Description
This Pan-Seared Chicken and Broccolini in Creamy Mustard Sauce is a flavorful and elegant dish featuring tender chicken tenderloins seared to perfection and served alongside blanched and sautéed broccolini. The creamy mustard sauce, enriched with shallots, chicken broth, thyme, and heavy cream, ties the dish together with a smooth and tangy finish. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special meal, it balances healthy vegetables with comforting creaminess.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (thawed)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Broccolini
- 1 pound broccolini, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
- Water and salt for blanching (at least 2 teaspoons salt)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more if needed)
Sauce
- 1 large shallot (or 2 regular shallots), diced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (plus more for garnish)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or spicy brown mustard)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 170 degrees F or use the ‘keep warm’ setting to keep cooked chicken warm.
- Prepare Chicken: Pat the chicken tenderloins dry, then generously season both sides with salt and pepper to ensure full flavor.
- Coat Chicken in Flour: Lightly dredge each chicken piece in flour to create a thin coating that helps with browning and sauce adherence.
- Heat Olive Oil: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil, preparing for searing the chicken.
- Sear Chicken: Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer without crowding to avoid steaming. Sear for 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until cooked through, adding more oil if necessary before flipping.
- Keep Chicken Warm: Transfer the seared chicken to a sheet pan or oven-safe dish and place it in the warm oven to keep it hot.
- Boil Water for Broccolini: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat, adding at least 2 teaspoons of salt for seasoning.
- Prep Broccolini: Trim about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom stems, remove any leaves, and slice larger pieces lengthwise to ensure similar sizes.
- Blanch Broccolini: Add the broccolini to the boiling water, cover with a lid, and set a timer for 2 minutes to blanch crisp-tender.
- Sauté Broccolini: If the chicken is done, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the hot pan over medium-high heat. Transfer broccolini from boiling water to the pan carefully to avoid splatter. Sauté for 1 minute, then add broccolini to the pan with the chicken in the oven. If broccolini finishes blanching before chicken, transfer to cold water to stop cooking and sauté later.
- Sauté Shallots: In the same pan, add the diced shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until soft, adding more oil if needed.
- Make Sauce: Stir in the chicken broth and thyme sprigs, bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes to concentrate flavors. Add heavy cream and Dijon mustard, simmer for another 5-6 minutes until the sauce reduces and slightly thickens. Remove from heat and discard thyme sprigs.
- Combine and Serve: Add warm chicken and broccolini back to the pan with the sauce or serve the chicken and broccolini on a platter with sauce spooned on top.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve alongside a fresh salad, crusty bread, or roasted potatoes for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Do not crowd the pan when searing the chicken to ensure proper browning.
- If broccolini finishes cooking before the chicken, stop the cooking process by transferring it to cold water to prevent mushiness.
- You can substitute Dijon mustard with spicy brown mustard for a slightly different flavor profile.
- The sauce can be adjusted in thickness by simmering longer for a thicker consistency or adding a splash of broth to thin it out.
- Keep cooked chicken warm in a low-temperature oven to maintain juiciness while finishing the sauce and sautéing the broccolini.