One Pan Creamy Dijon Chicken Pasta Recipe

One pan creamy Dijon chicken pasta is ready in just over 30 minutes. This meal is full of flavor and it’s a cinch to make. Busy weeknights call for getting dinner on the table quickly – doing that with only one pan to clean is a win in my book.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my cheesy taco pasta and my one pot chicken pasta recipe. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my one pot meals in one place.

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Creamy Dijon Chicken Pasta

We all need an easy recipe that we can make to get dinner on the table without a ton of effort and this mustard chicken pasta is the meal to deliver it.

I had a friend test this recipe out on her family and it was a hit, so I’m hoping that it’ll also be a hit with your family. This creamy chicken pasta made enough for 4 “normal” servings, which was great, because there are only two of us, so we had leftovers for lunch.

Super creamy pasta with sliced chicken, cooked in one pan for minimal cleanup. Easy weeknight dinner – done.

What you need to know

I recommend using a short pasta for this creamy chicken Dijon, like penne or rotini. It works better than long strands of pasta.

One other thing to note – heavy cream will make a thicker sauce than half and half. It has a higher percentage of milkfat and it’s thicker in consistency, so your sauce will be thicker. If you prefer a slightly looser or thinner sauce, go with half and half.

This recipe uses both Dijon and whole grain mustard. Trust me, you need both. They bring completely different personalities to the party. Dijon has a bite to it and a ton of flavor. Whole grain mustard is more mellow with a smoother flavor. Together, they are magical. And really, this recipe is all about layering flavors.

Ingredients

• Butter – The onions and garlic are sautéed in the butter.
  • Substitution: You can swap out olive oil if you prefer.
• Chicken breasts – You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
• Onion and garlic – These alliums really bring the flavor. Everything is better with garlic and onions.
  • Substitution: Shallots make an excellent swap for onion, as they have a milder flavor.
• Kosher salt and black pepper – Everything needs to be seasoned properly.
• All-purpose flour – Just a couple of tablespoons will help to give the sauce some body.
• Chicken stock – Stock or broth gives the sauce another layer of flavor. Use low sodium if you are watching your salt intake.
• Cream or half and half – This makes the sauce creamy and so delicious.
• Dijon and whole grain mustard – Both of these mustards bring something different to the dish, and together, they are wonderful.
• Short pasta (penne, rotini, etc.) – Any short pasta will work.

How to make

Here’s a quick summary of how to make one pot chicken Dijon pasta. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe. This one pot meal comes together pretty quickly – gather everything you’ll need before you start cooking.

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the chicken and cook until browned.
2. Flip the chicken over. Cook a few minutes, then remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add in onions and garlic, sauté until softened.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the onions. Then add stock, cream, mustards, and return chicken to the pan.
5. Add pasta to the pan and stir to combine.
6. Cover and cook until pasta and chicken are cooked through.

Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan every so often to make sure you’re getting any little bits that stick. About halfway through cooking, remove the lid and give the pasta a stir. I made this in my 12 inch stainless steel pan, which is my everyday skillet. I wouldn’t recommend a smaller pan because you won’t have room to move everything around.

Once your pasta is cooked, take it off the heat. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it sit for a couple of minutes before you slice it. This gives the juices in the chicken time to redistribute so they don’t end up on the cutting board. Add it back to the pan, or serve it on top of the pasta.

Creamy Dijon chicken pasta FAQ’s

Variations and substitutions

• Make it cheesy – Add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan on top.
• Mustard swap – If you don’t have Dijon, you can swap it for mustard powder. (1 tablespoon Dijon = 1 teaspoon mustard powder)

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Creamy Dijon Chicken Pasta

Cheryl Bennett

One pan creamy Dijon chicken pasta is an easy weeknight meal that is ready in about 30 minutes.

4.64 from 19 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course One Pot Meals

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 506 kcal

Equipment

• All-Clad D3 Stainless Cookware, 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion diced *see note
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup heavy cream or half and half see notes
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• ½ lb. short pasta penne, rotini, etc., about 2 1/2 cups
• -fresh herbs for garnish optional

Instructions

 

• In a 12 inch pan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then place in pan. Cook chicken until browned (about 6 – 7 minutes). Flip over and cook an additional 2 – 3 minutes, then remove from pan and set aside.
• Add onions and garlic, cook until onions begin to soften (about 6 – 8 minutes). Turn down heat if onions begin to brown too much.
• Sprinkle flour over onions and garlic. Stir around to coat and let it cook for about 1 minute.
• Whisk in chicken stock, heavy cream and both mustards. Season with a little more salt and pepper.
• Stir well to combine, then add pasta and chicken to pan. 
• Cover and cook over medium/medium-low heat (light simmer, not boiling) until pasta is cooked. (Timing will depend on pasta – check box for cook time)
• Remove from heat and let chicken and pasta rest for a minute or two; then uncover, remove chicken to cutting board and slice. Serve with pasta and sauce.

Video

Chef’s Notes

• A medium onion is about the size of a baseball.
• Heavy cream will result in a thicker, richer sauce than half and half. If you prefer a thinner, looser sauce, use half and half.
• You can substitute 1 teaspoon of mustard powder for 1 tablespoon of Dijon.
• If the butter begins to brown too much while cooking the onions, add a small splash of oil to the pan. *Oil has a higher smoke point and will prevent the butter from burning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 506kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 37gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 991mgPotassium: 781mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 327IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. Use your preferred nutritional calculator using the products and brands you are using for exact information.

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Originally published 11/18/20, most recent update 2/6/26.