French Mustard Chicken Breasts (Poulet à la Moutarde Française)

This French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe will make you feel like a fancy chef, but it comes together quickly and can be prepped in advance. You'll want to eat the luxurious mustard sauce like it's soup!

This French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe was inspired by a delightful French Market class that Scott and I had the pleasure of participating in earlier this summer in Lyon, France. You can read all about that class in this post but the fabulous chicken bathed in a succulent, creamy mustard sauce ranks as one of the best meals we experienced during our two weeks in Lyon. Ever since returning home, I've been working on my own rendition of the delicious chicken, hoping to recreate that fabulous flavor minus some of the effort and time.

When we visited the lovely French market to purchase supplies for our cooking class, our instructor, Lucy, chose Guinea hens for our main course recipe. I requested that we also pick up one boneless, skinless chicken breast as I knew that Guinea hens would not be readily available once I returned home to the U.S. Lucy graciously complied and that was the beginning of this French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe!

Classic French recipe with a few new twists

Although in France, this recipe would probably be made with bone-in chicken breasts (or Guinea hens), I opted to go with boneless because they cook quickly and are so easily available here in the States. The downside of boneless skinless chicken breasts, however, is that they end up dry and tough when cooked. My challenge was to create an easy recipe for French Mustard Chicken Breasts that would yield tender, juicy meat and a delicious mustard sauce, similar to the one we created in our Lyon cooking class.

Another priority for me was a beautiful presentation. I believe that we eat with our eyes before any food ever touches our tongues. I wanted my chicken to have a beautiful golden hue while staying moist and tender. I experimented with lots of different options to achieve these results and discovered that halving the chicken breasts horizontally to create thinner fillets and sautéing them quickly in a combination of butter and olive oil was the secret.

A simple approach

The thin filets are rubbed with a flavorful combination of garlic salt, Herbes de Provence (or Italian seasoning), black pepper and a pinch of both all-purpose flour and sugar. The salt, herbs and pepper add lots of great flavor while the four and sugar help add beautiful golden color when the chicken is sautéed.

I like to use a combination of extra virgin olive oil and butter for sautéing the chicken. The butter imparts great flavor and the oil keeps the chicken moist but also prevents the chicken from burning.

Chicken breasts don't need to cook long, especially when they've been cut into thinner cutlets as in this French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe. The chicken is quickly sautéed until golden on one side, flipped over and cooked for just a minute to seal in the juices, then removed from the pan while the delicious sauce is prepared.

Testing, testing, testing...

My husband, Scott has endured a LOT of renditions of this French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe but he hasn't seemed to mind a single bit. In fact, every time I serve this he comments on how delicious it is.

Each subsequent version has come a little closer to perfecting the recipe and we both concur that finally, the results are as delicious as the original French Mustard Chicken we enjoyed in the Lyon cooking class. The chicken itself is super moist and fork tender and the luxurious mustard sauce transports us back to France each time we taste it.

What should I serve with these French Mustard Chicken Breasts?

There are so many options! This chicken is fabulous with mashed potatoes but, if you're watching your caloric intake, mashed cauliflower would also be delicious. In our market class in Lyon, we served the chicken with tiny new potatoes and tomatoes confit (roasted tomatoes).

One of our favorite pairings is fresh pasta and slender green beans (aka French green beans or Haricots Vert).

It would also be delicious with roasted potatoes and a simple Classic French Bistro Salad.

Can I use milk or half and half in this recipe in lieu of cream?

Honestly, I don't recommend it - the market class recipe called for 2 cups of heavy cream. I worked hard to create a recipe with less cream yet one that would still have lots of delicious French mustardy flavor. I was able to cut back to ¾ cup but I wouldn't go with less than that. Using half and half or milk would water down the sauce and dilute the flavor.

If you're watching calories, I'd recommend enjoying the chicken with just a small serving of the delicious sauce. That's what I do!

A magic carpet ride

Wish you could take a trip to France? This French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe is a delicious way to travel to the land of lavender, croissants, vineyard-covered hillsides, quaint bistros and the magnificent Eiffel tower... without worrying about passports, catching flights, navigating unfamiliar airports, speaking a foreign language, etc.

This recipe is easy and quick enough to prepare on busy weeknights but elegant enough for a dinner party. Once you try it, it will be sure to go on your frequent flyer rotation!

Café Tips for making these French Mustard Chicken Breasts

• I like to look for chicken breasts that are on the smaller side for this recipe. Although I don't regularly purchase organic products, I do like organic chicken as the breasts are not as massive and tend to be more tender. All that said, I have made this recipe with regular grocery store chicken breasts and it was delicious. Just follow the directions carefully, especially the next tip.
• To ensure tender meat, don't overcook the chicken! Chicken breasts cook quickly, especially thinner cutlets. The reason that chicken breast is often tough and/or dry is overcooking.
• I love to use fresh dill as a garnish for these French Mustard Chicken Breasts as it adds fresh vibrant flavor and makes for a pretty presentation. However, if you can't find dill or you're not crazy about it, fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped rosemary or a combination of herbs will also yield delicious results.
• This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The breasts are sliced horizontally into thinner fillets. This is not difficult but you can also purchase thin pre-cut chicken cutlets, either way it works!
• As mentioned above, there are two teaspoons of flour and one teaspoon of sugar in the chicken rub. You won't detect either of these in the final result. The flour and sugar both help in giving the chicken a nice golden hue.
• This recipe calls for a half cup of dry white wine. Any decent white wine that's not too sweet will work well. We enjoy drinking Sauvignon Blanc so that's what I often use but a Pino Grigio, Chardonnay or Dry Riesling would also work well.
• Don't skip the shallots. Shallots are very common in French cooking and give the sauce a touch of sweetness along with a unique, super delicious flavor. One time I made this French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe and totally forgot the shallots. When I tasted the sauce after cooking there was definitely something missing - after thinking it through, I realized it was the shallots!
• This recipe calls for bay leaves. I love to use fresh bay leaves when I can as they're so flavorful. Fresh bay leaves are available at most larger grocery stores and come in the same little plastic cartons as other fresh herbs. Fresh bay leaves will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks.
• I really like using a cast iron skillet for this recipe as the chicken browns really nicely. Cast iron skillets are reasonably priced and are great for so many things. I have this one and this one.
• One of the key ingredients in this recipe, as the name suggests, is mustard. The recipe calls for grainy or wholegrain Dijon mustard. My favorite is Maille Wholegrain Dijon. Maille is available at most larger grocery stores in the same area as the other mustards. It's also available online.
• If you live in France, at the time of this writing, I'm aware that there is currently a mustard shortage. If you can't get a hold of good mustard, I'd suggest just waiting to make this recipe until your beloved Dijon mustard returns.

Thought for the day:

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, His Son,
purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:7

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Thank You, Jesus

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

5 from 8 votes

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French Mustard Chicken Breasts (Poulet à la Moutarde Française)

This French Mustard Chicken Breasts recipe will make you feel like a fancy chef, but it comes together quickly and can be prepped in advance. You'll want to eat the luxurious mustard sauce like it's soup!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French, French-American

Keyword: French Mustard Chicken

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Servings: 6

Calories: 360 kcal

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts 4 medium-size breasts
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt use 2 teaspoons if you have 2 pounds of chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the mustard cream sauce:

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot 1 medium, about ½ of a medium size shallot
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 2 medium bay leaf
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard I like Maille
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• fresh dill or use thyme or rosemary (or a combination), for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the chicken:

1. Combine the garlic salt, Herbs de Provence, flour, sugar and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

2. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. To do this, lay the breasts out on a work surface, then place your nondominant hand on the top and slice horizontally halfway through the meat (to create two thin cutlets) with your dominant hand. Lay the chicken breasts out in a single layer on the work surface and sprinkle on both sides with the garlic salt mixture.

3. In a large cast iron, heavy-duty skillet or shallow braiser, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat until starting to sizzle a bit,

4. Add the chicken breasts, smooth sides down and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the underside is golden (if the breasts are thicker go for 5-6 minutes if thin, 4-5 is good). Flip the breasts to the opposite side and cook for another 1 minute. (The chicken will not be completely cooked at this time but will finish cooking later.) Transfer to a clean plate and cover loosely with foil.

For the mustard cream sauce:

1. Add the chopped shallots to the pan and sauté over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the wine and increase the heat to medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook at a rapid boil or until most of the wine has evaporated.

2. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a steady low boil. Cook, uncovered for 8 minutes.

3. While the broth is cooking, combine the cream, mustard and cornstarch and stir vigorously with a fork until nice and smooth.

4. This step is totally optional, but if you like a really smooth sauce, you can strain it through a fine mesh strainer at this point, pushing on the solids until all the liquid is removed. Discard the solids, return the sauce to the pan and bring it to a boil then proceed as directed.

5. Add the cream mixture to the simmering sauce and any juice that has accumulated on the plate with the chicken. Stir until well combined. Bring back to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer over low heat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

6. Add the chicken back to the pan, cover the pan tightly and turn off the heat. Allow the chicken to sit, undisturbed for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken, drizzled with the sauce and pass extra at the table. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs, thyme leaves or finely chopped rosemary. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

This recipe will feed 4 to 6 people, depending on the serving size.

Calories 360kcal

Fat 21g

Saturated fat 10g

Trans fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated fat 2g

Monounsaturated fat 7g

Cholesterol 142mg

Sodium 1069mg

Potassium 630mg

Carbohydrates 4g

Fiber 0.4g

Sugar 2g

Protein 34g

Vitamin A 611%

Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 42%

Iron 1%