Pan Seared Chicken with Dijon Mustard Sauce

This Chicken with Dijon Mustard Sauce is pan-seared in a cast iron skillet to keep the chicken moist and juicy, then basted with the most delicious and creamy mustard sauce. All you need is 1 pan and about 30 minutes to make.

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cast iron skillet containing chicken thighs with a glass of white wine.

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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
🥗Side Dish Serving Suggestions
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
📖Variations
🔪Instructions
💭Recipe FAQs
👩🏻‍🍳Chef Tips
🍗More Healthy Chicken Recipes You May Like
🍳Recipe
💬 Reviews

🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe

Perfect healthy meal prep recipe. Prepare yourself easy lunches this week featuring this chicken with Dijon mustard sauce, a side salad, and a side dish.
Ready in 35 minutes. I take pride in sharing recipes that are made with real ingredients and are realistic for weeknights. This chicken recipe is no different. Have this on the table to feed your hungry family something healthy without the hassle.
It's incredibly versatile. Below I've listed some of my favorite sides I'll pair with this chicken with mustard sauce. All of the sides are neutral in flavor and allow the tangy chicken dish to shine.

🥗Side Dish Serving Suggestions

The best part about this chicken with mustard sauce is that it goes well with several types of grains, starches, salads, and even dinner rolls. Here are a few of my favorite serving suggestions:

Grains and Potatoes

Vegetable Side Dishes

🥘Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for mustard sauce measured out.

Chicken thighs - If you've been cooking my recipes for a while now, you know I prefer skin-on-bone-in chicken thighs. They are overall more flavorful, more difficult to overcook (which is great for newer cooks) and the bones can be reserved to make homemade chicken stock.
Dijon mustard - Dijon mustard is similar in flavor to yellow mustard but is the more intense, tangier version. I find it makes the best chicken mustard sauce because it has a stronger depth of flavor. If you love Dijon mustard, try these recipes with Dijon mustard: Apple Chicken Salad, Air Fryer Salmon Burgers, and Healthy Chicken Burger.
White wine - Cooking with wine is one of my favorite tricks to use when I want to instantly enhance and balance the flavor of a dish with a bit of acidity. I recommend using a dry white wine - here is a comprehensive list of the 35 Best Cooking Wines.
Broth - I used chicken broth to make this chicken mustard sauce, but you can substitute vegetable broth or a low-sodium broth of your choosing.

See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.

📖Variations

No white wine? Maybe you choose not to cook with alcohol or simply don't have any good cooking wines in the kitchen. Simply substitute the wine with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. This will yield a slightly thicker chicken mustard sauce. If you'd like to make it a bit thinner, add additional broth.
Out of butter? Substitute the butter with a cooking oil like extra virgin olive oil.
Out of fresh thyme? Try fresh rosemary or as a last resort, substitute 1-2 teaspoons of dried thyme or dried rosemary.

🔪Instructions

Season the chicken.
Pan sear both sides of the chicken thighs. Add the chicken thighs skin-side down in a COLD cast iron skillet. Set the heat to medium-high and cook until they easily lift and can be flipped (about 5-8 minutes). Pan sear on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
Set the chicken aside.

Start the Dijon mustard sauce. Melt butter in the same skillet used to pan-sear the chicken thighs, then add in the garlic and onion to sauté. Cook for 3 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.

Add in the remaining mustard sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced slightly.
Finish cooking the chicken. Add the pan-seared chicken thighs into the sauce and baste with the sauce to finish cooking, about 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees F.
Serve immediately with your favorite side dishes.

💭Recipe FAQs

Can chicken thighs be pink?

Yes, chicken thighs can be slightly pink. If the internal temperature of the meat is 165 degrees F, no need to worry about the color of the meat. Chicken thighs are considered to be the darker meat of the chicken and will typically be a bit pink, even after cooking.

Can I bake this chicken dish?

I have not tested a baked version of this chicken. If you prefer a baked chicken thigh recipe, you may enjoy my Cranberry Orange Chicken Thighs.

Is Dijon mustard gluten-free?

Yes, Dijon mustard is gluten-free. This entire chicken with mustard sauce recipe is gluten-free.

How long does cooked chicken last?

Cooked chicken will last 3-4 days when stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Chicken thighs with mustard sauce in a pan next to a glass of white wine.

👩🏻‍🍳Chef Tips

Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. This will prevent sticking and make pan-searing your chicken extra simple. If you are new to cooking with cast iron, check out this tutorial from Lodge Cast Iron on How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet.
Use chicken thighs of similar size and thickness. This will ensure even cooking and doneness.