Pan-Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Mustard Sauce
Tender pan-roasted chicken thighs served with sweet caramelized onions and a tangy mustard cream sauce. This French chicken recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, salt, and black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Build a week of meals around this recipe" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (about 1.5 lbs) bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
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Instructions
- Step 1: Pat 4 bone-in chicken thighs dry and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper evenly on both sides. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Step 2: Place chicken thighs skin-side down in the skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes without moving until skin is golden and crisp. Flip and cook another 5 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Step 3: Reduce heat to medium, add 1 large thinly sliced yellow onion to the same skillet and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deeply caramelized and soft.
- Step 4: Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1/2 cup chicken broth, scraping the browned bits from the pan to deglaze.
- Step 5: Pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme. Simmer sauce over low heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
- Step 6: Return chicken thighs to the skillet and spoon sauce over them. Cook for 2 minutes to reheat chicken and meld flavors, then serve immediately.








