Easy Creamy Bacon Mustard Chicken with Spinach
Golden chicken thighs, crisp bacon and wilted spinach come together in a creamy Dijon sauce made in the same skillet. A little bacon fat gives the chicken its savory base, but leaving too much in the pan makes the sauce greasy. Look for a sauce that coats a spoon and chicken that reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
This recipe is based on my YouTube video, with a few adjustments since publication. I have standardized the cream and herb quantities, added a guide for the bacon fat and clarified the chicken’s final temperature. The video aims for a quick dinner; allow about 35 to 45 minutes at home, depending on the thickness of the bacon and chicken.
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A skillet dinner with smoky bacon and Dijon
This is boneless chicken cooked in a cream sauce built from bacon drippings, onion, garlic, broth and Dijon mustard. Spinach goes in near the end so the leaves soften without turning the sauce into a long-cooked vegetable stew. It works for a weeknight supper or a relaxed weekend meal with rice, potatoes or bread.
The bacon and spinach distinguish this version from my Dijon cream chicken thighs and mustard chicken with mushrooms. There are no mushrooms or cheese here. The flavor comes from browned meat, smoked bacon, mustard and a small amount of dried herbs.
I cook the bacon first because its rendered fat can replace most of the oil normally used to sear the chicken. I keep only a thin layer in the pan. Cream provides enough richness on its own, and the sauce should taste of the ingredients rather than a pool of leftover fat.
Ingredients and useful choices
The recipe card gives the measured amounts for four servings: boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thick-cut bacon, two small onions, garlic, dried oregano and thyme, low-sodium chicken broth, heavy cream, Dijon and fresh spinach. Keep salt modest at first. Bacon, mustard and any optional bouillon all contribute their own seasoning.
Chicken thighs can be unfolded into fairly even pieces, which helps them cook quickly. Leave them whole and trim loose fat. Bone-in thighs require a different cooking schedule. My guide to chicken cuts explains the practical differences if you are choosing a cut at the store.
Use one cup of heavy cream for a consistent sauce. A carton of Canadian 35% cooking cream works well; heavy whipping cream is also suitable. This is a rich dinner with protein and some vegetables, not a light cream sauce. Milk alone would make a much thinner result, and the recipe does not include flour to compensate.
Dijon supplies tang and a little heat. Plain smooth Dijon is easier to blend evenly than a strongly flavored specialty mustard. The herbs are measured in teaspoons, not heaping tablespoons: a little oregano and thyme should support the sauce without dominating it. Fresh spinach should be washed if needed and thoroughly dried, since clinging water dilutes the cream.
For the broth, a diluted homemade chicken stock concentrate is an option. Measure it at drinking-broth strength. An undiluted concentrate or extra cube added to already salty broth can overwhelm this small amount of sauce.
Cook everything in the same skillet
1. Render the bacon
Lay the bacon in a large skillet, about 12 inches wide, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Thick strips may take longer. The white fat should turn translucent and the edges should brown; reduce the heat if dark patches appear before the fat renders. Transfer to a board or plate, then chop once it is cool enough to handle.
Leave about one tablespoon of rendered fat in the pan. Save or discard the excess separately. If your bacon yields less than that, add a little neutral oil. Chop the onion while the bacon cooks if you are comfortable managing both tasks, keeping the chicken preparation area separate.
2. Brown and finish the chicken
Pat the thighs dry and unfold them. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then place in the hot bacon fat over medium-high heat. Sear for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side without constantly moving them. Lower the heat, cover and cook another 3 to 5 minutes as needed, until the thickest part of every piece reaches 165°F.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate. If pieces crowd the pan, sear in batches and allow extra time. The mistake to avoid is piling folded thighs together: the outside can look golden while the thick folds still need cooking. A thermometer gives a clearer answer than color or a fixed five-minute covered finish.
3. Soften the onion and garlic
Check the pan again and pour off excess fat, keeping about one tablespoon. Add the chopped onions over medium heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Add garlic, oregano and thyme and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Scrape up brown bits, but discard any truly blackened residue before making the sauce.
4. Deglaze with broth
Pour in the broth and loosen the browned bits with a wooden or silicone spoon. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by roughly half. You should still see moist onion and a little liquid; do not cook it down to dry, scorched garlic. This reduction concentrates the base before the cream goes in.
5. Add cream, mustard and spinach
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cream and Dijon, then simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes. A few small bubbles around the edge are enough. Add the spinach in two batches and fold it through until wilted. What I look for here is a smooth sauce with softened leaves, not a hard boil that leaves a greasy ring around the skillet.
Taste once the spinach has wilted. Add more pepper if needed and salt only after considering the bacon. An optional pinch of bouillon can deepen the flavor, but it is not essential. If the sauce is too thick, stir in broth or water a tablespoon at a time. If it is thin, let it simmer briefly before returning the chicken.
6. Return the chicken and finish with bacon
Return the chicken and its collected juices to the sauce. Spoon sauce over the pieces and warm gently for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped bacon near the end, reserving a little for the top if you want more crisp texture. Serve promptly, while the sauce still flows around the meat. It will thicken as it stands.
What to serve alongside
A small portion of fluffy rice pilaf absorbs the sauce without adding more cream. Homemade mashed potatoes are another option, especially for a cooler-weather supper. Begin either side before cooking the chicken if you want everything ready together.
For something fresh, romaine and endive salad brings crunch and bitterness beside the bacon and cream. A cheese-stuffed garlic butter roll can replace the starch when you want bread for the remaining sauce. Keep the portions modest because the skillet is already rich.
For other chicken dinners, tarragon cream chicken puts the herb in the foreground, while Marry Me chicken takes the creamy sauce in a tomato direction. My French chicken fricassee is another choice when you want a white-wine sauce instead of bacon.
Substitutions
Thin chicken breast cutlets can replace the thighs by weight. They may finish more quickly, so remove them as soon as the center reaches 165°F. Do not substitute whole, very thick breasts and keep the same timing. If using smoked lardons instead of bacon strips, render them gently and use the same fat guide.
Dry white wine can replace the broth for deglazing, as an alternative flavor. Reduce it before adding the cream. For a version without wine, use the broth specified in the card. Lower-fat cooking cream gives a thinner sauce and needs gentler heat; it will not behave exactly like heavy cream. Thawed frozen spinach must be squeezed very dry and added in a smaller amount than fresh leaves.
Questions about the sauce and timing
Can this really be ready in thirty minutes?
It can be close with ingredients already prepared, a wide pan and thin, evenly opened thighs. Thick bacon and crowded chicken add time. The written timing allows about 35 minutes of cooking plus preparation, so you do not have to rush the browning or guess whether the chicken is done.
Why does the sauce look oily?
Too much bacon fat is the first thing to check. Pour off the excess before cooking the onion. If a little fat separates during simmering, lower the heat and stir in a splash of broth. Do not keep boiling a reduced cream sauce to make it thicker.
Should I add the bouillon cube shown in the video?
Only if the finished sauce needs it. Low-sodium broth may benefit from a small pinch, while a salty bacon and mustard combination may not. Start with a little rather than automatically adding the full cube.
How do I save and reheat leftovers?
Refrigerate in shallow containers within two hours and eat within two to three days. Reheat only the portion you need, with a splash of broth, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the sauce is hot throughout. Stir often and bring the sauce briefly to a boil rather than reducing it for a long time. Freezing is possible, but the cream sauce may separate after thawing.
Easy Creamy Bacon Mustard Chicken with Spinach
Ingredients
- 1â…“ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 6 small thighs
- 3 oz thick-cut bacon about 3 large strips
- 6 oz onions about 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth plus a little more to loosen the sauce if needed
- 1 cup heavy cream about 35% fat
- 2 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
- 4¼ oz fresh spinach washed if needed and dried
- ¼ tsp fine salt for the chicken plus more only if needed
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper plus more to taste
- Neutral oil only if the bacon produces less than 1 tbsp fat
- Up to ½ chicken bouillon cube optional and added only after tasting
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning until browned and crisp. Remove and chop. Leave about 1 tbsp fat, adding a little oil only if necessary.
- Pat chicken dry, unfold and season lightly. Sear over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes per side. Lower heat, cover and cook another 3 to 5 minutes as needed until every piece reaches 165°F. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Leave about 1 tbsp fat in the pan. Cook onions over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and thyme; stir 30 seconds.
- Add broth, scrape up browned bits and simmer about 2 minutes to reduce roughly by half.
- Lower heat. Stir in cream and Dijon; simmer gently 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in spinach until wilted. Taste before adding salt or optional bouillon. Adjust consistency with a little broth or water.
- Return cooked chicken and its juices. Warm gently 1 to 2 minutes, spooning sauce over the meat. Add chopped bacon near the end and serve.
