This creamy Dijon chicken is a one-pan dinner for 4 in about 30 minutes. I season and sear boneless chicken thighs, crisp a few slices of bacon, then build the sauce with butter, onion, chicken broth, lemon juice, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan. Fresh spinach wilts into the sauce at the end, and the crumbled bacon goes on top.
If you like this one, my Creamy Artichoke Chicken Thighs, Tuscan Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato Chicken, and Creamy Spinach Chicken Bake are more creamy chicken dinners to try.
Reader Love
★★★★★
Great recipe! We served it over cauliflower herbed rice and it was quite flavorful. As others have said, makes great leftovers too.
Most of the flavor comes from the pan. The chicken and bacon leave browned bits on the bottom, the broth and lemon juice lift them up, and the cream, Dijon, and Parmesan turn them into a sauce that is tangy, rich, and a little salty.
It’s an easy weeknight dinner, and leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes.
- A one-pan meal, so there is only one pan to wash.
- Familiar ingredients like chicken thighs, bacon, cream, Dijon, and spinach.
- Easy enough for weeknights and nice enough for date nights or holidays.
- Naturally gluten-free.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make dijon chicken
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of your chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Cook Chicken: In a hot, oiled pan over medium-high heat, add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook on each side until cooked throughout (165 degrees F). Depending on the thickness of the thighs, you’ll likely need to cook them for about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Recipe Tip
Don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken. You want the chicken to become golden with crisped edges. If you crowd the pan, the chicken will not get crispy and will, instead, steam. Depending on the size of the pan you use, you may need to cook the chicken thighs in batches.
- Cook Bacon: In that same pan over medium heat, cook your bacon until crispy, then transfer it to a plate and set aside. Do not wipe out the pan.
- Cook Onion and Seasonings: Melt butter in your pan before adding the onion, and cook that until the onions are transparent and the edges are golden. Stir in the garlic powder and Italian seasoning and allow that to cook for 1 minute.
- Simmer Then Crumble Bacon: Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. While that’s simmering, crumble up the cooked bacon and then set that aside.
- Add Cream and Dijon: Stir in the heavy cream and the dijon mustard and bring the mixture to a light simmer (watch it carefully so it doesn’t start to boil). Reduce the stovetop heat to low to continue cooking for 1 minute so that the sauce can thicken.
- Add Cheese and Spinach: Stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese and allow that to melt. Then, stir in the fresh spinach and allow the leaves to wilt.
Recipe Tip
If you want to thicken the sauce a little more, add more cheese and simmer the sauce a little longer over low heat.
- Final Steps: Return the cooked chicken thighs to the pan, spoon some of the sauce over them, and let them warm through for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle on the crumbled bacon, then garnish with parsley and freshly-cracked pepper.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Boneless And Skinless Chicken Thighs: If you only have skin-on and bone-in thighs, remove the skin and the bones before starting to cook. Chicken cutlets or boneless skinless chicken breasts can also be used here. Pork chops are also a good alternative. Keep in mind that if you use something other than chicken thighs, cooking times will differ.
- Avocado Oil: Olive oil can be used here.
- Garlic Powder: Use ~2 Tablespoons minced garlic in place of garlic powder.
- Chicken Broth: Beef broth or vegetable broth can be used at a 1:1 ratio.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Use half-and-half or whole milk.
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Substitute grated Parmesan cheese or shredded Asiago cheese.
- Fresh Spinach: Frozen spinach will work; if you go this route, be sure to drain any excess water before adding it in. Kale can also be substituted. Alternatively, you can leave this ingredient out altogether.
✨ Variations
- Include some roughly chopped button mushrooms or portobello mushrooms for added flavor and texture. Add these in when you add the chopped onions.
- Stir fresh herbs, like fresh oregano and/or fresh parsley, into the sauce when adding in the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Pour in ¼ cup of white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc, when adding in the chicken broth and lemon juice for an added depth of flavor.
- Add some heat by adding red pepper flakes and/or ground cayenne pepper to the sauce.
- Add a touch of sweetness by including 1 teaspoon of honey or brown sugar. Add this in when you add in the heavy cream and dijon mustard.
〰️ How to serve
- Grains: Jasmine rice or cauliflower rice.
- Noodles: Zucchini noodles or egg noodles.
💬 FAQs
How should dijon mustard chicken be stored?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
How should dijon chicken be reheated?
Reheat the chicken in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed throughout.
Can creamy dijon chicken be frozen?
No, I would not recommend freezing this dish; the texture of the sauce will likely be altered by freezing, thawing, and reheating.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets work, and so do pork chops. Keep in mind the cooking time will be different.
Can I use half-and-half or milk instead of heavy cream?
Yes. Half-and-half or whole milk both work in the sauce.
Can I use frozen spinach or kale?
Yes. Drain frozen spinach well before it goes into the sauce. Kale works too, or you can leave the greens out.
📚 More recipes to try
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It’s all one pan. Here’s what I use:
- → A large sauté pandeep enough for the chicken and the sauce
- → Dijon mustardthe heart of the sauce
- → A wooden spoonfor scraping up the browned bits
- → An instant-read thermometer
- → A box graterfor fresh Parmesan
See everything I use & love in my Amazon shop →
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Creamy Dijon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 bacon slices
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ small white onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups (~2 ounces) fresh spinach
Optional Garnishes:
- Roughly chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly-cracked pepper
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Cook Chicken: In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Once hot, add chicken thighs and cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Cook Bacon: In the same pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a plate and set aside. Do not wipe out pan.
- Cook Onion and Seasonings: Melt butter in pan. Add onion and cook until transparent and edges are golden. Stir in garlic powder and Italian seasoning and allow to cook for 1 minute.
- Simmer Then Crumble Bacon: Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Simmer until liquid has reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. While waiting, crumble up cooked bacon and then set aside.
- Add Cream and Dijon: Stir in heavy cream and dijon mustard and bring mixture to a light simmer (watch it carefully so it doesn't start to boil) before reducing heat to low to continue cooking for 1 minute and allowing sauce to thicken.
- Add Cheese and Spinach: Stir in shredded Parmesan and allow to melt before stirring in spinach and allowing leaves to wilt.
- Final Steps: Return chicken to pan, spoon some of the sauce over it, and let it warm through for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle on crumbled bacon, then garnish with parsley and freshly-cracked pepper.
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