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This 15-minute mustard cream sauce is my favorite way to liven up a weeknight meal or add some decadence to an indulgent weekend feast. Made with two types of mustard and a touch of brandy, it’s perfect to drizzle over chicken, beef, pork, and salmon. Plus, I love that this versatile sauce is vegetarian, low-carb, and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy!
A good sauce is an important component in any cook’s arsenal. With little effort, it can take a dish from ‘nice’ to ‘that’s amazing’! My quick and easy Dijon cream sauce works with so many main dishes. The mustards add the perfect tangy flavor, while the shallots and brandy bring a wonderful sweetness. I drizzled in a bit of heavy cream to create a rich and decadent sauce you’ll want to spoon on everything!
What’s in This Mustard Cream Sauce Recipe?
- Oil: I recommend using a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe, as it will contribute significantly to the final flavor.
- Shallots: Finely minced fresh shallots add sweetness and a mild onion flavor to the sauce.
- Brandy: Adds a rich and aromatic flavor to the sauce. While not strictly necessary, I highly recommend adding it to enhance the sweetness of the shallots and balance the overall flavor of the sauce. Cognac also works well here.
- Heavy Cream: Makes the sauce rich and creamy. I do not recommend substituting with milk or half-and-half, as these will both make the sauce runny.
- Mustard: I used a combination of Dijon and whole-grain mustards. I highly recommend brands like Maille or Grey Poupon for high-quality mustards with a lot of flavor. Plain yellow mustard just won’t do the trick!
Tips for Success
- Use good quality ingredients for the best-tasting sauce. Now is the time to go all out!
- When adding the brandy/cognac to the skillet, do so carefully and fully off the heat (especially if using a gas flame). It can catch fire!
- Don’t make the sauce on too high a heat and do keep an eye on it! It can over-thicken or curdle easily.
- If you’re a spice lover like, add 1 tablespoon of horseradish with the mustards.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover mustard cream sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan set over low, stirring frequently, until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing this sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This Dijon mustard cream sauce is so versatile. I have found that it tastes wonderful with chicken, beef, pork, and salmon. I especially love it with my whole roast chicken, beef tenderloin, air fryer pork chops, and pan seared salmon.
5-Star Review
“This is one of those things I never knew I was missing in my life until I tried it. Now I wonder how I ever lived without it, holy smokes it’s SO GOOD.” -April
Mustard Cream Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup minced shallots
- 3 tablespoons Brandy or Cognac
- 1¼ cups heavy cream room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley or tarragon optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium-low. Add the shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup minced shallots
- Remove from the heat and add the Brandy and/or Cognac, stir.3 tablespoons Brandy
- Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring to deglaze the pan. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the liquor evaporates.
- Add the cream, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened a bit.1¼ cups heavy cream
- Stir in both mustards and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish with chopped parsley or tarragon, if desired.Chopped fresh parsley or tarragon
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
Any opinions on substituting some of the heavy cream with crème fraiche? Would adding butter bring anything to the final sauce??
Hi Taylor, we have not tried subbing the heavy cream for creme fraiche, but it could work. You could also swap out the oil for butter if you prefer!
We made this tonight to go on pretzel breaded chicken. It was soooo good! We fancied it up by substituting the Dijon with a walnut Dijon and added some slivered roasted walnuts, and a side of spinach. It was so good!
This was a huge hit with my family for Thanksgiving! We used in on our filet of beef and on bread, crackers and cheese. Everyone wanted the recipe, thanks so much.
We’re so happy to hear it was a hit, Alicia!!
Hi, I was wondering if this could be made the day before and if I could substitute whiskey instead of brandy?
Thanks!
Yes and yes!
Can I serve this cold with scotch eggs
We don’t see why not!
Used the proportions as a guide and of course forgot about the brandy and used a crisp chardonnay instead which seemed to work out well. I used white pepper so as not to mar the color of the whole grain mustard. When I try it again, I’ll use the MCB I have and see if it’s very different from the excellent sauce that accompanied the turkey tenderloin tips I marinated in mustard, shallots and grape seed oil that I seared on a flat top. So easy to make and it gives us a new way to get turkey meat into our diets. Brava!
This is similar to the Dijon cognac cream I use with tenderloins. The main difference is that I use twice the brandy/cognac and half the mustard. Keep in mind, you don’t want to overpower tenderloin and the sauce is served warm. I could see the additional mustard working well with chicken. Since mustard and horseradish are in the same family, I think I may use your recipe and give it a little kick with a tsp of horseradish. I’ll let you know :)
Let us know how it goes, Chris!
I was a tad disappointed. It was not as flavorful as I anticipated. I think next time I’ll add more mustard and a little less cream
Definitely modify to your tasting!
Yum. That was lovely. Wanted to make a peppercorn sauce but didn’t have the ones l wanted so made this instead. Ended up being a bit of a saga as the gas bottle ran out but had the camping stove handy and cooked the vegetables in the microwave. Vegetables not as “pretty” as they might have been but, steak and sauce was lovely. Definitely make again. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing, Niki! Better luck next time :)
This looks so delicious I can’t wait to try it.
Hope you love it!