Chicken Au Poivre with Chicken Breasts
This easy Chicken Au Poivre is a French-inspired skillet dinner made with tender chicken breasts, Dijon mustard, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. The chicken is seared until golden, then simmered in a creamy Dijon peppercorn sauce with shallots, garlic, thyme, and parsley. It's rich, savory, and comforting, but simple enough for a weeknight dinner and ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings 4 Servings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds Chicken breast boneless skinless
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teasponns Fresh Ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Medium Shallot finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Half and Half or Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoon Fresh Italian Parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Parsley chopped (optional for garnish)
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- Mince the garlic. Finely dice the shallots. Chop the parsley. Store all together in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half, tring to get even weight on both halves. Rub the pieces in 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard, then season with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoon pepper. You can cook right now or store this in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Cooking Steps
- Preheat large pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoon olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of pan) then add the marinated chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes until seared on the bottom. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes, covered (lid or aluminum foil) or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Transfer the chicken to plate or bowl and set aside. Note: the chicken will have additional time to finish cooking in the sauce.
- To same pan add another teaspoon of olive oil if needed, then the diced shallots and garlic. Saute for about 3-4 minutes. Then stir in the Dijon Mustard and cracked black pepper.
- Add the broth and the half and half (or heavy cream), thyme, parsley, and additional ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and bring to a light simmer over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and all of the juices on the plate to the sauce. Coat the chicken with the sauce and then simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened and leaves a trail when you run your finger along the back of a spoon and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165℉.
- Serve with potatoes, rice, pasta, quinoa, or your favorite grain. Enjoy!
