Go Back

Chicken au Poivre Recipe: Creamy Pepper Sauce Ready in 30 Minutes

Make chicken au poivre at home with juicy pan-seared chicken and a creamypeppercorn brandy sauce. Easy French bistro flavor in just 30 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:
  • Four boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 700 g / 1.5 lb)
  • 1 to 1½ tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • For the pepper sauce:
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tbsp brandy or cognac
  • ¾ cup 180 ml chicken stock
  • ¾ cup 180 ml heavy cream
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions
    First of all, get
    1. The chicken ready by placing the chicken breasts between two sheets of
    2. parchment or plastic wrap and then beating them until they are about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick. This will
    3. ensure that they cook evenly and remain juicy. After that, dry the chicken thoroughly and season both
    4. sides with salt.
    Crush the peppercorns
    1. By using a mortar and pestle, or alternatively place the peppercorns in a
    2. bag and crush them with the bottom of a heavy pan. You should achieve a coarse, cracked texture
    3. rather than a fine powder, and then press the pepper firmly into both sides of the chicken.
    Place the chicken in the pan.
    1. Put the oil and one tablespoon of butter into a large skillet and heat
    2. them over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook it for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until it is
    3. deeply golden and fully cooked. The internal temperature must reach 74°C (165°F). Remove it and
    4. place it on a plate, then cover it loosely with foil.
    Cook the aromatics
    1. By reducing the heat to medium and then adding the rest of the butter to the
    2. pan. Add the shallots and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently, until they have softened. Then add
    3. the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
    Add the brandy
    1. To deglaze the dish. Before adding the brandy, take the pan off the heat. Pour in
    2. the brandy and then put the pan back on the heat, scraping up the bits that have browned at the
    3. bottom. Let it boil for about a minute until the liquid has reduced by half; be careful since the alcohol
    4. can ignite near a gas flame.
    Make the sauce
    1. By adding the chicken stock and then simmersing it for 3 to 4 minutes until it has
    2. decreased by about a third. Then stir in the cream and the Dijon mustard and gently simmer for
    3. another 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce sticks to the back of a spoon.
    Finish off and serve
    1. The dish by putting the chicken and any of the juices that have collected
    2. during resting back into the pan. Pour the sauce over it and heat it through for one minute. Then
    3. decorate it with parsley and serve immediately.
    Tips for the Best Chicken au Poivre
    1. Make sure you crack the pepper yourself since pre-ground pepper has a flat and dusty flavour; it is
    2. only freshly cracked peppercorns that provide the aromatic heat which characterises this dish.
    3. Beat the chicken all over so that it's even. Thin and uniformly cut cutlets cook quickly and won't dry
    4. out; thick breasts can be cut in two horizontally instead.
    5. Do not move the chicken when searing since leaving it in place allows a golden crust to develop. If it
    6. sticks, then it isn't ready to be turned.
    7. Use a heavy-bottomed skillet; stainless steel or cast iron will produce those browned bits (the fond)
    8. which give flavor to the sauce, whereas non-stick pans brown poorly.
    9. Do not boil the cream, only simmer it; a gentle heat will keep the sauce smooth and stop it from
    10. splitting.
    11. Taste and adjust the amount of pepper. Begin with one tablespoon if you want a mild sauce and
    12. increase it to one and a half tablespoons if you prefer a stronger flavour. Also, discard any extra
    13. crumbs before searing as this will have the effect of reducing the spice.
    14. Give the chicken a short rest. Covering it with foil for five minutes helps to keep the juices in the meat
    15. rather than having them end up on the cutting board.
    What to Serve with Chicken au Poivre
    1. Rich, creamy sauces call for simple sides that soak them up:
    2. Creamy mashed potatoes or buttery baby potatoes
    3. Crispy French fries, for the classic bistro pairing
    4. Steamed green beans or asparagus
    5. A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette
    6. Crusty bread to mop up the sauce
    7. Buttered egg noodles or rice
    8. A dry white wine, for example Chardonnay, or a light red wine such as Pinot Noir, is suitable to serve
    9. with this dish.
    Easy Variations
    1. If you want to make it alcohol-free, omit the brandy and instead use an additional ¼ cup of stock
    2. along with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
    3. For a lighter sauce, substitute half of the cream with whole milk or use half-and-half.
    4. If you want to make it dairy-free, use full-fat coconut cream and olive oil, although the result will be
    5. a bit sweeter.
    6. Mushroom au poivre: Cook 200 g sliced mushrooms with the shallots for a richer sauce.
    7. For the green peppercorn version, add one tablespoon of green peppercorns that have been
    8. drained in order to achieve a milder and more floral flavour.
    9. Boneless thigh quarters are suitable. Cook them for 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
    Storage and Reheating
    1. You can keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for a maximum of three days. To reheat
    2. them, place them in a skillet and cook gently over low heat, adding a little stock or cream to help
    3. loosen the sauce. Do not reheat them in the microwave at high power because this can cause the
    4. chicken to become rubbery and may split the sauce. Since cream sauces do not freeze well, it is best
    5. to eat this dish fresh.
    Frequently Asked Questions
      What is there that I can use in place of brandy or cognac?
      1. As a temporary substitute you can use dry white wine, chicken stock mixed with a bit of lemon juice,
      2. or add a little apple juice.
      Is the chicken au poivre very spicy?
      1. It has a peppery taste, but is not spicy; the cream reduces the heat and allows you to control it by the
      2. quantity of pepper you use.
      May I prepare the sauce in advance?
      1. Alright, prepare it a day in advance and then reheat it gently before adding the chicken that has just
      2. been cooked.
      What caused my sauce to split?
      1. It probably wasn't boiled lightly enough or the cream had been added to a pan that was too hot.
      2. Reduce the heat and stir gently.
      Which pepper is the best?
      1. Freshly cracked whole black peppercorns have the best flavour and Tellicherry peppercorns are a
      2. good choice if they can be found.
      What is the number of people that this will serve?
      1. The recipe serves 4

      Notes

      This recipe for chicken au poivre shows that traditional French cooking can be both fast and easy. It features juicy chicken cooked in a pan, a strong crust made from cracked pepper, and a smooth cream sauce, so that you can achieve restaurant-quality flavour using just one skillet. When you serve it with mashed potatoes and a simple salad, you end up with a meal that seems luxurious but isn't difficult.