Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Onion Dijon Sauce

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Onion Dijon Sauce has tender, juicy chicken smothered in a zesty Dijon mustard sauce with sliced mushrooms and onions. Better yet – it only takes thirty minutes to prepare!

In our kitchen, a good-quality Dijon mustard is one of those must-have, staple ingredients that we always have on hand. We add it to so many recipes – vinaigrettes and dressings, and it’s a terrific addition to my husband Jack’s famous potato salad!

But we also love Dijon mustard when it’s been turned into a zesty, creamy sauce – and it’s the star ingredient in today’s Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Onion Dijon Sauce.

Sophisticated comfort food – that only takes 30 minutes to prepare!

This delicious recipe can best be described as sophisticated comfort food. Tender boneless chicken breasts are sautéed with sliced mushrooms and onions, then smothered in a rich, creamy sauce that has been flavored with a mix of traditional Dijon as well as whole-grain Dijon mustard, plus rosemary and other herbs and spices.

These Chicken Breasts with Mushroom and Onion Dijon Sauce would make the perfect, elegant entrée for a special dinner party – but this recipe is also easy enough that you can make it any day of the week!

• From start to finish, this flavorful dish takes about 30 minutes to prepare.
• The flavors are amazing! Zesty Dijon mustard and fresh rosemary add a nice kick to the sauce, and whole grain mustard also adds little pops of flavor and texture.
• It’s easy enough to prepare any night of the week, but special enough to make for weekend dinner guests.

• Chicken Breasts – You’ll want boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, although boneless thighs or turkey breasts could also be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.
• Mushrooms – We used white button mushrooms in our recipe, but you could also use Cremini mushrooms for a deeper flavor. We suggest that you avoid the pre-sliced mushrooms and instead, buy whole mushrooms and slice them yourself. (The pre-sliced mushrooms are often sliced too thin.)
• Onions – Buy red onions for this dish. The mild but zesty flavor won’t overpower the sauce. If you have to make a substitution here, choose a sweet onion such as Vidalia.
• Mustard – We used a combination of Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard in the sauce. The Dijon adds a distinctive kick of flavor, while the whole mustard grains add both texture and flavor. You can add more Dijon for a bolder sauce flavor. And if you don’t have whole grain mustard, but do have mustard seed on hand, add a tablespoon of the seeds along with additional Dijon or other mustard.
• Fresh Rosemary – The sauce gets a tremendous amount of flavor from fresh rosemary springs and it is worth the effort to buy fresh for this dish, if you can. In a pinch, use half the amount of dried rosemary.
• Sauce Ingredients – The creamy sauce is made with chicken stock, white wine, heavy cream, and butter, plus fresh parsley.

1. Dredge the chicken on both sides in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off any excess flour.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet, then sear both sides of the chicken breasts. Remove to a platter (the chicken will finish cooking later in the sauce).
3. Saute mushrooms, onions and rosemary in the same skillet. Then add both mustards and white wine to deglaze the pan.
4. Add parsley, chicken stock, cream, and butter to the skillet, mixing to create a sauce.
5. Place the seared chicken back in the sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

Can I make this dish in a slow cooker? Since this recipe only takes 30 minutes to prepare and it includes a cream sauce, we don’t recommend it. The chicken may get overcooked and rubbery, and the sauce may break (separate) if it is cooked for too long.

How do I reheat leftovers? You can microwave individual portions or reheat in a skillet over medium heat. For either method, be careful not to overcook the chicken as you reheat.

I don’t like to cook with wine. What else can I use to deglaze the pan? Just use some of the chicken stock for that step in the recipe.

How can I tell when my chicken is cooked? The best way to tell is by using a instead-read probe thermometer like this. This is an inexpensive kitchen tool you’ll use again and again. Insert the probe into the thickest part of your chicken breast and when it reads 165 degrees F – your chicken is done.

This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in February 2014.