Chicken au Poivre
Chicken au Poivre is a French inspired chicken dinner made with tender, pan seared chicken thighs and a creamy peppercorn sauce. This easy one pan recipe has all the rich, restaurant style flavor of classic steak au poivre, but it's simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
- 1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorn
- 4 Tablespoons butter (divided)
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)
- 3 Tablespoons minced shallots (about half a shallot)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3-4 thyme sprigs
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (more for garnish)
- Salt (to taste)
- Put the peppercorns in a small ziplock bag and crush using a meat mallet or anything heavy.
- Season chicken on both sides with salt and set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat melt two tablespoons of butter.
- Add chicken to the skillet, smooth side first, and sear to brown for 6 minutes. Do not cram the skillet and work in batches if necessary.
- Flip to the other side and sear for another 4 minutes.
- Remove chicken and place on a plate.
- Pour off remaining butter in the skillet, if any, then melt the remaining butter in the same skillet.
- Add shallot and saute until tender.
- Add broth and stir to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour in cream, and add thyme and peppercorn.
- Bring mixture to a simmer then add chicken with any accumulating juices.
- Baste the chicken with the sauce and continue to cook until chicken is done.
- Pour in lemon juice and mix the parsley if using.
- Taste to adjust seasoning.
- Continue to cook for a couple of minutes or until sauce thickens.
Why You'll Love This Chicken au Poivre
I love recipes like this when I want dinner to feel a little special without spending hours in the kitchen. The sauce is rich and peppery, and there is plenty of it to spoon over rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles.
This effortless one skillet meal turns simple chicken thighs into a restaurant quality dinner that comes together easily enough for a regular Tuesday or entertaining guests. The real star is the peppercorn sauce, it os alcohol-free, made with chicken broth instead of brandy and delivering a bold, rich flavor from crushed black peppercorns without feeling overly fussy.
What does au poivre mean?
Au poivre is a French term that means “with pepper.” It is most famously associated with steak au poivre, a classic French dish where meat is coated with crushed peppercorns and served with a rich, creamy peppercorn sauce. Chicken au poivre follows the same idea, but uses tender chicken instead of steak. The crushed black peppercorns give the chicken and cream sauce their signature bold, peppery flavor. In my version, I use chicken broth instead of the traditional Cognac or brandy, so you get a rich and flavorful chicken au poivre recipe without alcohol.
- Chicken thighs: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for tenderness.
- Butter: The sauce starts with unsalted butter (to control seasoning), along with finely chopped shallots for subtle sweetness.
- Peppercorns: Roughly crushed whole black peppercorns are key—they add a robust, aromatic heat to the dish.
- Chicken broth (homemade, store-bought, or from bouillon) as the base.
- Heavy cream for a velvety texture.
- Fresh thyme sprigs, parsley, and a pinch of salt (adjusted to taste) round out the seasoning, while a splash of fresh lemon juice brightens the rich, peppery sauce.
Pro Tip
Don't use finely ground black pepper here. Coarsely crushed peppercorns give the sauce the signature texture and bold peppery flavor that makes au poivre different from an ordinary cream sauce.
