Chicken Thighs in Mustard Wine Sauce are easy and quick to make during busy weeknights. This simple chicken dinner has just the right amount of Dijon mustard, cream and white wine & perfectly flavored with thyme and garlic.
This Chicken in Mustard Wine Sauce takes simple bone-in chicken thighs and turns them into a French-style skillet dinner with almost no extra effort. You brown the chicken until the skin is crisp and golden, then simmer it in a creamy pan sauce made with Dijon mustard, white wine, shallots, and garlic.
The result is juicy chicken in a tangy, velvety mustard cream sauce that feels like something from a little bistro but cooks in a single pan on a weeknight. Spoon it over scalloped potatoes, rice, or crusty bread so none of that white wine Dijon sauce goes to waste.
If you love creamy mustard sauces, you might also like my Dijon Chicken and Potatoes, where the same mustard-white wine flavors soak into crispy roasted potatoes.
Why You'll Love This Chicken in Mustard Wine Sauce
This is a quick French-style skillet dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but still weeknight-friendly.
- One-pan skillet recipe for easy cleanup
- Juicy bone-in chicken thighs
- Tangy, creamy Dijon and white wine sauce
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken. Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs give you the juiciest, most flavorful results, with enough fat to enrich the sauce. You can swap in skinless boneless thighs or breasts if you prefer; in that case, cook them through on the stovetop and simply reheat them gently in the finished sauce instead of baking.
- Dry white wine. Use a dry white like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay-both work beautifully here. Add the wine as soon as the flour goes in and whisk right away; pouring and whisking together helps prevent clumping, which can happen if all the flour hits the pan at once without being mixed in quickly. If you love cooking with wine, you might also consider Chicken Thighs in Creamy White Wine Sauce (Herb Roasted).
- Flour and cream. A small amount of flour helps thicken the pan sauce so it clings to the chicken instead of running off the plate. The cream enriches the sauce, giving it a smooth, velvety texture that balances the sharpness of the Dijon and wine.
- Liquids (stock, cream, mustard). After the flour is cooked in, whisk in chicken stock and heavy cream and let the mixture simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mustard last and whisk until it's fully incorporated so the sauce is glossy, smooth, and evenly flavored.
How to Make Chicken Thighs in Mustard Wine Sauce
1. Brown the Chicken
Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Patting the thighs completely dry - including pressing into the skin folds - is the single most important step for crispy skin. I explain the science behind it in detail in my guide to cooking chicken thighs perfectly.
I like to start chicken thighs skin-side down over medium-high heat and leave them alone for about 4 minutes so the skin can really brown and crisp. Then I slightly lower the heat, flip the thighs, and cook the second side for another 4-5 minutes, for a total of 8-10 minutes in the pan.
Bone-in thighs won't cook all the way through with searing alone, so they finish in the oven, where the heat can penetrate to the bone while they sit in the mustard-wine sauce.
2. Make Mustard Wine Sauce
The sauce is built on the stovetop first, then the chicken goes back into the pan and everything finishes together in the oven. Sautéed onions, thyme, and garlic form the base of the sauce, which is then enriched with Dijon mustard and deglazed with dry white wine.
3. Finish the Chicken in the Sauce and Bake
After the sauce is done, return the chicken to the pan bake it in the luxury of mustard and wine cream sauce!
French Style Chicken in Mustard and Wine Sauce
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Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken thighs
- Italian seasoning for seasoning chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
Dijon Wine Sauce:
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3-4 thyme sprigs (leaves of those sprigs)
- 1 tablespoon flour (wheat or rice flour)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Sautéing the chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning on both sides. Cook the chicken on medium high skin side down first until golden brown, then flip over and cook on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes per side; transfer chicken to a plate. Chicken will not be cooked through at this point.
- Sauce Base: To the same pan add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook over medium heat until just tender for 3-4 minutes.
- Making Dijon Wine Sauce: Move onions to the side of the pan and start whisking in flour (preferably using a sifter). While adding flour, also slowly start adding the wine. Next add chicken stock, heavy cream and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add mustard and mix in well with the sauce
- Adding chicken to the pan: Add removed chicken back to the skillet with sauce.
- Baking in the oven: Put the skillet with chicken into the oven uncovered and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes. Check to make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.
- To serve: Serve with mashed potatoes, asparagus or roasted vegetables of your choice.
Tips for the Best Mustard Wine Chicken
Best wine to use: I reach for a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay-something crisp, not sweet. If I wouldn't mind drinking a small glass of it, I know it's good enough to build a bright, balanced mustard pan sauce.
Preventing a curdled sauce: To keep the sauce silky, I make sure the pan isn't at a hard boil when I add the cream; a gentle simmer is plenty. I whisk in the cream and mustard off the heat or over low heat, then bring it back to a bare simmer so the dairy warms through slowly instead of shocking and curdling.
Getting crispy skin and juicy meat: For the best contrast, I always pat the chicken thighs dry and season them well before they hit a hot pan. I let the skin side sear undisturbed until it's deeply golden and crisp, then finish the chicken in the oven in the sauce so the meat cooks through gently without sacrificing that crackly skin.
Can I make this without wine?
I do, and it still works. I swap the wine for chicken stock plus a small splash of white wine vinegar or lemon juice at the end to bring back some acidity; you won't get quite the same depth, but the Dijon and garlic/onion still give you a really flavorful sauce.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
You can, but I treat them a little more gently. I sear the breasts just until lightly golden, then simmer them in the sauce over low heat or finish them briefly in the oven, pulling them as soon as they're just cooked through so they stay juicy instead of drying out.
What to Serve with Chicken in Mustard Wine Sauce
I like to pair this with something that soaks up the sauce: Irish Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, rice, buttered noodles, or Fluffy Condensed Milk Bread all do the job really well.
On the side, simple vegetables-like garlic lemon green beans, asparagus, or a Avocado, Tomato & Cucumber Salad with a lemony vinaigrette-keep the plate balanced and cut through the richness of the mustard cream sauce.
How to Store and Reheat
Store the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For reheating, gentle is key: warm it over low heat on the stovetop or in a low oven, adding a splash of stock or cream if needed, so the sauce loosens up and stays smooth instead of separating.
More Mustard Chicken
If this mustard wine chicken becomes a favorite, try my Garlic Mustard Chicken Thighs for a punchier, garlic-forward version, or Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Mustard Crust when you want a whole roasted chicken.
More Easy and Delicious Chicken Thighs
- Oven Baked Peri Peri Chicken
- Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms in Wine Sauce
- Skillet Chicken Thighs in Mushroom and Wine Sauce
Looking for more easy chicken dinners? Browse all my Chicken Recipes for skillet meals, baked chicken, and more mustard lovers' favorites.
Hollye Maxwell says
Howdy,
I cook a lot as a home chef, pretty much 3 meals a day, and have assisted in restaurants in the past as prep. I waited to add the garlic until I had thoroughly sautéed the onions because I didn’t want the garlic to burn. Also, I drained all the oil off, except for about a tablespoon, after sautéing the chicken thighs because it seemed like too much oil and fat left in the pan. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. It’s great and I‘ll be adding it to the “rotation.” Thanks so much!
Kind regards,
Hollye
Olga says
Thank you, Hollye!
Laura says
This was soooo good! I will cook this again, for sure!
Corrine says
I still have some fresh thyme in the back yard - this will be our dinner tonight!
Olya at Whatsinthepan says
Way to use your gardening resources! I hope you enjoy it.
Pat says
Love this recipe! Looks very French.
Olya at Whatsinthepan says
Thank you Pat.
David H Currier says
I made this last night with 6 thighs, bone in, skin on. It is fabulous. I increased the quantity of sauce about 50% and used more flour to thicken the sauce. I used dried thyme because my fresh thyme plant has been over-used lately. The cream really softens the Dijon mustard. One of the best internet recipes I've found in a long while.
Olya says
Your comment made my day!!! Thank you so much for your fabulous review!