Pan seared, crispy, juicy chicken thighs in a smooth and creamy garlic Dijon sauce with fried bacon, spinach and parmesan! SO EASY and deliciously low carb!
Dinner is on the table in less than 20 minutes with this new Chicken Thighs recipe! The family goes crazy for this Creamy Dijon Chicken — crispy bacon pieces, a flavourful creamy Dijon sauce and perfect, golden chicken!
Chicken Recipes
Chicken thighs are easy to make without worrying too much about drying out the meat. They are juicy, flavourful and so versatile they go with absolutely anything! Since making these Creamy Mushroom Thighs and these Crispy Garlic Buttery Thighs, readers have been asking for more more MORE easy low carb thigh recipes!
I’d just like to take a moment to THANK YOU for making our dinners incredible. This easy chicken recipe is crazy good.
Dijon Mustard
Dijon adds amazing flavour to a creamy sauce. If you’re hesitant, start with 1 tablespoon. Don’t taste test it straight away as it is quite strong and may throw you off. Give it time to dissolve through the sauce, add the rest of your ingredients, then taste test. You may like it at this point and wish too leave it, OR you can add the extra tablespoon as suggested in the recipe for a deeper flavour.
How To Make Dijon Chicken
We take some pride in the comments and feedback we receive by readers all over the world about our recipes being super simple, easy to follow and cook! As usual, this recipe only needs a few main ingredients to come together and create the best flavours!
- Garlic — use minced or finely chopped. Fresh always yields better results, but you can use jarred or bottled.
- Herbs — Thyme, Rosemary and Parsley are our herbs of choice that go extremely well with Dijon! You can use fresh OR dried.
- White wine — Use good quality wine for this. I always keep a $20 bottle of Pinot Gris in my kitchen just for creamy sauces. You can also use Sauv Blanc or Riesling. A good quality wine means an incredible flavoured sauce!
- White wine substitute — I understand many readers cannot include wine in their meals for different reasons. You can substitute it with chicken stock or broth.
- Chicken bouillon powder or seasoning salt adds deeper flavour to the chicken and sauce. You can of course use salt if you wish or stock powder.
Tips and Tricks
- Use skinless, boneless chicken thighs for the best flavour and results. You can also use breasts if you wish.
- Sear thighs until golden with crispy edges. You need your heat on medium-high and a good quality pan that the chicken will not stick. Cook them in batches of two or three, depending on the size of your pan, to ensure they sear with crisp results.
- Remember to leave some of the bacon fat in the pan to add those crucial flavours into the sauce.
- I used half and half for this, but you can also use heavy cream or thickened cream. If using half and half, remember, BE CAREFUL with it and go gentle. Do NOT bring your sauce to a rapid boil, instead gently simmer until slightly thickened.
- Please use fresh parmesan! Nothing from a container or bottle.
- Fresh spinach is best in this! If you don’t have fresh, frozen will work too, but you must make sure all excess water is drained before adding it in.
WATCH US MAKE Creamy Dijon Chicken Thighs RIGHT HERE!
Creamy Dijon Chicken Thighs with Bacon and Spinach
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 2 pounds (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt (or regular salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 5 ounces (150 g) bacon
For The Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tablespoon minced garlic)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and dried rosemary
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio/Gris, Sauv Blanc, Riesling) -- substitute with low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 1 1/2 cups half and half (thickened cream or heavy cream)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (substitute with salt or stock powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with seasoning salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until crispy and cooked through (about 8 minutes each side, depending on thickness). Transfer to a plate; set aside.
- To the same pan or skillet, add the bacon and fry until crispy. Transfer to plate, set aside. Drain some of the bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
- Heat butter in the pan and sauté onion until transparent. Sauté garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add in the white wine to deglaze the pan while scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan; simmer for 3-4 minutes or until wine has reduced by half.
- Pour in cream and Dijon, mix through and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for a further minute to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Add the Parmesan and allow to melt through the sauce. Season with bullion powder and pepper, to taste.
- Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Return chicken to the skillet. Top with the crispy bacon. Sprinkle with extra herbs if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Leigh says
Absolutely delicious! It definitely took more than 20 minutes to make, but it was well worth it. My husband used the words “amazing” and “exceptional” and cleaned every drop of sauce off his plate. I usually only eat half my chicken and give him the rest (I’m not a big fan of “chicken that tastes like chicken”), but I also ate every bite of this. Can’t believe how easy it was to make something so tasty.
JoAnn says
Wonderful Fixed this evening and it was a hit.
Jen says
This dish was awesome! So much dimension and the bullion at the end made the difference. We can’t have dairy so used oat milk and still can’t out great. I added parmesan only after removing chicken for our milk allergy option. Very yummy and will make again
Jen says
Dairy allergy here. Can we substitute with oat milk? Thanks!
Kristen Reese says
This was so delicious! The sauce is amazing and it really elevates the chicken. I used a thick turkey bacon but it still gave it great flavor;
I used chicken stock with a splash of lemon juice in place of the wine and it was awesome. I served it with yellow squash and a baked potato…so yummy. Will definitely be making this a lot.
Alayna Chenise says
Super yummy. Everyone loved it!
Julie Huang NYC says
This was very good. Thank you for the recipe.
Ellen says
This was so delicious! My family enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again !
SusanF. says
By far, one of THE best dishes I have ever made! The flavors danced on my palate …simply amazing! Definitely will make again and again!
Marnie Lemma says
This was a huge hit! I made it for a large group pot luck and people LOVED it. I used chicken breasts cut into small sizes . I will absolutely be making it again for my family. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Tanya says
Absolutely delicious! As I’ve been cooking more for myself, I NEEDED to find more chicken recipes than the 2-3 ones I knew by heart. This is the third recipe I’ve tried from your blog and oh my goodness, the sauce was so good I licked the bowl after I ate all the meat and veggies! The creamy dijon was just…wow. Loved it. Living the low-carb life has never been tastier!
Erin says
O. M. G.
I made this last night and it was absolutely fabulous! SOOOOOOOOOOO good!!
Janelle says
This has become one of my favorite recipes. It is absolutely delicious with bone-in or boneless thighs. The sauce is luxurious. The only thing I quibble with is saying this takes 20 minutes. It takes 16 minutes just to cook the chicken. You aren’t frying and draining bacon and making that sauce in 4 minutes. However, to say it takes 30-40 is probably accurate and it’s that delicious so it’s worth it.
June says
Hi, I only have yellow mustard at home. Is that ok? If so how much will it need? Thanks.
pamela says
So awesome! My husband said it tasted like a carrabbas dish! We had it with mashed potatoes…next time will try with pasta! A definite must try!!!
M H says
This looks great. Can the leftovers be frozen?
Jason says
Stumbled upon this recipe while looking for an interesting dinner idea. WONDERFUL DISCOVERY! Very easy to make and quite tasty. Wish I had discovered it years ago while my kids were still at home.
Kristin says
AMAZING!!!!! we made this and it was beyond amazing! I added a can of artichoke hearts that we gave a rough chop and it took it to another level! Served it with baby potatoes that we cut in half and tossed in olive oil and a healthy coating of kosher salt and pepper and they went perfectly with this meal. Even my daughter and nephew (who swore they wouldn’t touch the meal) LOVED it and asked to have it the next night and then next night. Made it Monday night…making it again tonight (Friday)…this time with a side of asparagus too! Thanks for posting this recipe. It’s better than anything from a restaurant!
Shelby says
This was SO good but the bacon grease made it way too salty. I don’t tend to add a lot of salt to my food so next time I’ll probably just drain all the bacon grease and add extra olive oil. Still fantastic though, my 1 year old even enjoyed it!
Nicole says
I always try recipes online and this one was a true winner! Very easy and so delicious. Thank you!
Meghan says
This was the most flavorful dinner I have ever made! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
It took me a lot longer than the posted time, However, that is due to my skill level. I cannot wait to make this again. Can anyone advise if they reheated the leftovers and how the sauce stood up?
Ann-Marie says
Does the chicken stock change the taste much? My husband is not of fan of wine flavoring.
Vivian Simpkins says
I do not care for the wine based sauces. I love it with the chicken base.
Tony says
I made this last night for dinner. This was delicious! My wife and I totally enjoyed it. The only two things I changed up was using Dried parsley instead of fresh and added baby bella mushrooms. I served this with a side of mashed potatoes.
Kawaii_87 says
I made this the other night as a meal prep along with some green mac n cheese. This recipe is a success! My family and my boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed it.
Jennifer Sawyer says
Hi! I was wondering what the cooong time for the chicken would be using bone-in thighs. Looks delicious!!!!
Lynn says
Hi, has anyone tried this as a “make ahead” dish? I am looking for a “French Themed” main dish that can be made the day before the dinner. Thank you for any suggestions.
Cathy says
I made this w chicken breasts – if you dont add the bacon and spinning till heating it up – it can totally be made ahead. I added chicken to sauce and let it simmer for a bit
Julie Parkes says
A fabulous meal. It was so easy to cook and prepare.
The flavours in this meal were incredible.
Thank you for such an amazing recipe.
Rosemina says
Hi Karina,
What shall I substitute the bacon with? Can’t eat pork meat.
Please let me know.
Thank you
Karina says
Sun-dried tomatoes would go nicely.
Rosemina says
What about turkey bacon? Its made with turkey. Replacing it with bacon.
NancyAnn says
I had the bacon as a add on after, along with cheese and sauteed earthy mushrooms.
cathy baker says
turkey bacon or just skip it. lt will be good without it.
Michael says
This is a great recipe! I have made it three times in the past month successfully. My parents said it was possibly the best chicken they’ve ever had. I do recommend making sauteed mushrooms to throw on at the end. I served this chicken with orzo and a California Champagne last night. It was a great dinner. Thank you so much for the recipe, Karina!
Karina says
Thank you!
Angela says
Excellent, rich flavor and a fun dish to prepare. The recipe is easy to follow and I was confident to serve it to guests as a meal I had not cooked before.
Kay says
Great recipe!
I used thinly sliced chicken breast and substituted mushrooms for the spinach. Allowed them to sweat in separate pan and then added. My teen won’t go near anything green 🙁
The recipe was a big hit with the family!
Sharon Oaks says
Saw this today and had to make it. Wow! I used a good blush wine and it was fantastic. Can’t wait to try more recipes. My husband said if he’s gotten it at a restaurant we would have been going back for sure. If I ate carbs this would be great with some rice to soak up the sauce. Thanks for sharing it!
Jennifer Lugones says
Made this today ,and it was delicious did everything how it said just didn’t add the spinach.my family likes the spinach non cooked so they just put it on top the of chicken .as a side I paired with oven red potatoes and garlic bread !! Fantastic .i could eat the sauce by it self !! My bf rated it 6/10 and that ok with me since I’ve never made this recipe before or really cook .
Trudles says
I love this and want to serve to a large group. Can I make this ahead of time and heat later? Any reason not to I haven’t thought of?
Thanks and love this site!
Karina says
Yes, that should work great! Thank you for choosing one of my recipes! XO
Kenneth Ball says
Very delicious meal. Very easy to cook for an intermediate skill level. Added sauteed red bell pepper for taste and to add a little color. This dish is even better as leftovers
Jasmin says
Amazing! Five star meal. My cooking game is on point thanks to your recipes.
Susan Privette says
I am in tears. I bought all the ingredients for this dish. Start cooking it and there is no spinach. Ok, fine, I have to do without. Go to add the wine, also gone. I have a small bit of cooking wine, so I mix with chicken broth. Go to pour the heavy cream and it froze in the fridge. So I use half and half. Now I go for the parm, you guessed it. Had to use mozzarella from a package that was already shredded. Good thing about that is that it was shredded fine, so it melted easily.
Roommate and her boyfriend had a very NIce pasta meal last night along with my wine.
Beyond upset. Tastes good, but would rather it be the exact recipe.
Karina says
Oh no! I am so sorry sis! You are a trooper and so kind. I am so happy that it turned out okay for you even with the missing ingredients. Thank you for sharing! XO
Amy says
Had tonight with asparagus and a caprese salad…awesome!!!
Amber says
Very nice I added mushrooms, zucchini and extra spinach and had it over rice. I think next time I would use fresh time instead of dried.
Karina says
That sounds great! I love the added mushroom! Thank you for sharing!
Dana says
I made this dish the other night, and it was absolutely delicious! I did substitute thin slices of boneless, skinless chicken breast for the thighs, and I swapped pancetta for the bacon. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
Dee says
Found this recipe last night … looks gorgeous … so i’ve Just made it and Wow !!! absolutely amazingly delicious !! thank you you so much for this wonderful recipe ( we ( hubby & me ) are on a low carb diet so this went really well with our riced cauliflower hubby wants this dish at least once every week !! 🙂
THANK YOU 🙂
Aneta says
Can inuse creme fraiche instead thicken cream?
Sophia Shanks says
Made this last night, it was absolutely amazing! I did have to tweak it a little as I didn’t have any bacon, and I decided to leave out the parmesan. I am one of those weird people that hates eating off of the bone so I cooked the chicken almost all the way through and then stripped it off of the bone, made the sauce and then finished cooking the chicken in the sauce (would have normally just used a breast however thighs were on sale!). Served it over mashed potatoes with a side of roasted broccoli! Definitely would make this again.
Brooke says
Hi, i just want to know what peopke have served this with?? Looks AMAZING!!!! Msking it tomorrow night csnt wait!!
Jenny Hannan says
I made this last night exactly as directed, and it was s good if not better than anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Even my anti-chicken husband liked it! (He wants me to try chicken breasts next time.) One of our sides was boiled potatoes, and I poured the sauce over the potatoes. Oh my! Yum! Thanks for a fantastic recipe. This was my first Cafe Delites recipe, but I know it won’t be my last!
Kim Fritz says
This looks so yummy. Can it be made in an electric skillet? I have a bog family & could get more chicken in the electric skillet. Thanks for sharing!
Karina says
Yes, of course! Especially where you know how to cook with one that is even better! Enjoy!
Dave says
Great tips and recipe! Thank you, Dave.
Kim says
Hello,
Made this last night was fantastic!
Thank you!
Julie says
Hi, I noticed many of your chicken recipes call for thighs, Is there a reason or this or is it a matter of preference? Can breasts be used? I don’t like dark meat. Thank you.
Karina says
Breasts can be used it just has a better taste with the thighs. Since you don’t like dark meat I would recommend the chicken breasts then. Thanks for following along with me!
Jasmine Thompson says
Karina,
I love your recipes…I drool as I’m reading through them…delicious, easy to pull together, yet impressive for guests….you have a talent for creating delicious looking food…I especially like the one pan cooking style, a simplified cooking technique with superlative results!
You are my # 1 food blogger, thanks, Jasmine