Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Cream Sauce is a quick and flavorful recipe, perfect when you need an easy weeknight meal in less than 20 minutes. It has a wonderful creaminess to it but isn’t too heavy!

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce - In Skillet Topped with Bacon and Rosemary

You can never have too many recipes for chicken, am I right?

It seems like despite the many variations of chicken I’ve done, I’m always looking for more. Chicken is such a great blank canvas for adding flavors, and I have so many more dishes to get to!

In today’s recipe, thinly cut chicken breasts, also known as chicken cutlets, are sautéed in a bacon mustard cream sauce flavored with rosemary. It’s a very easy chicken dish, but the flavor of the dijon cream sauce is fabulous.

Mustard Cream Sauce and Chicken Cutlets in Skillet with Rosemary

Why I love this dish so much:

Quick – Since chicken cutlets are so thin, they cook lightning fast and are great for a quick dinner.

Simple Ingredients – Most of the ingredients here are staple ingredients. Much of the time I have them on hand, and if not, there are substitutes for many of them.

Delicious – It’s SO delicious! Arguably the most important reason, the creamy sauce has a richness to it but isn’t too heavy.

Step by Step Overview:

First, you can either buy chicken cutlets from the store (easier, but more expensive), or you can take a chicken breast and cut it in half yourself. This is what I usually do, as purchasing boneless chicken breasts is a little more economical.

It takes a little practice to cut the chicken yourself, but becomes simple pretty quickly.

To cut chicken cutlets yourself, place your palm firmly on top of the chicken breast as you cut the chicken breast through the middle. Make sure to keep the knife flat so you don’t cut upward to your hand.

Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper:

Chicken Cutlets on Wax paper

Next chop some bacon and crisp it up in a large skillet for a few minutes over medium heat:

Crisped Bacon in a Skillet

I like using a heavy bottomed stainless steel skillet, but a cast-iron skillet is also great.

Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat and brown bits behind on the bottom of the pan. Note: if the bacon was a bit lean and there doesn’t seem to be 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan.

Next, add a couple sprigs of rosemary to the bacon fat. The fresh herbs will give great flavor!

Frying rosemary in bacon fat in a Skillet

I’ve also used sage and thyme in this recipe, and both are wonderful.

Now add a single layer of chicken cutlets to the skillet, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through to 165F, and lightly golden brown on the edges.

Pan Sautéed Chicken Cutlets in Skillet

If the exterior is not browning quickly enough, increase the stove setting to medium-high heat.

Once the chicken cutlets are cooked, remove them from the pan and you’ll be left with brown goodness all over the bottom.

This is all flavor, and will make your sauce taste really good, so deglaze the pan with chicken stock and brandy:

Deglazing the pan with chicken stock and brandy

And if you don’t want to use brandy, chicken stock alone is fine, or you can swap a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc. Reduce the liquid down until it’s almost gone.

Now add a grainy mustard and heavy cream, and stir to combine.

Adding cream and mustard to skillet

What kind of mustard?

I like to use a coarse dijon mustard where you can see the brown mustard seeds in it. My favorite brand to buy is Grey Poupon.

Whole-grain mustard adds a nice pop and texture. I do not recommend using plain yellow mustard that’s ordinarily used as a hot dog condiment. A spicy brown mustard would be an acceptable choice if it’s grainy and high quality.

You should now have a creamy pan sauce in your skillet, and you can add the cooked chicken cutlets and bacon back to the hot skillet:

Chicken Cutlets in Mustard Cream Sauce with Bacon and Rosemary

Toss to coat, then you’re ready to eat!

Suggested Pairings

This chicken recipe goes well with an incredible number of different side dishes.

I recommend Potato Gratin if you want something hearty, Crispy Smashed Potatoes for something in the middle, or a salad like Brussels Sprout Salad or Zucchini Salad for something light.

The dijon mustard sauce in this also pairs really well with Green Beans or Roasted Cauliflower.

Recipe FAQ and Tips

How do you store leftover chicken with creamy mustard sauce?

Place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze leftovers?

Yes, in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. However, know that the dairy may curdle. It will still taste fine though.

Do you have to use boneless skinless chicken breasts?

You may try this with skin-on chicken breast, but make sure the pieces are not too thick, and begin cooking skin side down. You may also use boneless chicken thighs, but the required cooking time will be longer. Instead of 3-4 minutes on each side, I would expect 5-6 minutes on each side. Check that the internal temperature is at least 175F (dark meat should be cooked to a higher temperature than white meat).

Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce In Skillet Topped with Bacon and Rosemary

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Cream Sauce is a quick and flavorful recipe, perfect when you need an easy weeknight meal. 
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Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 1.5 lbs chicken cutlets (about 5)
  • 4 strips bacon chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary*
  • 2 tbsp Brandy optional
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp coarse ground mustard
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • salt
  • pepper

Side Dish Ideas for this Chicken (optional)

Instructions 

  • Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides.
  • In a large skillet, turn the heat to medium and add the chopped bacon. Let the fat render out until the bacon is crisp, then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain.
  • Add the rosemary to the skillet and fry for 30 seconds to release the flavors.
  • Add the chicken cutlets in a single layer directly in the bacon fat, and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side (this time varies with thickness). The exterior of the chicken should develop a little bit of golden brown color as it cooks. If it's not browning, increase the stove setting to medium-high heat.
  • Once the chicken has completely cooked to 165F, remove the cutlets to a plate, and deglaze the pan with the Brandy, if using, and the chicken stock.
  • Cook for a few minutes until the liquid mostly evaporates, then add the mustard and cream. 
  • Turn the heat to high and whisk, incorporating the brown bits from the bottom of the pan into the sauce. 
  • Cook the sauce for a couple minutes, until the cream has thickened slightly, then turn off the heat and add the chicken and bacon bits back to the pan. 
  • Turn the chicken over in the sauce a few times to coat, then serve.

Notes

*You can also do 10 sage leaves, or a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
For side dishes, I recommend Potato Gratin if you want something hearty, Crispy Smashed Potatoes for something in the middle, or a salad like Brussels Sprout Salad or Zucchini Salad for something light.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 435mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

This post was updated with new photos and writing in June 2018. Originally published December 2012.