Creamy Mustard Pan Sauce Recipe

If you’ve ever felt like your dinner is missing something, this is one of the easiest ways to fix it. This creamy mustard pan sauce comes together right in the same pan with simple ingredients and adds rich, savory flavor to chicken, fish, or vegetables.

If you love a hint of tang, this creamy sauce is for you. It’s made with just three ingredients: chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and heavy cream. Mustard’s sharpness is mellowed by the flavor of cream.

This sauce is reminiscent of the one featured in my recipe for The Best Broiled Salmon With Dijon Sauce, but with fewer ingredients.

What is pan sauce?

After cooking food in a pan, you can make a fast sauce from the drippings that are left right in the same pan. Use broth or even wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the flavorful crunchy bits (called fond).

Dinner is ready, and there is no pile of dishes to clean up since everything is made in one pan.

This fast homemade sauce turns any meal into an elegant entrée. Drizzle it on chicken, turkey, a ham steak, pork chop, fish, or veggies that you cooked in your skillet.

I use this same method in all of my 6 gluten free chicken pan sauces so once you get the hang of it, you can rotate through different flavors depending on what you have on hand.

It’s an easy way to make chicken, fish, or even vegetables feel a little more complete without adding extra work.

The difference between dijon mustard and spicy brown mustard

We make this sauce with dijon mustard. Dijon mustard is smooth, tangy, and mild, but it still has a nice bite. Spicy brown mustard is more pungent and spicier with a coarser texture. It would make your sauce a bit more rustic.

Ready to make this delicious sauce? Let’s go.

Instructions

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

After you have cooked your meat, don’t clean the pan.

Add chicken broth and Dijon mustard to the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Then slowly stir in your cream.

Adding the cream gradually helps prevent it from curdling by allowing it to warm up gently and incorporate smoothly into the sauce. Heat gently without letting it boil, stirring until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. 

Serving suggestions

Spoon this creamy mustard pan sauce over chicken or fish while it’s still warm so it settles into every bite. It’s the kind of finishing touch that makes a simple dinner feel complete without much fuss.

To round out the meal, serve it alongside a quick veggie side like my Bacon, Corn, and Zucchini Sauté, or a simple, crisp salad.

For a heartier plate, this sauce also pairs beautifully with Instant pot wild rice or low carb seasoned cauliflower rice. The rice soaks up all that creamy mustard flavor, turning a simple weeknight dinner into something a little more special.

Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if you have it. It adds just enough color and freshness to bring the whole dish together.

Pro tips and recipe notes

• This is a thin sauce. If you would like it a little thicker, just whisk a tablespoon of gluten free flour and a tablespoon of cold water or broth in a small bowl first (this is called slurry). Then whisk the slurry into your hot pan sauce. Cook and stir continuously until smooth and thickened, and any starchy taste has been cooked away. 
• Some mustard contains gluten, so it’s important to read the label.
• To keep the sauce from breaking or curdling, keep the heat moderate and avoid boiling once the cream is added. Let it gently simmer and come together slowly. This keeps the texture smooth and gives you that silky finish you’re after.
• You can customize the flavor of your sauce by adding garlic or fresh herbs.
• Leftover sauce will last in the fridge for four days, stored in an airtight container. Reheat it gently and stir well to bring it back together.

I hope you love this sauce. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!

Making weeknight dinners feel easier

Once you get comfortable with a few simple sauces like this, dinner starts to feel a lot more manageable. 
You’re not starting from scratch every night. You’re just mixing and matching what you already have.

If you try this creamy mustard pan sauce, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please leave a rating and comment below. It helps other readers and means so much to me.

And if you know someone who would enjoy a quick, comforting dinner like this, please share it with them. It’s the easiest way to help a friend make weeknight dinners feel a little more easy.

P.S. Love how easy this sauce feels? You can bring that same ease to countless dinners. I have more simple sauces that turn everyday chicken or fish into comforting, flavorful meals. Here’s my easy way to make dinner taste better on busy nights.

More easy quick pan sauces

Simple Lemon And Capers Sauce: This is a simple version of lemony Piccata sauce. You can serve it drizzled over fish, pasta, chicken, or even veggies.

Tomato Basil Sauce: This might be the quickest tomato sauce ever. The little cherry tomatoes burst when they’re heated. Yum.

Orange Sauce: This lovely sauce is sweetened with the juice of fresh squeezed oranges.

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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Mustard Pan Sauce Recipe

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If you love a hint of tang, this creamy sauce is for you. It's made with just three ingredients: chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and heavy cream. And it looks lovely garnished with a little parsley.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 0.75 cup of sauce

Calories 18kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

• After you have cooked your meat, don’t clean the pan.

  Add the chicken broth and Dijon mustard to the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Then slowly stir in the cream.
  1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth, 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Heat gently without letting it boil, stirring until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Yield 3/4 cup of sauce.

Notes

• This is a thin sauce. If you would like it a little thicker, just whisk a tablespoon of gluten free flour and a tablespoon of cold water or broth in a small bowl first (this is called slurry). Then whisk the slurry into your hot pan sauce. Cook and stir continuously until smooth and thickened, and any starchy taste has been cooked away. 
• Some mustard contains gluten, so it's important to read the label.
• To keep the sauce from breaking or curdling, keep the heat moderate and avoid boiling once the cream is added. Let it gently simmer and come together slowly. This keeps the texture smooth and gives you that silky finish you’re after.
• You can customize the flavor of your sauce by adding garlic or fresh herbs.
• Leftover sauce will last in the fridge for four days, stored in an airtight container. Reheat it gently and stir well to bring it back together.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcal

did you make this recipe? If you found this recipe helpful, please leave a quick comment and a ★★★★★ rating. It really helps others find this recipe and means a lot to me. Thanks so much!