This is one of those dinners that you can make SO often, you’ll stop needing to look at the recipe.
It’s simple, efficient, and obviously completely delicious. But more importantly it’s wildly easy to prepare, is ready in just 30 minutes, and is perfectly portioned for two!
No waste, no haste, just perfection.
There’s a lot of dijon chicken recipes out there, but what makes this one special is cornstarch. Not only is it gluten-free, but a conservative coating of it adds minimal carbs while contributing major texture. This means that the chicken breasts cook up crisp, moist, and anything but boring.
It’s a small extra step that takes this from “pretty good!” to “making it weekly” territory. And that’s exactly the kind of food you want to be cooking.
You begin by dredging each chicken breast in cornstarch, then gently frying in a cast iron skillet. I used about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to fry these, so while it’s not the lightest way to prepare chicken breasts, it is a flavorful one. Once the breasts are seared brown on either side remove them from the skillet and add in the potatoes and onion. Sauté these ingredients for several minutes until beginning to soften, then return the chicken to the pan. Smother everything with a homemade honey dijon sauce, and finally — bake!
In 20 minutes you’ll be slamming a delicious, healthy dinner that’s going to be your new favorite.
The honey dijon sauce is a simple combination of dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and a splash of chicken broth to thin out the texture. It’s flavorful and strong without being complicated, so I highly suggest using it beyond this recipe. I also suggest adding a pop of color to your pan, like I did with these cranberries! Initially I added the cranberries for vibrance — the photos would have been blah without them — but when I reheated this for Dave and I to eat, I kept the crans in the skillet. While reheating the cranberries softened and burst, adding a delicately sweet tartness to the pan that was surprisingly SO good. So if you’re into that kinda thing, go for it!
It’s just another yummy reason to eat this again and again.
Crispy Honey Dijon Skillet Chicken
Ingredients:
- SKILLET:
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- a pinch of salt & pepper
- 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 – 3 tbsps chicken broth (cold)
- 1/2 lb baby potatoes
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered
- several sprigs of thyme
- 1/2 cup cranberries (optional)
- SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey (or more if you’d like!)
- 2 tsps crushed or minced garlic
- a splash of chicken broth
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400F.
- On a shallow plate combine the cornstarch and salt and pepper, mixing gently to combine. Dredge each chicken breast in the cornstarch, then transfer to a clean plate or cutting board. Meanwhile, in a 10″ cast iron skillet heat the olive oil over a high flame until piping hot, swirling to coat the bottom. Transfer the coated chicken breasts into the hot oil, then sear on either side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Reduce the flame to medium-high, then pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom as you do to incorporate any brown bits of flavor. Next stir in the baby potatoes, onion, and thyme, cooking until all ingredients are softened, about 5 – 8 minutes. While the vegetables cook, in a mixing bowl combine all sauce ingredients, whisking well until smooth.
- Once the vegetables are tender, make room in the center of the skillet to return the chicken. Use a pastry brush to coat all ingredients with about half of the sauce, then sprinkle in the cranberries (if using). Bake the skillet on the oven middle rack for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, then immediately plate and serve! The leftover dijon sauce can be used for dipping.
obsessed with those crans!