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Delicious and easy creamy mustard chicken made in one pan for easy cooking and cleanup. This Creamy chicken is smothered in a tangy mustard sauce, has so much flavor, comes together quickly, and is the perfect dish for busy weeknights or any night of the week!
What Makes This Recipe Great
I love to cook with mustard because it enhances the flavor of dishes so beautifully when cooked right. In this easy Creamy Mustard Chicken Recipe, chicken is smothered in a creamy, garlicky Dijon mustard sauce that’s so flavorful and delicious. Plus, it’s low carb, Whole30, paleo, and packed with protein!
Most of the cooking is done in the oven, so I love that it’s a mostly hands-off dish that tastes like you put a ton of work into it! Plus, my husband loves it because it’s a one-pan dish, which means it makes his job as the dishwasher of the house a lot easier!
If you’ve never cooked with Dijon mustard before, you will love how comforting and flavorful this dish is. You can cut up a whole chicken for this recipe, OR just use chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks). I always recommend bone-in meat because the flavor is just so much better with more depth. The garlic, mustard, onion, and thyme meld together with coconut milk (or half and half) for a savory, creamy dish that the whole family will love!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients for this dish are simple and budget-friendly. Make sure to note specifications if you are paleo or Whole30!
- whole chicken: I like to cut up a whole chicken into 8 sections and use it for this recipe (video tutorial here). Or you can purchase chicken quarters or just use 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts if preferred.
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- ghee: Ghee is my preferred cooking oil, and I like to make my own. However, you can use any other cooking oil you have on hand, like olive oil or even regular butter!
- yellow onions: You can substitute shallots if desired. Both are fragrant and work beautifully in this dish.
- garlic
- bone broth: I love to use bone broth to boost healthy nutrients, but chicken broth will also work for this recipe.
- dijon mustard: To make Whole30 Dijon mustard chicken, make sure to use compliant Dijon mustard. I like this brand. If you’re not worried about Whole30, use your favorite brand.
- thyme
- coconut milk: If you are okay with dairy, you can use half and half or heavy cream instead for that ultra creaminess.
How to Make Creamy Mustard Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces if using whole chicken, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.
- Add ghee to a large skillet (a cast iron skillet works well!) that’s oven-safe and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet skin side down and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, then remove from the pan.
- Add chopped onion to the same skillet and cook for 3 minutes, and then add garlic for 1 minute.
- Pour in broth, Dijon mustard, and thyme, and stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to deglaze all the brown bits.
- Add chicken back into the skillet with the skin side up. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan to set aside. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat to simmer the sauce until thickened.
- Whisk in coconut milk and simmer for another minute.
- Turn off the heat, then add the chicken back to the skillet. Spoon the creamy mustard sauce over the chicken, then serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley and additional salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Expert Tips
- Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on the cut of chicken you choose.
How to Serve Creamy Mustard Chicken
- Serve this creamy mustard chicken warm with your favorite side dishes!
- I recommend serving sides like green beans, a simple salad, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, or creamy mashed potatoes. You can also serve it with a side of pasta, rice, or cauliflower rice to soak up all that yummy creamy sauce! If you’re not paleo or Whole30, a side of crusty bread will also be delicious!
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat this creamy mustard chicken in the microwave or over the stove.
- Because this Dijon chicken recipe uses coconut milk or half and half in the mustard cream sauce, I don’t recommend freezing it. Those ingredients don’t freeze well and will separate once you defrost them.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. To use dried thyme, just use 1/3 of the amount of fresh thyme. For example, you need 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme for this recipe, so you can use 1 teaspoon (1/3 tablespoon) of dried thyme instead.
Mustard is a super versatile ingredient that enhances the flavor of chicken, as well as adds some much-needed moisture so the chicken doesn’t dry out. With some added spices and cream, chicken with mustard sauce is absolutely delicious!
Most creamy mustard sauce recipes call for either dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or chicken broth/chicken stock. I opted for chicken broth to keep this recipe Whole30 and Paleo. There is really no difference in flavor at all!
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Chicken with Creamy Tomato Sauce (Paleo, Whole30) – Instant Pot or Stovetop
Creamy Skillet Chicken with Garlic & Basil (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, AIP Option)
Perfect Grilled Chicken Thighs (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
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One Pan Easy Creamy Dijon Mustard Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken , or 4 chicken quarters
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tsp ghee, or you favorite cooking oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup bone broth, or chicken broth
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream, if not dairy free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If using whole chicken, cut the chicken into 8 pieces, then sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
- Heat ghee in a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat.
- Pan fry the chicken skin side down for 5 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 3 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add onion to the same skillet and cook stirring for 3 minutes, and then add garlic for 1 minute.
- Add bone broth, dijon mustard, and thyme, and stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Add chicken back in to the skillet with the skin side up. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan to set aside, then heat the skillet over medium high heat on the stovetop to simmer the sauce until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in coconut milk and simmer for another minute.
- Turn off heat, and add chicken back to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then serve warm.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary depending on the cut of chicken you choose.
How to Serve Creamy Mustard Chicken
- Serve this creamy mustard chicken warm with your favorite side dishes!
- I recommend serving sides like green beans, a simple salad, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, or creamy mashed potatoes. You can also serve it with a side of pasta, rice, or cauliflower rice to soak up all that yummy creamy sauce! If you’re not paleo or Whole30, a side of crusty bread will also be delicious!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover creamy mustard chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or over the stove.
- Because this Dijon chicken recipe uses coconut milk or half and half in the mustard cream sauce, I don’t recommend freezing it. Those ingredients don’t freeze well and will separate once you defrost them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Delicious!
You know it’s good when it’s even tastier the next day. I made a lot (because my boys eat a lot) and shared the small amount of leftovers with my brother and his family and he actually came back to tell me that was the best dish ever.
Of course, my family also enjoyed the play of flavors and the juiciness of chicken thighs and gave this dish 5 spatulas. Oh, the best part? My family soaked up the sauce with a slice of toasted sourdough and Wowza!
Thanks for another tasty recipe, this one’s a keeper!
PS: *One small adjustment I made was to add mushrooms. I had to use up my brown crimini so I slid them into the pan along with the onions. Yum.
Thank you so much! We do the same with the sauce with either bread or rice. Can’t let it go to waste! And I love the idea of adding mushrooms. I’ll have to try that next time!
This sauce is INCREDIBLE!!! I can’t believe how amazing it tastes given the simple ingredients! It tastes like it has wine and butter and took hours to make. My partner doesn’t love chicken thighs but this was a way to make them taste amazing. I had a ton of fat in the pan after browning the chicken so I spooned some out before adding the onions. I’m sure it depends on how fatty the cuts of chicken are that you’re using. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Oh wow, I’m so glad you and your partnered enjoyed it! Thank you so much.
Just made this chicken and it’s a hit! Delicious flavor and easy to make with ingredients I had on hand! This one will definitely get bookmarked.
Only mods I made were to saute the onions first, that way I don’t have to remove the chicken from the pan. Cooked it in cast-iron, so I probably should have checked the chicken for temperature sooner.
The second modification is that I added some dried dill after tasting the sauce. It’s not that the recipe needs it, but that the Trader Joe’s coconut milk had too much flavor versus the Whole Foods version I normally use.
In the future, I’ll probably add the whole can of coconut milk and bunch of baby greens or mushrooms at the end of cooking, to save myself the work of making a separate vegetable.
Yay, thanks so much for leaving a review!
Kids loved it
My husband has made your chicken recipe numerous times and served it to many friends. Everyone, me included, said it’s the best chicken they have EVER had!!! The chicken is tender, juicy and the sauce is delicious 🙂 Thank you! I also wanted to add that a dear friend gave me your cook book Korean Paleo. Absolutely love it! Eating paleo for health reasons, but missed my Asian foods. You have put the best of both together! Thank you, thank you!
I just saw this comment, and it seriously made my day!! Thank you SO much. Makes me so happy to have a repeat recipe of mine in your home, and I love that you are cooking from my cookbook as well. So appreciate this message, thank you again!!
Made this today with chicken thighs. Perfect. Even my 20-month old ate generous portion :). Served with your Chinese green beans and rice. Loved everything and my daughter too :). Thank you!
The sauce is SO yummy. I made this with chicken legs because I thought they would cook through at the same rate, and this worked well. This will definitely be a recipe I use again.