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Juicy chicken braised in a rich, tangy sauce flavored with Dijon mustard. A slight variation of a classic French dish, this recipe is perfect for a romantic dinner with your loved one or on a weekend with friends. Serve this over egg noodles, rice, or potatoes with a side of your favorite veggie.
This is a one-pot recipe that’s both exquisite and easily made! The sauce was tangy yet rich, creamy yet delicate, and just so delicious. The chicken thighs and drumsticks are seared to create crispy skin that just makes it all the better. I served this along with a Warm Potato and Green Bean Salad; I could not stop eating it! This recipe is hands down one of the best recipes I’ve made, along with plenty of others. It’s great enough for a Valentine’s day dinner or dinner with friends. It’s my version of the classic dish Poulet à la moutarde, which translates to chicken with mustard.
When cooked properly, mustard is an incredibly delicious addition to many recipes. Dijon allows chicken, beef, or pork dishes to shine, but throwing a good quality (inexpensive) dry white wine into the mix makes for an elegant dinner. Funnily enough, it’s one of Alex Guarnaschelli’s favorite ingredients to use as she said on The Kitchen on Food Network once. Give it a watch; it’s very educational and is a great way to learn new recipes and kitchen hacks never seen before.
How to make Braised Mustard Chicken
An elegant dinner that comes together within an hour. I recommend you taste as you go. It’s the only way you’re going to achieve the best chicken dinner, as I did. The reason for this is that you may not need any extra salt when you’re cooking this. (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below)
- Skin-on, Bone-in Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks: These are the best part of the chicken for this dinner because of their ability to stay juicy and moist while braising. You want to make sure they’re cooked above 170F since the thighs and drumsticks are actively worked muscles and the meat is tougher because of it. The higher temperature helps break down muscles.
- Whole-Grain Dijon Mustard and Creamy Dijon Mustard: The key ingredients to this sauce. Another name for whole-grain dijon mustard tends to be stone-ground dijon. It just means that it’s mustard, but with coarsely ground mustard seeds.
- Dry White Wine: Wine paired with mustard in a sauce is just heaven. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute it for chicken broth, but you won’t get the full impact of a decadent sauce.
- Fresh Tarragon and Fresh Thyme: I typically love tarragon in a mustard sauce. It gives a licorice taste, but it’s important to not use too much, otherwise it’ll overpower everything. Fresh thyme is always found in French cooking!
- Chicken Broth: The braising liquid with the whole-grain dijon mustard.
- Butter and Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The key to a perfectly crispy skin on chicken!
- Shallots & Garlic: Flavor boosters! Shallots are usually found in this recipe.
- Heavy Cream: Some recipes call for double cream, which is the British term for heavy cream. It thickens up the sauce along with the creamy dijon mustard. Totally optional, but highly recommended!
Preheat the oven to 400F. Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper to your preference. In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp of butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until it’s crispy and golden brown. Sear in batches if you need to. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up, so it stays crispy. Add the remaining butter to the dutch oven. Let the butter melt, then add in the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots are softened, stirring often. Pour in the wine. Gently scrape up the browned bits while stirring. Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the whole-grain mustard. Return the chicken, skin side up, into the pot along with any accumulated juices. Transfer the dutch oven to the oven, uncovered, and let it cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 170F or higher. Remove the dutch oven from the oven, then remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate. Place the dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium heat. Whisk in the creamy dijon mustard, tarragon, and thyme. Whisk in the heavy cream. Season with salt & pepper, as needed. Serve immediately with the chicken skin side up in the sauce.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Can I use yellow mustard instead of dijon? I would advise against it. Dijon mustard is made from black mustard seeds, which makes it spicier than yellow mustard. It is also creamier than yellow mustard and has less vinegar.
- Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and drumsticks? You can use boneless and skinless chicken breasts. I haven’t tested this with split chicken breasts, which usually have a bone in them. For this, you will need to slice 2 chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 fillets. When searing, you will need to sear both sides of the breast. Cook it as directed in the recipe, but cook it for less time, about 20-25 minutes. The temperature should be 165F or higher.
- Why do I need two kinds of mustard for this? Whole-grain mustard helps flavor the chicken while it’s cooking, and creamy Dijon is whisked in at the end to thicken and emulsify the sauce and add a bit of acidity and salt.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Braised Mustard Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs & 4 chicken drumsticks, skin-on and bone-in
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbsp whole-grain dijon mustard (AKA stone-ground)
- 2 tbsp creamy dijon mustard
- 3/4 tsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper to your preference.
- In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp of butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until it’s crisp and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Sear in batches if you need to. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up, so it stays crispy.
- Add the remaining butter to the dutch oven. Let the butter melt, then add in the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots are softened, about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the wine and gently scrape up the browned bits while stirring. Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the whole-grain mustard. Return the chicken, skin side up, into the pot along with any accumulated juices.
- Transfer the dutch oven to the preheated oven, uncovered, and let it cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 170F or higher.
- Remove the dutch oven from the oven, then remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate. Place the dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium heat. Whisk in the creamy dijon mustard, tarragon, and thyme. Whisk in the heavy cream. Season with salt & pepper, as needed.
- Serve immediately with the chicken skin side up in the sauce.
Notes
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can I use yellow mustard instead of dijon? I would advise against it. Dijon mustard is made from black mustard seeds, which makes it spicier than yellow mustard. It is also creamier than yellow mustard and has less vinegar.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and drumsticks? You can use boneless and skinless. I haven’t tested this with split chicken breasts, which usually have a bone in them. For this, you will need to slice 2 chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 fillets. When searing, you will need to sear both sides of the breast. Cook it as directed in the recipe, but cook it for less time, about 20-25 minutes. The temperature should be 165F or higher.
Why do I need two kinds of mustard for this? Whole-grain mustard helps flavor the chicken while it’s cooking, and creamy Dijon is whisked in at the end to thicken and emulsify the sauce and add a bit of acidity and salt.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
601.58Carbs (grams)
6.2 gCholesterol (grams)
235 mgFat (grams)
43.89 gFiber (grams)
1.17 gProtein (grams)
39.44 gSat. Fat (grams)
14.31 gSodium (milligrams)
427.65 mgSugar (grams)
1.83 gNet carbs
5.03 gThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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