Dijon Mustard Sauce

4.58

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Dijon Mustard Sauce is an easy, tangy, creamy sauce with just five simple ingredients. It’s the perfect sauce to serve with chicken, fish, pork chops, or roasted vegetables. Make it as a chilled or room temperature sauce to make ahead or adapt it as a warm pan sauce using the instructions below. 

a spoon over a wooden bowl of dijon mustard sauce

Adding a simple sauce is a great way to dress up a weeknight dinner, and this is the most beloved of sauces around my dinner table. Even my kids love it for dipping baked chicken tenders, dipping carrot sticks, or spreading on salmon burgers

If you flip through the pages of this website, you’ll find that I make many variations of this sauce, and it’s so easy to customize. I’ll often use a yogurt-based version like the one listed with this Herb-Marinated Chicken or I’ll increase the lemon juice in the recipe below and use it as a dressing for my favorite salads. With its creamy texture and flavor similar to honey mustard dressing, this sauce is one of the most versatile sauces around (just like my vegan, extremely versatile Cashew Cream Sauce). 

Want to save this recipe?
Get it emailed to you directly! Enter your email below.

Here’s how to make it (pssst, it’s incredibly easy)!

How to Make Dijon Sauce

  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice, and garlic. 
  2. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to a week. 

How to make Creamy Dijon Pan Sauce

This recipe can be easily adapted as a creamy Dijon pan sauce that cooks right in the pan. Just substitute chicken stock for the mayonnaise and add some heavy cream at the end. Here’s how:

  1. Whisk together the following ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (see note)
  • 1 clove garlic, grated or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper 
  1. Sear any protein in a skillet. Chicken breast or chicken thighs, pork chops, fish, or shrimp all work well. 
  2. Set proteins aside. 
  3. Leave the skillet over the heat and pour in the creamy Dijon sauce. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Move the pan off the heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons cold butter or ¼ cup heavy / whipping cream. 
  5. Serve creamy mustard sauce over the cooked protein or return the protein to the pan and stir it into sauce.
  6. Enjoy!

Types of Mustard – Creamy vs. Whole Grain

Dijon mustard is a creamy mustard with a sharp, tangy flavor that ranges in color from pale to dark yellow. The style of mustard originates from Dijon, France but is now made around the world. Whole Grain Mustard is a mild mustard that is recognizable because it is made up mostly of whole grain mustard seeds. It is ground just enough to form a paste to hold the seeds together and the flavor is more mild than creamy Dijon mustard which has been fully broken down. 

When I make Dijon cream sauce , I love to use a 50/50 mix of creamy Dijon and whole grain mustard. This gives the finished sauce some texture in the form of small whole grain mustard seeds. But for a completely smooth sauce, just use creamy Dijon mustard. 
For a deep dive on different varieties of mustard, I love this guide from Serious Eats.

stirring dijon mustard sauce with a whisk in a glass mixing bowl

Pin this now to save it for later

Pin It Now
ingredients for dijon mustard sauce on a white countertop

Ingredients

  • Mayonnaise – This gives the sauce a rich, creamy flavor and texture. Plain or Greek yogurt works well too – see below for details. 
  • Dijon Mustard – Be sure to use Dijon mustard which has a tangy bite that works so well with the balance of mayonnaise and honey.
  • Honey – For just a hint of sweetness to balance the mustard.
  • Lemon Juice – A squeeze of real lemon juice adds a fresh flavor to this sauce that I love, but vinegar works just fine as a substitute. Try red or white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar. 
  • Garlic – Use fresh garlic or garlic powder. 
  • Black Pepper – This is optional, but if you’re serving the sauce with proteins, a few cracks of black pepper add flavor. 

Recipe Tips

Taste and adjust flavor – This is a sauce that can easily be adjusted to your personal taste and / or to fit what you’re serving. For a lighter version that works well as a salad dressing, use plain or Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise. If you’re serving it with more savory or spicy dishes, add a bit more honey. Or cut the honey out completely for a more tart version. 

Adjust the consistency – If you’re serving this dish over chicken, fish, or pork, the consistency in the recipe below is just right for spooning over top or dipping. If you’re going to use it as a dressing for salad, try thinning it out slightly with some more lemon juice or a splash of water.

Variations

  • Add dried spices – Want to give this a flavorful twist? Add some chili powder and cumin for a Tex Mex flavor, add an Italian Seasoning Blend for more herb flavor, or add some Ranch Seasoning for a great creamy Ranch Sauce. 
  • Use yogurt – For a lighter version of the sauce, use plain or Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise. 
  • Add fresh herbs – This sauce is great either in the uncooked version or in the pan sauce version with finely chopped herbs added. Parsley or basil are great. 
spooning dijon sauce on chicken

More Recipes to Serve with Honey Dijon Sauce

Pin this now to save it for later

Pin It Now
a spoon over a wooden bowl of dijon mustard sauce
4.58 from 7 votes

Dijon Mustard Sauce

Dijon Mustard Sauce is a tangier, creamier version of honey mustard that adds flavor to any of your favorite dishes. Keep a batch in the fridge and use it to serve with chicken, fish, pork, or roasted vegetables. Or use the instructions below to make it into a simple, warm pan sauce.
To adjust the servings in this recipe, click on the number next to servings.
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise (see note)
  • 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard (I like to use half stone-ground and half smooth mustard, but any variety will work)
  • 2 teaspoons Honey
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice (see note)
  • 1 clove Garlic, grated sub 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Black Pepper (optional; add a few cracks of black pepper for flavor)

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Notes

Mayonnaise – For a lighter, more tangy version of this sauce, substitute yogurt or sour cream for the mayonnaise. The resulting sauce will be slightly less thick and cream, but has delicious flavor. 
Lemon Juice – It’s worth the effort to add fresh lemon juice to this sauce because it brightens all of the other flavors, but vinegar works well as a substitute – try red or white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar. 
Pan Sauce – Want to make this as a warm pan sauce to serve with your favorite proteins? It’s easily adapted using the directions below:
  1. Whisk together the following ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (see note)
  • 1 clove garlic, grated or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper 
  1. Sear any protein in a skillet over medium heat. Chicken breast or chicken thighs, pork chops, fish, or shrimp all work well. 
  2. Set proteins aside. 
  3. Leave the skillet over the heat and pour in the creamy Dijon sauce. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
  4. Move the pan off the heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons cold butter or ¼ cup heavy / whipping cream.
  5. Serve pan sauce over the cooked protein or return the protein to the pan and stir it into sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $3.00
Calories: 209
Keyword: dipping sauce, easy sauce, gluten free, mustard sauce
Like this? Leave a comment below!Jump to Comments
Want to save this recipe?
Get it emailed to you directly! Enter your email below.

About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So happy I found this recipe. The perfect blend of honey, Dijon and lemon juice. Definitely add the pinch of pepper. My friends raved about the taste. Perfect.