Total Time
45 minutes
Yes, chicken breasts can be juicy and delightful. The key here is to coat them in a dusting of flour, salt, and turmeric, which yields a lightly seasoned crust and prevents them from sticking to the pan. Searing the chicken to start yields a crackly-golden exterior on the meat, and lots of flavorful browned bits too. The sauce comes together in the same skillet, with shallots and garlic infusing the olive oil before Dijon mustard, heavy cream, and fresh thyme team up for a sunny, fragrant sauce. For maximum juiciness, the chicken gently finishes cooking in the oven, until it reaches succulent, tender perfection. Rely on an instant-read thermometer if you’re feeling unsure of its doneness, and make sure to let it rest before slicing.
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What you’ll need
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Medium Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Ingredients
2 servings
1
1½
1½
2
2
2
4
3
1
3
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°. Mix 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. ground turmeric in a small bowl to combine. Sprinkle 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb. total) all over with flour mixture.
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium; heat remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in same skillet. Cook 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced, and 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, stirring often, until shallots are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add 3 sprigs thyme, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and ½ tsp. ground turmeric; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet.
Step 4
Transfer skillet to oven and bake until sauce is slightly reduced and chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breasts should register 160°), 20–25 minutes.
Step 5
Remove skillet from oven and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice against the grain ¼" thick. Return chicken to sauce; remove and discard thyme sprigs.
Step 6
Scatter thyme leaves over chicken. Serve with steamed rice or toasted country-style bread.
How would you rate Golden Chicken With Mustard and Shallots?
Leave a Review
Reviews (15)
Back to TopI can usually tell whether I wiill like a recipe based on the ingredients. This was such a tasty and comforting meal that uses most staples already on hand. I served with tricolor quinoa and green beans with shallots. I think mushrooms would be a great addition to the sauce but is great on its own. I was very satiated and will definitely add to the rotation.
Laura
Minneapolis
3/21/2024
The sauce is simply spectacular ! This will be a repeat, for sure.
Richard
Gabriola, BC
3/7/2024
Felt like it needed a bit more acid, or maybe a sharper mustard or some red pepper flakes, but it was quite good! We served with roasted broccoli and brown rice.
Ubergaladababa
Washington, DC
2/5/2024
We loved this chicken, it will be in the rotation this winter! Used good quality chicken breasts and followed the instructions as is. It's a warming and tasty recipe, without being spicy or sweet. The tumeric browns the chicken beautifully (even with no skin!) and finishing the cooking in the oven makes for tender, juicy breasts. Served with mashed potatoes and rapini on the side for a delicious sunday night family dinner.
Emily
Toronto, Canada
1/30/2024
Sauce is screaming yellow, put my husband off immediately. I found it very mild, and would add more onion. Chicken was just right, moist & tender. I will probably try this again, but cut Waaay back on the turmeric.
Cheryl.
Utah
1/29/2024
Why was there no answer to JIM's quite relevant observation that the chicken shown in the photo is clearly "skin on" and question re which kind of chicken to use? As for me, I'm planning on using chicken tenders (because they're on sale)>
Dave
Switzerland
1/29/2024
Lovely, simple recipe for a weeknight meal which came together very quickly. However, I think it was missing an acidic element to cut the fat; I quick-pickled cauliflower to accompany it.
Sam H
London, UK
1/24/2024
Excellent flavor, nice change up for chicken. Would be great over angel hair
John V
Cherry Valley, IL
1/22/2024
This was incredible. As soon as I tasted it I knew I'd be making it for years to come. I followed the recipe as is. I think you could probably add spinach to the dish at the end to add some greens, and if you didn't want rice you could also make baby potatoes.
Brandon Foster
Davis, CA
1/16/2024
Made this last night and it was delicious and so easy to make. Made the recipe as written and served with wild rice and the sauce really makes the dish.
Anonymous
Columbus, OH
12/18/2023
Tasty stuff! Have made this thrice now. The sauce is a little rich, but it moistens the chicken breast really well. You'll have about 3oz sauce left over typically, but it stores well (congeals slightly in the fridge) and pairs well with just about any other protein. Finishing in the oven does a lot to form a crisper crust from the flour + turmeric mixture. I have an electric (coil) stovetop, so I found that I had to mother the heat a little, but got best results from getting the pan searing hot to give the chicken a crust, then letting it cool significantly before adding shallots + garlic. If you're using a steel pan, there'll surely be some fond and the aromatics will stick a bit, but the heavy cream deglazes it well. Will be making again!
Trevor K
Atlanta, GA
12/16/2023
I personally enjoyed this dish. It wasn't too overwhelming, a pretty mild sauce. I paired it with some pasta which was probably a bad choice. I agree with the recipe, a crusty French bread would have been a great pairing.
Angela B
Richmond, VA
12/6/2023
This was an easy and delicious weeknight meal, and a nice change of pace for using boneless chicken breasts (yes, those are skinless breasts in the photo--what looks like skin is actually the spiced flour coating). The sauce is pretty rich, so I think next time I would substitute chicken broth for some of the cream. I would definitely make again.
Erica
Vermont
11/30/2023
I made this for my husband (I'm vegetarian). he LOVED it. It's really quick and easy. It's now on regular rotation.
Jack Russell Terrier
11/30/2023
Excellent recipe that I made just as written. Except for one thing. It was so, well, so golden that it screamed for a bit of colour so I added some chopped green onion. Parsley or cilantro, or a combination would have worked well, also. But a minor tweak in an otherwise excellent recipe; easy and delicious!!
Bill C
Victoria, B.C., Canada
11/22/2023