Today’s recipe for Chicken in Mustard Sauce is in honor of Bastille Day, the day the French celebrate their “liberty, equality, and fraternity” three principles from their national motto. I am sharing this modified recipe from our favorite French chef, Jacques Pepin. This is a simple way to make ordinary chicken into something special!
Similar to our 4th of July, Bastille Day is a national patriotic holiday with parties held all over the country. The most spectacular fireworks display happens at the Eiffel Tower and is met with cheers from the massive crowds. And this year they have the Olympics and Tour de France happening plus near record number of tourists – it will be even more spectacular and draw enormous crowds!
The Artist and I would love to experience Bastille Day in Paris one day, but in the meantime, I’ll make some of our favorite French foods and we’ll toast the City of Light and the people of France!
It is amazing how just a few ingredients can take a meal from boring and ordinary to outstanding and party-worthy. Adding mustard to create a sauce is remarkably delicious. And it is both gluten-free and dairy-free! I dare you to find a simpler recipe for your next dinner party!
Skillet with the mustard sauce
Dry mustard, if you don’t already use it, is a great way to add depth to your dishes. It is subtle, leaving people wondering what your secret ingredient might be. Give it a try and you might just fall in love!
Secrets to the amazing mustard sauce!
For this recipe, if you don’t have any boneless chicken, you can use the bone-in breasts. Because they are so much thicker, start them on the stove as directed, then transfer them to a 400°F (204°C) oven to cook nearly through (to about 160°F; 71°C), and finish them on the stovetop. Another step and longer cook time, but just as delicious!
Some other ways you might enjoy mustard in your cooking … If you love lamb, you might also like my Roasted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Mustard Glaze (Gluten Free). Or you can try my Gluten-Free Pretzel-Coated Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce.
Enjoy this lovely Chicken in Mustard Sauce and have a fabulous weekend my friends! See you in a few days for Chocolate Monday!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Chicken in Mustard Sauce:
- Boneless chicken breasts, salt, pepper, oil, onion,
- Flour or GF flour blend or sorghum, water, white wine,
- Dry mustard, prepared Dijon mustard,
PRO Tip:
If you can find it, I highly recommend Edmond Fallot brand of Dijon mustards. They are still made in the traditional manner in the city of Dijon, in the Burgundy region of France. There is no wine added, just pure mustard and the flavor is extraordinary.
PRO Tip:
Having dry white wine on hand for recipes like this can get expensive. That’s why I keep a bottle of DRY Vermouth in the refrigerator. I use it whenever a recipe calls for white wine. It is a great money saver!
How to make Chicken in Mustard Sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix the dry mustard with the Dijon and 2 tsp water, stirring until smooth. Set next to the stove.
- Brown the chicken on all sides in hot oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken and place on a plate. Add the onions to the skillet and cook another minute, stirring often. Sprinkle the flour on the onions and cook them a minute or two until nutty smelling. Watch carefully.
- Add the water and wine, and stir, dissolving the flour and cooking until it thickens. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes until the chicken hits 162°F (72°C) in the center on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a clean platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Cook the sauce at a medium-boil until thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup (177 ml). Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mustard mixture into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Return the chicken to the pan and reheat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to serving plates, drizzle with a little of the sauce, and serve. Pass any remaining sauce at the table.
PRO Tip:
Dry mustard (found where the spices and herbs are sold) is another secret weapon in the kitchen. It is nearly undetectable when used in small measurements but it adds tremendously to the overall flavor of your dishes. Give it a try!
PRO Tip:
If your chicken breasts are really thick, you can partially cut them lengthwise until about 2/3 of the way through. Then open the chicken like a book and lay it flat. It will cook more quickly and evenly this way. You can fold it back into a single piece when you are ready to serve if you prefer.
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Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can use any gluten-free flour or starch to thicken this sauce. I like sorghum or a spoonful of my favorite gluten-free flour blend with the starches in it.
** The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. Wine is also considered safe. For some very sensitive people wine may cause issues. In a few rare cases, wine makers may use barrels that have minute amounts of gluten in the caulk. If you have issues with wine, look for a winery that uses only stainless steel containers to age their wines.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Chicken in Mustard Sauce (GF & DF)
Today's recipe is in honor of Bastille Day, July 14th, the day the French celebrate their "liberty, equality, and fraternity" three principles from their national motto. I am sharing this Easy Chicken in Mustard Sauce, the original recipe is from our favorite French chef, Jacques Pepin. This is an easy way to make ordinary chicken into something special!
Ingredients
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp prepared Dijon mustard, preferably Edmond Fallot brand
- 2 tsp water, or as needed
- 4 (5 oz each; 142g each) skinless, boneless chicken breasts (see Pro Tip above for info on how to cut if they are extra thick)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper (use black pepper if you don’t have white)
- 2 tsp vegetable or olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp sorghum flour*, gluten-free flour blend, or all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) water
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) dry white wine**, dry vermouth, chicken stock, or more water
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix the dry mustard with the Dijon and 2 tsp water, and whisk until smooth. Set next to the stove. Prep and set up all the other ingredients you will need.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. When hot, brown the chicken on all sides, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate.
Add the onions and cook for a minute or two, adding a little more oil if needed. Sprinkle the flour onto the onions and stir to coat them. Cook the flour for a minute or two to cook off some of the raw aroma, stirring often.
Stir in the water and wine, dissolving the flour and stirring often until the mixture thickens. Lower the heat, return the chicken to the pan, cover with a lid, and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until the center of the chicken registers 162°F (72°C) on an instant read thermometer. Transfer the chicken to a clean platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
Cook the sauce at a medium boil until reduced to about 3/4 cup (177 ml). Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the mustard mixture into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. If the sauce gets too thick, stir in a teaspoon or two of water to loosen it. It will thicken as it cools.
Return the chicken to the pan and rewarm in the sauce. Transfer the chicken to serving plates, spoon a little of the sauce over each piece and serve.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
*You can use any gluten-free flour or starch to thicken this sauce. I like sorghum or a spoonful of my favorite gluten-free flour blend with the starches in it. If the sauce isn’t thickening to your liking, you can always make a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch to 1 tbsp water) and stir it into the sauce. Bring to a boil to get the full thickening power.
** The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. Wine is also considered safe. For some very sensitive people wine may cause issues. In a few rare cases, wine makers may use barrels that have minute amounts of gluten in the caulk. If you have issues with wine, look for a winery that uses only stainless steel containers to age their wines. If you are using bourbon, you can replace it with gluten-free vodka plus 1 tsp brown sugar to help protect highly reactive people.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a Jacques Pepin recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 372Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 339mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 18g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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Rita
Question: Add the water to the skillet while the chicken is still in the pan? Your photo doesn’t show that, just the whisk in the pan with the sauce. What am I missing?
Jane Bonacci
Hi Rita – My photo is different because I only had bone-in breasts to work with and roasted them in the oven after browning (see note at the bottom of the recipe). I took them out of the pan, made the sauce, and returned them to reheat. If you are using boneless breasts, just add the water to the pan with the chicken and whisk to make the sauce – the flour that is on the chicken pieces will dissolve into the water to thicken the sauce.
Rita
Yumm. I will definitely try this. Tasty and easy
Jane Bonacci
We really enjoyed the bold flavor of the sauce to take the chicken in a whole new direction!