Chicken in mustard and caper sauce
Whenever I don't know what to quickly cook with chicken, I turn to this combination of sour cream, mustard, and capers. I've tried the recipe in various forms, but I always stick to the basic steps because they are simple and yield great results. The fact that you only need a few common ingredients helps a lot when you're in a hurry or don't feel like planning in detail. The mixture of sour cream with mustard and capers creates a rich sauce that goes well with any meal. It's a recipe I don't overthink, but it almost always turns out well. Quick Info Total Time: about 45-50 minutes Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes Cooking Time: 30-35 minutes Servings: 3-4 people Difficulty: easy Recipe Type: main course, lunch or dinner Ingredients 500 g chicken pieces (wings, thighs, breast – whatever you have on hand) 1 white onion 1 green onion 1 carrot 200 ml broth (the water in which the chicken boiled) 200 ml sour cream 1 tablespoon flour (optional – for a thicker sauce) 1 tablespoon mustard 1 tablespoon capers in vinegar (drained) Lemon juice (to taste) Salt Pepper Sweet paprika Olive oil Fresh dill Preparation Steps 1. Place the chicken pieces in a pot with cold water and a little salt. Turn on the heat and let it boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, if necessary. 2. Meanwhile, chop the white onion finely and slice the green onion into rings. Cut the carrot into thin slices. 3. In a large skillet, add olive oil and sauté the onion and carrot. Stir periodically to prevent sticking. After 2-3 minutes, add salt, pepper, and a little sweet paprika. 4. Occasionally, ladle some hot broth over the onion and carrot to soften them without burning. Continue until the vegetables are tender. 5. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and place them directly in the skillet over the vegetables. Leave them on medium heat, uncovered, until they are lightly browned and most of the liquid evaporates. 6. Pour the remaining broth over the chicken and let it simmer on low heat for a few minutes. You can adjust with extra salt, pepper, or paprika after tasting. 7. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream with the mustard and flour (if you want a thicker sauce). Add 1-2 ladles of warm broth to the mixture to prevent it from curdling when it reaches the skillet. Mix well. 8. Add the sour cream and mustard sauce over the chicken in the skillet. Add the drained capers as well. Keep everything on very low heat, just enough to bring it to a gentle simmer. Do not let it boil hard, otherwise, the sour cream may curdle. 9. Turn off the heat, adjust with lemon juice, and sprinkle with chopped fresh dill. Why I Make This Recipe Often It's a quick recipe, you don't need rare ingredients and you can use any piece of chicken you have in the fridge. It adapts to what you have on hand. The sour cream and mustard sauce nicely covers any leftover meat. I like that it doesn't create much mess and it's the kind of dish that works for both lunch and dinner. Tips and Variations Tips Use sour cream with a higher fat content so it doesn't curdle easily at the end. If you want a very creamy sauce, keep the flour in the recipe. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can skip it. Taste the sauce before adding lemon; it depends on how sour you want it, especially if the mustard is already spicy. If you find there's too much liquid at the end, leave the skillet on the heat for another 2-3 minutes without a lid until it reduces. Substitutions You can replace the green onion with another half of a white onion if you don't have green onion. The carrot can be omitted, but it adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce. If you don't have capers, you can try using green olives, sliced, but the taste will be slightly different. Variations Sometimes I add a tablespoon of white wine to the vegetables after they soften, but it's not mandatory. For a lower-calorie version, use sour cream with 12% fat, but the final texture will be less creamy. If you don't want to use flour at all, let the sauce reduce more. Serving Ideas It pairs well with mashed potatoes, plain rice, or short pasta. If you have fresh bread, you can serve it with the sauce directly. Chopped parsley can replace dill if you don't have it on hand. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes, chicken breast works too, but I recommend boiling it for less time to avoid dryness. 2. Can it be made with plant-based sour cream? Yes, but the texture and final taste will be different. Soy or oat sour cream doesn't bind as well, but it's an option if you want a dairy-free recipe. 3. Can the capers be omitted? You can leave them out, but the recipe loses its specific flavor. Without capers, the sauce becomes milder. 4. If I don't have mustard, can I make it just with sour cream? You can, but the sauce will be bland. Mustard gives that unique taste, but in its absence, add a little vinegar or lemon juice for acidity. 5. How do I know when to stop boiling to prevent curdling the sour cream? When the sauce comes to the first simmer, turn off the heat. Don't let it boil long after adding the sour cream, otherwise, it may separate. Nutritional Values Estimated per serving (1/4 of the recipe): 350-400 kcal Protein: 25-28 g Fat: 18-24 g (varies depending on the sour cream) Carbohydrates: 8-10 g (from the flour and vegetables) Values are indicative. If you use skinless chicken and lower-fat sour cream, calories decrease. If you choose pieces with skin or fatty sour cream, they increase. Storage and Reheating It can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days, in a covered container. When reheating, it's best to use very low heat or a microwave on low power. If the sauce separates a little, it can be gently stirred with a spoon. Freezing is not recommended; the sour cream does not maintain its texture after thawing. It is best served fresh.
Preparation
Chicken pieces are placed in cold salted water to boil. The onion is finely chopped, and the carrot is sliced into rounds and sautéed in olive oil. Spices are added. A ladle of soup is added until the onion and carrot soften. Once the chicken pieces are cooked, they are placed in a pan and allowed to brown a little until the liquid reduces. The remaining soup and spices are added to taste. Sour cream is mixed with mustard and flour and 1-2 ladles of warm soup, well homogenized, and added over the chicken. The drained capers are also added. It is left on low heat to come to a boil, but it should not be allowed to boil as it will curdle the sour cream. Fresh dill is sprinkled on top. I used flour because I felt there was too much sauce and it was too thin; the flour is optional.
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