Go Back
+ servings

French Mustard Chicken

French Mustard Chicken, or Poulet à la Moutarde, is a classic French dish that is simple but impressive! Chicken thighs are braised in a rich, creamy mustard sauce that will have you licking your plate clean. The whole dish comes together in just about an hour!
4 from 1 vote

Ingredients  

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 2 large shallots, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • Thyme sprigs for garnishing

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add the Dijon mustard and rub, making sure that the chicken thigs are thoroughly coated. Reserve.
  • Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet with a lid, braiser or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess grease. Reserve. If the bacon has rendered a lot of fat, drain most of it, leaving just a couple tablespoons in the pan.
  • Add the chicken thighs and brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and reserve with the bacon.
  • Add the remaining olive oil and sauté the shallots until softened, about 3 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the thyme leaves and stir to combine.
  • Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Let it cook until almost all gone, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in the flour and mix to combine. Then, pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, return the chicken (skin side up), bacon and any juices back to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (to an internal temperature of at least 165ºF), about 15-20 minutes.
  • Add the heavy cream and grainy mustard, stirring to combine. Raise the heat to medium and let the sauce boil until thickened to the desired consistency.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  • Stir in the chopped parsley and serve, garnished with thyme sprigs.

Notes

Make Ahead:
Cook everything but skip adding the heavy cream and whole grain mustard. Cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then, reheat and add the cream and mustard!
Reheating:
Reheat the leftovers on the stove, over medium-low heat, adding more broth or cream as needed.
Leftovers:
Store leftovers after they are cooled, in an airtight container, with all the sauce that is left in the pan, in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing:
I do not recommend freezing this dish. If you must freeze, skip adding the cream and add it after you thaw and reheat it.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 52g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 232mg, Sodium: 755mg, Potassium: 594mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 715IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 2mg