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Braised Creole Chicken Thighs in Creamy Mustard Sauce

Creole chicken thighs in a creamy mustard sauce flavored with orange, carrots, celery, raisins, onions and oh-so wonderful spices. And with a hint of orange flavor, this braised chicken thighs recipe is impressive and oh-so flavorful.
Cuisine Creole
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 745kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 2 teaspoons salt divided
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 celery stalks with a few leaves sliced into ¼-inch pieces. Reserve some chopped celery leaves for garnish
  • 1 large sweet onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 Tablespoon Whole grain mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon Country style whole grain mustard with horseradish
  • 1/8 teaspoon Pure Orange Oil or zest of one orange and 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Season both sides of the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.
  •  In a large, deep non-stick skillet or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and reduce the heat to medium. 
  • Cook until the skin is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a metal spatula to turn the thighs over and cook about 1 minute longer. Transfer the chicken skin-side up to a plate.
  • Add the celery, onion, garlic, raisins, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and remaining salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring often until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the mustard, then pour in the wine and orange oil.
  • Cook until the wine is slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes, then add the broth. Move chicken to an oven safe roasting dish and pour the skillet ingredients over the chicken.
  • Cover the pan and braise the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook 20 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside.
  • Set the baking dish over medium-high heat and add the cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, rosemary, and stir in the chopped celery leaves and parsley leaves. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Notes

I have made this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it works well. 
When I didn't want to open a bottle of wine just for this recipe, I substituted additional chicken broth for the wine.
I like to use a non-stick pan to brown the chicken. If you have good luck browning chicken in either an oven proof skillet or a Dutch oven, you'll have yourself a one-pot meal. 

Nutrition

Calories: 745kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 1663mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 627IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg