creamy maple dijon chicken with caramelized onions
Creamy Maple Dijon Chicken with Caramelized Onions
There are certain dinners that feel like fall without requiring an entire afternoon in the kitchen, and this is one of them. Creamy Maple Dijon Chicken is warm, savory, just a little sweet, and exactly the kind of meal I want once the evenings start getting cooler.
The sauce is really what makes it: Dijon mustard for a little tang, maple syrup for warmth and sweetness, and cream to bring everything together. Slowly cooked onions practically melt into the sauce, while thyme keeps the whole thing firmly on the savory side.
It looks a little fancy. It tastes like you spent much longer on it than you did. Those are generally my favorite kinds of recipes.
Creamy Maple Dijon Chicken
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30–35 minutes
Total time: About 45 minutes
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
1. Prepare the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Cook the chicken.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly golden on both sides and nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Caramelize the onions.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the sliced onion to the same skillet and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Make the sauce.
Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and Parmesan.
Let the sauce gently simmer for 3–5 minutes, until it begins to thicken.
5. Finish the chicken.
Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the skillet. Spoon the sauce and onions over the chicken.
Cover and simmer gently until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part and the sauce is creamy and slightly thickened, about 5–8 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
What to Serve With It
This chicken is especially good over creamy mashed potatoes because they catch every bit of the Maple Dijon sauce. Buttered egg noodles, roasted baby potatoes, or crusty bread work beautifully too.
For something green, add roasted green beans, Brussels sprouts, or a simple salad.
A Few Notes
Don’t use pancake syrup. Pure maple syrup gives the sauce a subtle caramel-like sweetness without making the chicken taste sugary.
Keep the heat gentle after adding the cream. A low simmer keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.
Want more sauce? Increase the chicken broth to 1 1/2 cups and the cream to 1 cup. You may need to simmer it a few minutes longer to thicken.
Using chicken thighs? Boneless, skinless thighs work perfectly here. Just adjust the cooking time as necessary to reach a safe internal temperature.
Make It Your Own
For a slightly more savory version, reduce the maple syrup to one tablespoon and add another teaspoon of Dijon. For an even more autumnal version, add thinly sliced apples to the onions during the last few minutes of cooking.
However you make it, don’t skimp on the sauce. That’s the part everyone is going to want spooned over everything on the plate.