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This single serving creamy mustard chicken has tender chicken simmered in a rich, silky sauce made with just 3 ingredients: cream, tangy Dijon, and fragrant tarragon. Ready in just 20 minutes.
Featured Comment
“OMG! So easy and so delicious! I forwarded the recipe to all of my single friends and recommended your website for more fabulous recipes!”
– Trish
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Equipment: 10-inch skillet
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Savory and tangy, creamy and rich, with tender chicken and a light herby note from the tarragon.
Made for one, this creamy mustard chicken cooks in a single skillet and tastes just as good on its own as it does spooned over rice or buttered noodles.
Why I Love This Creamy Mustard Chicken Recipe
This creamy mustard chicken tastes like something you’d order at an elegant French restaurant, and I can have it on my plate in about twenty minutes.
The sauce is what makes it. It’s rich and creamy with a bright, mustardy tang, a French-style pan sauce that turns a plain chicken breast into a real dinner. The Dijon is the backbone, tarragon adds a soft, herby note, and heavy cream smooths it into a velvety sauce that pools around the chicken and clings to every piece. You’ll want a piece of bread to soak up every last bit.
There’s no flour or roux to fuss with. The sauce thickens on its own after about five minutes of simmering, and it picks up real depth from the pan the chicken browned in. Skipping the flour also keeps the dish naturally low carb and gluten free.
Classic French mustard chicken is a slow braise with wine. I built this one to serve one, so it’s the quick version, with a full plate of chicken and sauce and nothing going to waste.
If you like easy chicken dinners for one, try my chicken marsala for one, Tuscan chicken for one, chicken fricassee for one (another creamy French dish that uses tarragon), or coq au vin for one.
Ingredients And Substitutions
You only need a handful of everyday ingredients to make this creamy mustard chicken breast. If you have any left over, our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will show you exactly what to make with them.
Chicken: Use one 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces so it browns quickly and cooks evenly. Boneless thighs work just as well and stay a little juicier, so use whichever you have. Extra chicken? Use it in chicken tetrazzini for one or chicken tortellini soup for one.
Heavy cream: This is what makes the sauce rich and lets it thicken on its own as it simmers, so it’s worth using the real thing. Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream both work. I don’t recommend milk or half-and-half here, since they’re lower in fat and won’t thicken the same way. Use the rest of your cream in chicken Alfredo for one or broccoli cheddar soup for one.
Dijon mustard: Dijon is the heart of the sauce. It gives it a sharp, tangy flavor that plain yellow mustard can’t match. Stone-ground mustard is a good swap if you like a little texture and a milder bite. Leftover Dijon is great in chicken cordon bleu for one or a lentil salad.
Dried tarragon: Tarragon gives the sauce its soft, herby flavor and pairs naturally with Dijon. A little goes a long way here. If you only have fresh tarragon, use 1½ to 2 teaspoons in place of the ½ teaspoon dried, since dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh. If you don’t have tarragon at all, use thyme or parsley. Stir any leftover tarragon into a crustless coronation quiche for one.
Salted butter: One tablespoon browns the chicken and adds a little richness to the base of the sauce. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch more salt.
Recipe Variations
I make this mustard tarragon chicken a few different ways depending on what I’m in the mood for. Here are the swaps I go back to most.
Honey Mustard Chicken
For a sweeter, tangier sauce, leave out the tarragon and whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey into the cream along with the Dijon. It rounds off the sharpness of the mustard and gives you a creamy honey mustard chicken with no extra steps.
Mustard Chicken with Mushrooms
Sauté 2 to 3 ounces of sliced mushrooms in the skillet after you brown the chicken and before you pour in the cream. They pick up the flavor left in the pan and add a meaty bite to the sauce.
Creamy Mustard Chicken Casserole
Stir the cooked chicken and sauce together with about ½ cup of cooked rice, spoon it into a small baking dish, and warm it through in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
A couple more easy swaps: add 1 minced garlic clove to the pan with the cream if you love garlic, or stir in a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
How To Make Creamy Mustard Chicken
Here’s how to make this single serve chicken with mustard sauce, step by step. The photos show you what to look for at each stage, and you’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Season the chicken cubes all over with the salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes, turning the pieces every couple of minutes, until they’re browned on all sides and cooked through to 165°F.
- Move the chicken to a plate and cover it to keep warm. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift the browned bits into the cream, since they carry a lot of flavor.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard and tarragon. Let the sauce simmer, stirring often, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the pieces until each one is well coated.
- Serve it on its own, or over rice or buttered noodles to catch the extra sauce.
Expert Tips
Give the chicken room to brown. Pat the chicken dry, then cook it in a single layer in your 10-inch skillet. Chicken with space around it browns instead of steaming, and that browning is what gives the sauce its depth.
Keep the heat gentle once the cream goes in. After you take the chicken out, lower the heat to medium-low before you add the cream. A slow simmer keeps the sauce smooth, since cream can separate over high heat.
Season the sauce to taste before serving. Taste it at the end and adjust. Add a little more Dijon if you want more tang, or a pinch more tarragon for a stronger herby note.
Don’t overcook the chicken. The pieces are small and cook fast, so pull them at 165°F. Left in the pan too long, they’ll dry out.
Troubleshooting
If your creamy mustard chicken isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix the most common issues.
Why won’t my mustard sauce thicken?
It hasn’t reduced long enough. Let it simmer a few more minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often, and it will thicken as the cream cooks down to coat the back of a spoon.
Why did my cream sauce curdle or break?
The heat was too high. Take the pan off the burner and whisk in a tablespoon of cold cream to smooth it back out, then keep the heat at medium-low so it holds together.
Why does my mustard chicken taste bland?
It needs more Dijon and salt. Stir in a little more mustard, a pinch of salt, and a bit more tarragon, then taste again. Dijon carries most of the flavor here, so under-seasoning is the usual cause.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy mustard chicken is easy to round out with a simple single serving side. A few that go well with it:
Frequently Asked Questions
Stone-ground mustard is the best substitute. It has the same sharp, tangy flavor with a little more texture. Skip yellow mustard here, since it’s milder and won’t give the sauce as much depth.
Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well and stay a little juicier. Cut them into 1-inch pieces like the breast, and cook until they’re no longer pink in the center.
165°F is the safe internal temperature. Check the largest piece with an instant-read thermometer, and look for meat that’s white all the way through.
Yes, it’s naturally both. There’s no flour or roux in the sauce, and the dish has about 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Yes, double all the ingredients and use a larger skillet so the chicken browns instead of steaming. It’s an easy way to make creamy mustard chicken for two.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of cream or broth to loosen the sauce.
RELATED: Easy Dinner Ideas For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve made this creamy mustard chicken for one, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a rating and a comment below to let me know, and if you snap a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) so we can see it.
Creamy Mustard Chicken For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast – cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- Optional: cooked rice or pasta
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Season the chicken cubes all over with the salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, turning every couple of minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked through to 165°F, about 6 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard and tarragon. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the pieces until well coated.
- Serve on its own, or over rice or buttered noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Once again, a 5 star meal from you. Tarragon is my favorite herb so was thrilled to find this easy and delicious recipe! I made it exactly as written and it was amazing. Since chicken fricassee also uses tarragon, that will be my next recipe 😊
So glad you found this one. The chicken fricassee is a perfect next pick since it leans on tarragon too. I think you’ll love it.
Could this recipe be made with 1/2&1/2 instead of heavy cream?
I’d stick with the heavy cream on this one. In the Ingredient Notes I actually suggest avoiding half-and-half here, because the acidity from the Dijon can cause it to curdle or break as the sauce simmers. Heavy cream has enough fat to hold up smoothly and gives the sauce that rich, silky texture it’s known for.
I really love and appreciate all the single recipe’s you send, I’m a single senior and what joy to see your recipe’s thank-you so much. 🫂
Thank you so much! It’s a joy to hear the recipes bring you that. I’m so glad you’re enjoying them.
ÒMG! So easy and so delicious! I forwarded the recipe to all of my single friends and recommended your website for more fabulous recipes!
I love hearing that! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and shared it with your friends.
Just wow…hands down the best tasting chicken and sauce I had ever had. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is absolutely fantastic. I truly loved this recipe. So easy and so flavourful. The Dijon shines through and takes the flavours to a new high. I will definitely make this again. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and served it over boiled potatoes with skins removed.
I’m so glad you loved it. The Dijon really does make that dish, and chicken thighs are a great choice. I’m happy to hear it’s one you’ll be making again.
This is the first recipe I’ve tried of yours, but definitely won’t be the last. That sauce was AMAZING! I had it over rice so that made enough for supper and then lunch the next day. Love this plan!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and that sauce really is something special. Happy to hear it gave you both dinner and lunch. I hope you find more recipes you love!
absolutely obsessed with this recipe! this was one of the first dishes I made when I moved out and lived on my own, so it holds a special place in my heart. I do add a bit more dijon mustard just so the sauce is a bit tangier, but a great recipe all around
I love hearing that this recipe has such special meaning for you!
This is a 5 star recipe for sure. Never tried tarragon before and found I just love it. I didn’t have Dijon mustard so I used a teaspoon of dry mustard instead. I don’t know how this substitution affected the recipe but it was excellent. I had a baked potato and lettuce salad with it. I’ll definitely make it again
This was very good. I had misgivings, but it came through really nice.
Mustard? Who would have thunk? This was absolutely delicious. I had a chicken breast left over from making your wonderful chicken marsala so I gave this a try; and wow! My chicken breast was big so it made enough for two however I could have eaten it all in one sitting I had to restrain myself. I didn’t have any turmeric: why don’t I have turmeric? So I substituted some thyme with some basil and Dill from my garden. I will make this again, often.
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream but I always have 18% cream in the frig so I used that and it thickened beautifully. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the recipe.
what can I use instead of cream?I don’t use milk products. Thank you
Coconut cream will work though the sauce may be slightly less thick.
What can be used in place of tarragon? I’ve been to 3 stores where I am and unable to find.
Tarragon really adds so much to this dish with its unique flavor, but if you can’t find it, you can leave it out, and the recipe will still be delicious. Alternatively, you can try substituting with parsley, thyme, or a small pinch of fennel seeds, which are often used as alternatives to tarragon in recipes.
You will want to find the tarragon!!! Order it online if you have to, it makes the dish wonderful!!! I have made this sooooooo many times, can’t imagine it without it!!!
Wonderful recipe! So easy & delicious!
I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but this was SO good! I had it over buttered egg noodles. I might try rice the next time. I can see using this creamy versatile dish for all kinds of good meals.
Excellent would not change a thing
This recipe is awesome! I am a huge fan of Alfredo sauce but I’m afraid it is now been bumped to second place. This sauce is now #1. I made it exactly as the recipe called for. I served it over egg noodles. Very flavorful, WOW!!!
What can you use instead of heavy cream
Heavy cream is a crucial element in the sauce, it contributes to its richness and creaminess. More importantly, heavy cream also acts as an effective thickener. I cannot recommend a similar substitute. I do not recommend using milk or half-and-half, as they won’t provide the same thickness or richness.
I made this recipe tonight and found it to be outstanding in flavor. This recipe comes together quick, so have everything standing by. The next time I make it I will double the sauce and serve it with rice.
This dish is so good. The favors blend well and taste so good. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Just made this dish for my supper. I used some roasted garlic mustard and it is amazing. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you.
Very easy. Appreciated the fact that it didn’t rely on garlic for flavor, so it was a little different. You could add garlic but that makes it just another garlic cream sauce. I served it over egg noodles. I will definitely make this again.
I try never to leave negative feedback, but this just didn’t work for me; I’m sorry..
I’m sorry to hear that the recipe did not work for you. I’d love to know what it was that you didn’t like because it’s a favorite of mine.
🙁 The same was for me. This is the first recipe I tried and I was so excited about the mustard cream sauce. I used the measurements called for but it just tasted like cream. The Tarragon was fresh. Had purchased it for this recipe. But there was absolutely no flavor to this for me. There is 3 ingredients. I don’t know how mine can go so wrong when others had good experience. But I made Butter Chicken with the other breast and the small batch was just not enough. 🙂 This was great! Want to try the tuna casserole and stroganoff and….oh, never mind. 🙂 Hoping for great results on the rest of these.
Hi Lisa, Our recipe calls for using 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon. Did you use the same amount of fresh? Dried herbs have been dried which concentrates their flavor, making them more potent than fresh herbs and fresh herbs have a higher water content, so they’re not as strong. If you did not increase the amount of fresh herbs, this could have been why the flavor of the tarragon was not as pronounced.
One could make this into a casserole, just by adding in some vegetables, and rice.
They could also serve it over rice, noodles, or even mashed potatoes. Then serve a separate interesting side vegetable dish, like Asparagus Minestrone, Roasted Green Beans & Onions or Brussels Sprouts in a Balsamic glaze, etc.
If people don’t have any cream, they could make a Béchamel [white] sauce.
To make this vegan/humane/plant based, simply use vegan Chik’n strips, or Light Life Smart Tenders, coconut cream, or vegan Béchamel sauce, made with plant beverage of choice [oat/hemp/soy, coconut/almond, etc.
The recipes on here, are so versatile.
The only change I made was to use thigh meat and it was so delicious served over cauliflower rice and some stir fry vegetables on the side for a very satisfying and delicious dinner. Thank you.
Great recipe.
This was excellent. Easy quick meal.
Winner winner chicken dinner! Will make it again and again. We LOVE it! Thanks Joanie.
Outstanding chicken recipe. It’s my new favorite. I love tarragon. It gives such a fresh flavor. I can make this recipe year round. Thanks Joanie!
This is one of my favorite chicken recipes, Mary. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it too.
Is there something that can be used in this other than heavy cream? Seems to add a lot of fat to the dish and I am trying to loose weight.
Hi Marilyn,
You could use lowfat milk instead if you would like. As the sauce simmers, the cream causes the sauce to thicken a bit. Using lower fat milk would still be delicious but the sauce will not be as thick.
Joanie
Wow. I just found your site a few days ago. I tried the Baked Chicken Caprese which was delicious. Tonight I fixed the Easy Creamy Mustard Chicken. I’ve never had tarragon before so I wasn’t sure but it turned out fabulously and its definitely going to be one of my go to meals.
Hi Sonia,
I’m so happy you found our website and are enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Have a wonderful week!
Joanie
Really don’t like tarragon. What would be a good substitute?
Hi Maggie,
You can leave the tarragon out altogether, it’ll still taste wonderful!
Joanie
Thank you! I will give a try. Love your sites.
Do you think this work in a slow cooker?
Hi Tillia,
I’ve never tried making this dish in a slow cooker so I can’t tell you if it would work the same. However, if you decide to try it, I would cook the chicken in the slow cooker with a little salt and pepper and add in a cup or so of chicken broth (I’m assuming you are using a 1.5 to 2-quart slow cooker). After the chicken has cooked, remove the chicken briefly from the slow cooker and whisk in the cream, mustard, and tarragon. Then put the chicken back into the sauce to cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Be sure to add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
I made this tonight. It was awesome. I was happily surprised how tender the chicken was. I have not had that recently with any chicken recipe. Tasty and tender. Perfect portion. So happy and thank you for sharing with all!
I’m so happy you loved the recipe, Linden. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Great recipe, I will definitely try to cook this tonight, looks great. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe with us.
I love mustard and adding in the tarragon made for such a delicious meal, thanks for the recipe!
What a fantastic meal. The sauce is awesome!!