This Chicken Dijon skips the wine and the flour. It's made with coconut cream, two mustards, and mushrooms all in one skillet with only 10 minutes of prep time. It has the same cozy, saucy pull as my Chicken Marsala Thighs, just with a sharper, tangier edge from the mustard instead of wine. Ten minutes of prep, and it's special enough for company.
Chicken Dijon At A Glance
- 🕐 Total Time: 30 minutes (10 min prep + 20 min cook)
- 🍽️ Servings: 4 people
- 🍅 Cuisine Type: French, Mediterranean-inspired
- 🥄 Flavor Profile: Tangy and savory from two mustards, rich and velvety from the coconut cream, with earthy mushrooms throughout
- 🥛 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free; dairy-free when made with coconut cream instead of heavy cream
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days; freeze the chicken alone for up to 2 months (skip freezing if mushrooms are in the mix)
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A creamy mustard sauce built without wine, dairy, or flour, so it comes together fast and stays naturally gluten-free
Save And Summarize This Recipe
I made this, and it's delicious! The chicken turned out tender and juicy, I got the right balance of tanginess from the mustards and cream. The mushrooms add extra flavor and texture.
- Ethel
This dish was inspired by a chicken Dijon dinner I had in Paris and has been on our dinner rotation since it's a one pan meal. It's creamy and tangy and when I want to add veggies to the dish, it's easy.
If you like building a meal around a good pan sauce, this one has company. My Chicken Marsala Meatballs use the same mushroom and creamy base with a splash of wine instead of mustard, and the Chicken Piccata Meatballs are lemony and bright where this one goes tangy and rich. Mustard also shows up again in my Brown Sugar Baked Salmon.
Jump to:
This sauce practically begs for something to soak it up. Garlic Smashed Potatoes are my go-to for exactly this reason, crispy on the outside and ready to catch every drop. Mediterranean Rice works well if you want something lighter, and my Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower round the plate out with something green that won't compete with the sauce.
Key Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make these Chicken Dijon With Mushrooms recipe:
- Chicken breasts - I used boneless, skinless breasts as they sear quickly and finish cooking right in the sauce. This keeps this a true one-pan meal. Cutting them to an even thickness (or using thinner breasts) helps them cook through in the same time the sauce needs to come together. I also tested this with boneless, skinless thighs and with salmon. They are all delicious.
- Coconut cream - Coconut cream builds the sauce instead of using heavy cream to keep this dish dairy-free. Heavy cream is a straightforward swap if that's what you have on hand. Coconut cream fits the Mediterranean pantry since it plays the same role dairy would without changing the direction of the dish. You won't taste the coconut flavor.
- Dijon and whole grain mustard - The two work together to increase flavor. Whole grain mustard is what gives the sauce its punch, the mustard seeds add a pop of texture and a sharper bite than Dijon delivers on its own. Testing with just Dijon left the sauce tasting flatter.
- Mushrooms add earthiness and bulk to the sauce, and they soak up the mustard and cream as they cook down. Sliced mushrooms work best here since they brown quickly and blend into the sauce rather than sitting on top of it. If you're a mushroom lover, my Mushroom Cauliflower and Garlic Skillet is another easy way to put them to work.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Variations
- Vegetables - You can also add spinach, kale, chard, cooked broccoli or cauliflower to change up this dish.
- Spicy - If you like your chicken spicy, add red pepper flakes, sriracha, or harissa to the sauce.
- Sweet - Swap the sugar for 2 tablespoons of honey, or use brown sugar in place of regular sugar for a deeper, slightly caramelized sauce.
- Herbs - Adding fresh thyme or rosemary works depending on what vegetables you choose to serve alongside.
How To Make Chicken Dijon: Step-By-Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:
Step 1: Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the pan and sear the chicken on each side for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until golden brown. Note that the chicken will not be cooked through. Take the chicken out of the pan and place on a plate.
Step 2: Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5-8 minutes until brown and cooked on all sides scraping up all the tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Season with salt.
Step 3: Add the cream, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, and any sweetener, if using, to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until simmering.
Step 4: Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and into the sauce. Cook on each side for 5 minutes while the sauce is simmering until cooked through and the internal temperature using a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.
Recipe Tips
- Sear until deeply golden before removing the chicken from the pan. Those browned bits are where the sauce gets its flavor.
- Use a non-stick pan for easy cooking.
- Cut the chicken to an even thickness so it cooks through at the same rate it finishes in the sauce.
- Scrape up the browned bits when you add the cream and mustard. That's free flavor you don't want left behind.
Gwen's Pro Tip
A small spoonful of sugar, up to a half cup, rounds out the sauce. Two mustards bring a lot of tang, and the sugar keeps it from tipping too sharp without making the dish taste.
Chicken Dijon FAQ's
Dijon cream sauce is a simple sauce consisting of reduced heavy cream and mustard. It's a tasty sauce that can be served with chicken, beef, pork, fish, or even on top of vegetables.
No. This sauce is built entirely from cream and mustard, no wine or broth needed, which is part of what keeps it quick and simple.
Spicy brown mustard is the closest swap if whole grain isn't available. Straight Dijon works in a pinch, but the sauce will taste flatter without the added punch.
More Chicken Dishes
Let me know your thoughts on this Chicken Dijon by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Chicken Dijon (No Wine, No Flour)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs chicken breasts about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup coconut cream or heavy cream
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoons sugar optional to taste
Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Season with salt and black pepper.2 ½ lbs chicken breasts, salt & black pepper
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sear the chicken on both sides for about 5 minutes a side until the chicken is golden brown. (note that the chicken will not be cooked through)
- Place the chicken on a plate and reserve.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown and cooked through about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt.8 oz mushrooms
- Add the cream, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, and the optional sugar to the pan. Heat until simmering and combined.1 cup coconut cream, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard, 1 teaspoons sugar
- Add the chicken breasts back into the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn over and simmer another 5 minutes until cooked through and the internal temperature on a meat thermometer is 165°.
- Serve.
Ginny says
1/2 cup granulated sweetener can't be right. How much should it be?
Gwen Wolken says
Ginny, it is correct. You can use sugar or something like allulose as a sweetener. This recipe is more of a honey mustard chicken-like taste.
JENNIFER says
I LOVE this pan sauce with the chicken and really complements the mushrooms! So yummy and easy, thanks
Dana says
Love the dijon mustard sauce on this chicken. Such an easy recipe, and so comforting! We loved it
Ethel says
I made this, and it's delicious! The chicken turned out tender and juicy, I got the right balance of tanginess from the mustards and cream. The mushrooms add extra flavor and texture.
Josephine says
Love the recipe. I love a good sauce on chicken and needed something new, so gave your recipe a try. It came out perfect, and I love the mushrooms with it. Ended up serving with noodles.
Meghan says
The flavor of this sauce! It's a new family favorite for sure. I am stunned with not only how easy it was to make, but how flavorful it is with not too many ingredients. A new weeknight fave for us!
Dixie says
Used bone-in chicken thighs, and they turned out juicy and flavorful. I also added some spinach for some extra greens, and it turned out delicious! Love how versatile this recipe is.