablespoon at a time, and then if for some reason you felt it wasn’t mustard-y enough, you can always add more mustard to the pot to counteract that. 🙂
I have made this about 3 times now. Excellent recipe. I serve over mashed potatoes. I do not use the canned onions I saw them in the store and it didn’t appeal to me I just use the regular onions with the flour.
Hi, good explanation, which makes me do the same.
As for “6.Put the lid on the pot and cook for 45 to 50 minutes,” this is performed in mid-low temperature and no need stirring for 45-50 mins? Further, is there alternative way, for instance, when I use a dutch oven, can I use oven? If so, could you advise the time and temperature of the oven?
Thanks!
Hi there! I’ve never done this particular recipe in the oven as the cooking occurs under an hour. You don’t really need to stir during those 45 to 50 minutes, but its never a bad idea to check on your food in those last 10 minutes the first time you’re cooking a recipe through since every stovetop is different! 🙂
I love this recipe and have made it several times. Thinking of making it again but with the heat wave we are in I don’t want to turn on the stove. Can this be don in a slow cooker? If so, how long?
Hi Natasha, I’ve never made this in a slow cooker so I’m not sure, but the slow cooker typically cooks for 4 to 6 hours right? I’m not sure if your slow cooker is similar to the Instant Pot where you can go ahead and sauté straight in the pot, but that would be important for the flavor of this dish. When you marinate the chicken in the mustard, the mustard sort of sticks to the bottom of the pot. Later, when you add the liquid (i.e. wine), you help scrape up those mustard-y bits from the pan which give the dish great flavor. Not sure if the same thing would happen in your slow cooker.