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This creamy maple chicken recipe is a restaurant-worthy meal that’s easy and ready in just 30 minutes! The buttery, sweet and savory maple Dijon sauce is irresistible.
Try my Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken, Maple Glazed Salmon, or Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots next.
Why you’ll love it
You’d think that being Canadian, I’d have created this recipe ages ago, but here we are. 😉 The silky sauce in this maple chicken isn’t too sweet. It’s more about highlighting that gorgeous warm maple flavor. The Dijon mustard makes it a perfectly balanced sauce!
This maple Dijon chicken uses pantry ingredients, and a touch of herbs and garlic powder are another way I give dimension to the sauce. I designed this to be a quick weeknight chicken dish, but I have a feeling that you’ll find it feels fancy enough to serve for company.
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut in half to make thinner cutlets
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, seasoning the chicken with it infuses flavor directly
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
- Dijon mustard and maple syrup – this duo is the star of the sauce
- Lemon juice – for a hint of acidity and brightness
- Italian seasoning – this blend of dried herbs comes in a single jar for convenience
- Heavy cream – to give body to the sauce and luxurious taste
Pro tip
I always buy pure maple syrup (maybe I am biased as a Canadian!). It tastes much better than the flavored corn syrup that the less expensive imitation stuff is made from. Always read the label. If you’re curious, there are different grades of maple syrup. The lighter colored ones (tapped earlier in the season) are milder and sweeter than the late-season robust, darker syrups.
How to make creamy maple chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to make four thinner cutlets. Season on both sides with garlic powder and salt & pepper. Heat the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a skillet. Pan fry the chicken until golden, then transfer to a plate. Take the pan off the heat, and add the remaining ingredients except for the cream.
Whisk the sauce until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, then return the skillet to the burner. When it starts bubbling, return the chicken. Turn down the heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked to 165F and the sauce has reduced a bit. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Helpful tips
- Depending on how deep of a sear you get on the chicken, your sauce may be a little lighter or darker than the one pictured.
- As with any cream sauce, be sure to add enough salt if you feel something is missing — it’s really important to bring out the flavors!
Substitutions and variations
- I spent quite a while tweaking this sauce to make it the perfect balance between sweet and savory. I recommend making it as suggested, then giving it a taste and tasting/adjusting if needed (e.g., add more Dijon or a little more maple syrup if you want it sweeter).
- Cayenne is listed as an optional ingredient. I like to add a small pinch to give the sauce a gentle warmth.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for a lower fat alternative as it may curdle and/or yield a thinner, more watery sauce.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Store the rest of the lemon in this cute lemon saver.
- I use this enameled cast iron skillet for this one.
- Combine the sauce easily using this whisk.
What to serve with maple chicken
- My go-to is Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Easy Roasted Green Beans, but some other great options are my Easy Roasted Asparagus or Easy Garlic Sauteed Mushrooms.
- Rice is another options. Have you tried my Stick of Butter Rice?
- For a salad, this light Parmesan Arugula Salad is really simple to throw together, or try my Lemon Tahini Dressing and spring mix to change it up!
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing as cream sauces tend to change texture.
More easy chicken recipes
If you made this chicken recipe with a maple Dijon sauce, please leave a star rating and review below! Ask me any questions. You can also tag me on Instagram with your creations.
Creamy Maple Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tiny pinch cayenne pepper optional, see note
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them all over with the garlic powder and salt & pepper.
- Heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes/side until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the rest of the butter, the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper (if using). Stir/whisk the sauce until smooth (make sure the liquid doesn't reduce completely).
- Stir in the cream and return the pan to the burner over medium-high heat. Once the sauce is bubbling again, add the chicken back in. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced to your liking. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- If you have smaller chicken breasts, use four of them and leave them whole, but just be sure they’re properly cooked through as they may take a bit longer. Chicken is cooked through at 165F.
- Cayenne pepper can give this dish a gentle warmth. I’ve tested this with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and it’s a bit too much in my opinion, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to add.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Super simple, delish and quick to make! Great paired with some steamed broccoli and even the pickiest eaters will enjoy!
Awesome!! 😀 Thank you so much, Amanda!
The flavor of this sauce was amazing. I opted to use boneless skinless chicken thighs but followed everything else to a letter. I wish I would have served it over rice to spead that sauce around some more! I’ll definitely make this again and I loved how fast it came together.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Kelly!! 😀 Thank you!!
We tried this recipe the other day and everyone gobbled it up and wanted seconds. I love all of Natasha’s chicken recipes and this one is definitely in my top 5! Easy and flavourful and another great way to make chicken less boring
That makes me so happy, Steph!! 😀 Appreciate your review!
Company worthy! Flavor, ease of preparation, presentation. Served with brown rice. I would have preferred a little thicker sauce, but the flavor outshined the thinness of it. (I used heavy cream as directed.) Definitely making again!!
Thank you so much, Sherrille! Next time you could cook the sauce down a bit more prior to adding the chicken back in the pan. Or perhaps add in a cornstarch slurry at the end.
Tried this recipe and it is absolutely amazing! Very easy to make and things that you would normally have in your household. The whole family really enjoyed it I made some pasta on the side and we put the chicken even on it with the creamy sauce.
Thank you so much! Glad it was a hit, Stephanie!! 😀
Just made this tonight and I highly recommend it! It’s really easy, especially since so many of the ingredients are pantry staples. My whole family was obsesssssssssed with the sauce!
Yay!! That’s awesome!! Thank you, Monica!
Hi Natasha – this was so meant to be… my son mentioned last week that he was so happy fall was over as he hates pumpkin spice (which is heavily used & marketed here in New England) but he just loves ANYTHING maple. And boom! Your recipe hits my inbox. Knew I had to make it asap for him. Big huge hit all around. He loves the sauces so I did double the sauce ingredients – we served over rice with roasted Brussels sprouts.
I subbed with light cream as I always do, and the sauce was still nicely very light. We agreed to double the maple next time – and of course there will be a next time, yum! – to bring out the flavor more.
Didn’t have cayenne pepper so subbed smoked paprika. Again we will add a little more next time. Such a delicious recipe, thank you!
That makes me so happy!! 😀 Thanks, Angela!
We have lots of maple syrup, glad to find a recipe to use, thanks
You’re very welcome! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Made this tonight and included the Cayenne, which added a hint of heat. The whole family loved it. I will add this to my recipe book. Served with rice and broccoli. I used the extra sauce over the rice. Very nice. Thank you.
You are very welcome, Andrew!! Thank you!!
This recipe had a unique flavor that I think was very good. I added more chicken broth than the recipe called for but it reduced nicely so that when I added the cream it was perfect. I served it over rice with roasted broccoli. I will make this recipe again. Thank you for sharing this recipe with everyone.
I’m so happy it was a hit, Lynn!! 😀 Thanks for your review!!