Chicken Dijon (Poulet Dijonnaise)
Chicken Dijon (aka: Poulet Dijonnaise, or Poulet à la Moutarde) is a traditional French dish from the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France. Chicken breasts are pan seared, then bathed in a shallot, wine, and mustard cream sauce that is simmered with garlic and herbs. The tender chicken and rich, unctuous sauce will have you coming back for more.
Delicious with my Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Garlicky Green Beans (Haricot Verts). This recipe is also both keto and gluten free! To learn how to make this mouthwatering main dish recipe, see the printable recipe card below. Take a look at the recipe video, or get Step by Step Instructions for a more detailed explanation of this recipe. For other recipe variations, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in this recipe’s Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Chicken Dijon (Poulet Dijonnaise)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Using a sharp chef’s knife, finely chop fresh tarragon, fresh thyme, and chop parsley. Finely chop shallot, and mince garlic, and set each ingredient aside.
- Using a sharp boning knife, trim fat from chicken breasts, and season each side with 1 pinch kosher salt, and 1 pinch ground white pepper. Set aside.
- To a 5 quart sauté pan (or 7 quart deep sauté pan) on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and melt until foamy. Add chicken breasts top-side down, and let cook undisturbed until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Using tongs, flip once, and cook for another 3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a warm plate, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- To the same pan on medium heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and melt until foamy. Add chopped shallots, and sauté until softened and translucent (about 2 minutes - do not brown). Add minced garlic, and sauté for 15 to 30 seconds until fragrant. Add white wine, and chicken stock, raise heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, reducing sauce until you have about ½ cup sauce (about 2-4 minutes).
- Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in Dijon mustard, and heavy whipping cream, until combined. Whisking frequently, cook until the sauce has thickened slightly (about 3 minutes). Whisk in dried tarragon, dried thyme, remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste), and remaining ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (or to taste). Then whisk in chopped tarragon, and chopped thyme until combined.
- Add cooked chicken (and juices) back to the pan in a single layer. Warm the chicken through, continually spooning the sauce over the chicken to coat (about 3 to 5 minutes). Garnish with chopped parsley, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
- For the most authentic flavor, I prefer using the French brands of old fashioned grained Dijon mustard that have some creaminess to them. My favorites for this recipe are Edmond Fallot seed style mustard (moutarde en grains), Bornier organic whole grain Dijon mustard, or Grey Poupon country Dijon mustard. Another good option is Trader Joe’s whole grain Dijon mustard.
- This chicken dish pairs perfectly with my two side dishes, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Garlicky Green Beans (Haricot Verts - recipe coming soon).
- Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
441.33Fat (grams)
31.08 gSat. Fat (grams)
14.27 gCarbs (grams)
7.01 gFiber (grams)
1.3 gNet carbs
5.71 gSugar (grams)
2.95 gProtein (grams)
38.12 gSodium (milligrams)
472.63 mgCholesterol (grams)
129.19 mgNutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Using a sharp chef’s knife, finely chop 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chop 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, and chop 1 tablespoon Italian parsley. Finely chop ½ cup shallots (about 1 large), and mince 2 teaspoons garlic (about 3 cloves), and set each ingredient aside.
STEP 2
Using a sharp boning knife, trim fat from 2 - 2 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, and season each side with 1 pinch kosher salt, and 1 pinch ground white pepper. Set aside.
STEP 3
To a 5 quart sauté pan (or 7 quart deep sauté pan) on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and melt until foamy. Add chicken breasts top-side down, and let cook undisturbed until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Using tongs, flip once, and cook for another 3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a warm plate, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
STEP 4
To the same pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, and melt until foamy. Add chopped shallots, and sauté until softened and translucent (about 2 minutes - do not brown). Add minced garlic, and sauté for 15 to 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ½ cup dry white wine, and 1 cup chicken stock, raise heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, reducing sauce until you have about ½ cup sauce (about 2-4 minutes).
STEP 5
Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in 3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard (see Note below), and ½ cup heavy whipping cream, until combined. Whisking frequently, cook until the sauce has thickened slightly (about 3 minutes). Whisk in ½ teaspoon dried tarragon, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste), and ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (or to taste). Then whisk in chopped tarragon, and chopped thyme until combined.
Note: For the most authentic flavor, I prefer using the French brands of old fashioned grained Dijon mustard that have some creaminess to them. My favorites for this recipe are Edmond Fallot seed style mustard (moutarde en grains), Bornier organic whole grain Dijon mustard, or Grey Poupon country Dijon mustard. Another good option is Trader Joe’s whole grain Dijon mustard.
STEP 6
Add cooked chicken (and juices) back to the pan in a single layer. Warm the chicken through, continually spooning the sauce over the chicken to coat (about 3 to 5 minutes).
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with my Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Garlicky Green Beans (Haricot Verts). Enjoy!
Notes:
This chicken dish pairs perfectly with my Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Garlicky Green Beans (Haricot Verts).
Makes 4 servings.
VIDEO
How to Make this Delicious Chicken Dijon (Poulet Dijonnaise)!
Blog Comments & Tips
A rich & impressive one pan dish!
Chicken Dijon (Poulet Dijonnaise, aka: Poulet à la Moutarde) is a traditional French dish made of chicken breasts that are cooked, then bathed in a mustard cream sauce filled with fresh and dried herbs. This one pan dish will make a lasting impression on anyone who tries it.
I grew up eating mainly French dishes at home, but my first vivid memory of trying Poulet Dijonnaise was during a trip to France with my parents. We were traveling through the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France and stayed a few nights in Dijon. One summer evening, we went to a restaurant where my parents ordered my main course for me (I was very young). It was Poulet à la Moutarde (Poulet Dijonnaise). I remember cutting into the chicken, which was tender and juicy, and the first bite was filled with so much flavor. Even at this very young age, I was struck by the depth of flavor and literally fell in love at first bite! The creamy sauce had such richness, with a strong mustard flavor, combined with the sweetness from the sautéed shallots.
Many years later, I started researching recipes that would replicate the taste of that incredible meal in Dijon, France. After much trial and error, I finally found a recipe that came close. Although the original French dish uses bone-in chicken thighs, legs, and breasts, I prefer the texture and flavor of chicken breast in this recipe. So, I “pimped up” the recipe by making a few adjustments to the original recipe, and I’m please enough with the results to publish it on Prep My Recipe!
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to making a this delicious Chicken Dijon (Poulet Dijonnaise):
Use organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, and trim them of any fat and gristle.
When cooking the chicken, start with top-side down (breast-side down). You can occasionally and press down gently on the edges of the chicken to make sure they get seared, but don’t mess with it too much. Let each side cook so you get a nice caramelization on the chicken.
For an authentic flavor, use whole grain mustard from Dijon. My favorites for this recipe are Edmond Fallot seed style mustard (moutarde en grains), Bornier organic whole grain Dijon mustard, or Grey Poupon country Dijon mustard. Another good option is Trader Joe’s whole grain Dijon mustard.
To create the best texture and flavor in this unctuous sauce, you must use heavy cream (heavy whipping cream). This is not the recipe to use regular or low fat milk!
When you return the chicken to the pan, make sure to continually bathe the chicken with the sauce. This will help heat the chicken more quickly, and also help it absorb the flavor of the sauce.
It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it with Cognac: For a uniquely rich flavor in this sauce, replace the dry white wine with Cognac. Instead of ½ cup of white wine, use 3 tablespoons of Cognac. You can flambé the Cognac in the pan (carefully, of course), then add the stock as directed.
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: For the most authentic flavor, remember to use true whole grain mustard from Dijon, France.
Adapted from the Chicken Dijonnaise recipe from the Williams-Sonoma French Cookbook. Their recipe was close but not quite flavorful enough in comparison with the Poulet à la Moutarde I’ve had in France many times. I made some changes to some of the ingredient quantities, and added a few more elements to make it my own and create a more authentically French recipe. My version of the Chicken Dijonnaise recipe has a much richer flavor, but less cream. Trust me when I say that my Chicken Dijon will impress anyone who tastes it!
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