Roasted Chicken with Dijon Cream Sauce
Roasted chicken with dijon cream sauce is melt-in-your-mouth delicious! This is my take on the French Poulet à la Dijonnaise (chicken in a dijon white wine sauce).
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Why You’ll Love This
Tender roasted chicken smothered in a creamy, tangy tarragon sauce.
A simple bistro-style dish that makes a great weeknight meal yet elegant enough to serve dinner guests!
An easy inexpensive chicken recipe ready in about an hour.
We also love making chicken dirty rice, roasted chicken thighs and vegetables, chicken and rice casserole, and Spanish chicken and rice for easy weeknight meals.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken – You will need a whole chicken that weighs about 5 pounds.
- Seasonings – Dijon mustard, creme fraiche, fresh tarragon, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Sauce – Pan drippings, all-purpose flour (to thicken the sauce), white wine, and chicken stock.
How to Make Roasted Chicken with Dijon Cream Sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spatchcock chicken cooks chicken faster and more evenly. (A whole intact chicken can be roasted with this sauce but it will take longer to cook.)
Place the chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Use heavy-duty kitchen scissors to cut out the backbone by cutting down from neck to tail along each side. Remove and discard.
Open the bird up like a book. Use a sharp paring knife to cut down the center of the bird, just deep enough to incise the cartilage covering the breastbone.
Turn the chicken over and press down on the chicken to flatten it completely. ( I have pressed the chicken flat without incising the cartilage and it works just as well.)
Dry the chicken with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken skin side up in an oven-safe large skillet or roasting pan.
Brush the chicken with 3 tablespoons of dijon mustard, sprinkle the fresh tarragon evenly over, and spoon the creme fraiche over the entire chicken.
Roast the chicken for 40-60 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer and the legs are at least 175°F and the skin is golden brown.
Transfer the chicken from the pan to a plate to rest. It will continue to cook a little while resting, but removing the chicken from the hot pan will keep it from continuing to cook too much.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and stir, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil, whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour, and cook for at least 1 minute.
Add the 1/4 cup of white wine, and 1 cup of chicken broth, and boil until it thickens about 3-4 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the chicken into serving size pieces and drizzle with the sauce.
What to Serve with Chicken with Dijon Cream Sauce
Serve and enjoy this roasted chicken with creamy dijon sauce and a loaf of crusty bread, a simple salad or fresh green beans, and one of the following!
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Baked potatoes
- Loaded cauliflower mash
- Steamed rice
- Egg noodles or your favorite pasta.
Tips
- You can also use chicken leg quarters, chicken breasts, and chicken thighs. If you mix and match chicken pieces, use a probe-style thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature while cooking. They will take less time to cook than an intact whole chicken.
- Please use Dijon mustard. Do not substitute yellow mustard!
- Use a dry white wine that you like to drink. Don’t go cheap or choose a wine you have never tasted.
- If you want it alcohol-free, skip the wine, but you will lose flavor. But also remember the alcohol cooks off of the wine.
- You can use any fresh herbs you might like, such as fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or rosemary.
- You can use a cooking wine that does not contain alcohol.
- Be sure to let the sauce boil for at least 3 to 4 minutes so you achieve a thick sauce.
FAQs
Yes, you can use chicken breasts, leg quarters, thighs, or a whole chicken cut into pieces.
Let any leftovers cool to room temperature, place them in an air tight container, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Roasted Chicken with Dijon Cream Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 3 – 5 lb whole chicken
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp pan drippings
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove giblets. Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Use heavy-duty kitchen scissors to cut out the backbone by cutting down from neck to tail along each side. Remove and discard. Open the bird up like a book. Use a sharp paring knife to cut down the center of the bird, just deep enough to incise the cartilage covering the breastbone. Turn the chicken over and press down on the chicken to flatten it completely.1 3 – 5 lb whole chicken
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt, pepper, and place it in the roasting pan.1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- Brush the dijon mustard evenly over the chicken, sprinkle the tarragon over evenly. Then spoon the creme fraiche over the chicken.3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped, 1/2 cup creme fraiche
- Roast for 40-60 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer and the legs are at least 175°F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan to a cutting board or plate to rest.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour and cook for at least 1 minute. Add the 1/4 cup of white wine, 1 cup of chicken stock, and boil until it thickens about 3-4 minutes.2 tbsp pan drippings, 1 tbsp flour, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 cup chicken stock, salt and pepper, to taste
- Slice the chicken into serving size pieces and drizzle with the sauce.
Hi, it sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing. If I wanted to make this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts would you suggest I do anything different?
The cooking time will be much less for boneless chicken breast.
This looks absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing. Can’t wait to make this at home. I love dijon mustard, but have yet to make a sauce like this.
Thank you, Billy! The sauce is amazing!