This creamy dijon chicken is the ultimate weeknight dinner, ready in around 30 minutes, and made in just one pan! With the ability to switch up the protein or play with different flavors, this versatile meal will be a family favorite!
This is one of my Chicken recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
If your household is anything like mine, you can easily end up in a dinner rut. You know, when the thought of yet another chicken meal sends you into a spiral?
Well, meals like this one are great for busting out of that rut. It’s still chicken, but not boring and more of the same old, same old.
The sauce is simple, yet flavorful, and it’s easy to customize to your tastes as well.
Plus, it’s all made in one pan, so there are less dishes to wash, which is always a major win in my book!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Easy – regular, everyday ingredients, one pan meal, and made in about 30 minutes.
- Customize-able – the simple sauce formula is easy to switch up to your preferences and tastes.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Chicken – I like to use regular chicken breasts and slice them in half so I have 4 thin cutlets. You could also get thin cut chicken if you’d like.
- Spices – for this recipe, the spices used are italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Salt and pepper – I test all my recipes with kosher salt, so if you use another kind, you’ll want to use a bit less.
- Olive oil – you can substitute this with another neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable.
- Butter – you can use salted or unsalted, whichever you have on hand.
- Shallots – I prefer to dice/mince my shallots, but you could slice them if you don’t mind more texture.
- Garlic – fresh garlic cloves are preferred, but you could use pre-minced or garlic paste.
- Flour – just regular all-purpose flour is used to thicken the sauce.
- Chicken broth – I prefer to use reduced sodium.
- Heavy cream – this adds a luxuriousness to the sauce, but you could swap it for half and half, whole milk, or evaporated milk to save a few calories.
- Mustard – I like to use a creamy dijon, but a grainy mustard will also work well.
- Worcestershire sauce – this adds to the savoriness of the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated is going to incorporate into the sauce better, but the flavor will still be good if you use pre-grated.
How to make one pan creamy dijon chicken:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Season and cook chicken. Make sure to season on both sides of the chicken, then cook in a hot skillet until cooked through. Then remove to a plate.
- Cook veggies. To the same skillet, cook the shallots and garlic.
- Add flour. Cooking the flour with the veggies for a minute will allow the sauce to thicken later.
- Add liquids. Whisk the mixture as you pour them in, so there aren’t any clumps from the flour.
- Add cheese. Once the sauce has thickened a bit, stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Return chicken. Add the chicken back to the pan, nestling them down into the sauce.
Helpful Tip!
After searing the chicken in the skillet, don’t wipe it out or clean it. All those browned bits on the bottom of the skillet add so much flavor to the sauce. However, if you have a lot of burned, black bits, those should be discarded.
Variations of this recipe
- Thin sliced chicken breasts – to save yourself a bit of time, see if your grocery store carries thin sliced chicken breasts. They usually come in packages of 4, and are usually the perfect thickness.
- Types of chicken – this recipe will also work well with other cuts of chicken, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Wine – for added depth of flavor, try adding 1/2 cup of dry white wine to the skillet after cooking the shallots and garlic. Let it cook until it’s reduced by about half, then proceed with the recipe.
- Types of mustard – if a creamy dijon isn’t your favorite, and you prefer a variety with some mustard seeds in it, go for a grainy mustard instead.
- Cheese – freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts into the sauce the best, but the pre-shredded or grated Parmesan in the cans will also work.
FAQ’s
Some people don’t like to use heavy cream, for a variety of reasons, so yes, you can make this without it. You do want some dairy, and you want some with fat for that rich mouthfeel in the sauce. I would recommend using half and half, evaporated milk, or whole milk. The sauce may take just a bit longer to thicken up though.
Making dijon chicken ahead of time
I think this recipe tastes best when made fresh, but you can absolutely prep ahead!
- Chicken – if you’re slicing the chicken to get the thin cutlets, that can be done ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
- Spices – all the seasonings for the chicken can be combined and stored in a container at room temperature.
- Veggies – the shallots and garlic can be chopped and kept refrigerated.
- Cheese – if you’re grating the Parmesan cheese (which I recommend), that can be done ahead and kept refrigerated.
Storage
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-4 days.
I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say how well the sauce will hold up.
My Favorite Skillet!
Any heavy bottomed skillet will work for this recipe, but I love using cast iron (specifically enameled cast iron) because they last forever and give the chicken a great sear!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 shallots peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 2/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional garnish
- minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Prepare chicken
- Add 1 of the 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts to a cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the board and carefully slice the chicken from right to left (if you’re a righty)… opening the chicken breast up like a book. Slice all the way through, so you now have 2 thinly sliced pieces of chicken. Repeat with other chicken breast.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Season chicken on both sides.
Cook chicken
- Heat a large skillet over MED heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, and the seasoned chicken and cook until cooked through and golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
Make sauce
- Add 3 Tbsp unsalted butter to the same skillet, and once melted, add 2 shallots, and 3 cloves garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Add 2 Tbsp all purpose flour, and stir to combine. Cook for another minute.
- As you whisk/stir, pour in 1 2/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth. Once mixed in, with no lumps of flour, add 3/4 cup heavy cream, 3 Tbsp dijon mustard, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Whisk/stir to combine well.
- Bring sauce to a simmer, and cook for several minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit.
- Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, until melted.
Finish and serve
- Return the chicken to the pan, nestling into the sauce. Cook for a minute or two, to heat the chicken through.
- Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley (if using), and serve hot. I like to serve this chicken with some mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles, and a vegetable.
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Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated this recipe serves 4, but the exact serving size and number of servings is up to you.
- Instead of slicing the chicken breasts in half, you could purchase thin cut chicken, or chicken cutlets from the store.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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