This Chicken Au Poivre is the creamy, peppery chicken dinner that keeps popping up all over the internet—and after seeing it over and over again, I had to make it myself!
Tender chicken is coated in a creamy mixture of garlic, shallot, fresh rosemary, thyme, and plenty of cracked black pepper before being baked until golden and juicy. The cream mixture cooks down around the chicken to create an incredible creamy pepper sauce.
If you've been wondering how to make the viral Chicken Au Poivre you've been seeing online, this is an easy version to make at home. This is the dish the internet has been making like crazy lately. It's normally served with steak.
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Check out these other famous Tiktok recipes - Dirty Spaghetti Tiktok Recipe, Swim Queso Chicken and Rice, and Dirty Cabbage Recipe!
Why You'll Love Chicken Au Poivre
- If you love chicken and potato dishes is probably the fanciest version I've ever made.
- The cream creates a gravy with the fresh herbs and chicken juices and it's super good over mashed potatoes. Fresh rosemary, garlic, shallot, and cracked black pepper give the chicken so much flavor.
- The sauce cooks with the chicken. You don't need to make a completely separate sauce.
- It's an easy dinner. Everything goes into one baking dish before going into the oven.
- It looks fancy but isn't difficult. This is perfect for a weeknight dinner or when you want something that feels a little more special.
- It's a viral recipe worth trying. There's a reason everyone keeps making this chicken!
What Is Chicken Au Poivre?
Traditional Chicken Au Poivre is inspired by the classic French preparation steak au poivre, which is known for its generous amount of cracked black pepper and creamy pan sauce.
Instead of steak, this version uses chicken and combines the pepper with garlic, shallot, herbs, and cream for a rich and flavorful chicken dinner.
Ingredients Needed for Chicken Au Poivre
- 1 whole chicken: Can also use bonless chicken thighs or chicken breast.
- Heavy cream: Creates a rich, creamy sauce that coats the chicken. Don't mind the spill! lol
- Shallot: Adds a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor to the dish.
- Garlic: Adds savory flavor and depth to the creamy sauce.
- Fresh rosemary: Provides a fragrant, earthy herb flavor.
- Lemon Zest
- Coarsely cracked black pepper: Gives Chicken Au Poivre its signature bold, peppery flavor.
- Salt: Enhances all of the flavors in the chicken and sauce.
- Olive oil: Helps coat the chicken and adds a little richness.
How to Make Chicken Au Poivre
Place the whole chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and coarsely cracked black pepper. Place the chicken skin-side up in a baking dish or oven-safe skillet.
Bake the chicken uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes. This gives the chicken a head start and allows the skin to begin browning before adding the cream mixture. Do not pour the cream in right away.
While the chicken is baking combine the finely chopped shallot, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Pour in heavy cream and mix.
After the first 20 minutes of baking, carefully remove the chicken from the oven. Pour the cream mixture over and around the chicken, making sure some of it gets over the top.
Return the chicken to the oven and continue baking until the chicken is cooked through and the thickest part reaches 165°F. The cream mixture will cook down into a rich, flavorful pepper sauce around the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before carving. Spoon the creamy pepper sauce over each portion and serve with your favorite side dishes.
Tips for Making Chicken Au Poivre
Use freshly cracked black pepper. This makes a huge difference in the flavor. Au poivre is supposed to be pepper-forward!
Don't skimp on the herbs. Fresh rosemary and thyme give the cream sauce a wonderful savory flavor.
Use a meat thermometer. Chicken breasts can vary quite a bit in size, so cooking until the thickest part reaches 165°F is the easiest way to know they're done.
Let the chicken rest. Give it a few minutes before cutting into it so the juices stay in the chicken.
Serve with something that can soak up the sauce. Mashed potatoes would be AMAZING with this.
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Chicken Au Poivre
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Total Time: 70 min
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chicken Au Poivre is a delicious twist on the classic French dish, made with juicy roasted chicken and a rich, creamy pepper sauce
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 4–5 pounds, spatchcocked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper, divided
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place the whole chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken.
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and coarsely cracked black pepper. Place the chicken skin-side up in a baking dish or oven-safe skillet.
- Bake the chicken uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes. This gives the chicken a head start and allows the skin to begin browning before adding the cream mixture.
- While the chicken is baking combine the finely chopped shallot, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Pour in heavy cream and mix.
- After the first 20 minutes of baking, carefully remove the chicken from the oven. Pour the cream mixture over and around the chicken, making sure some of it gets over the top.
- Return the chicken to the oven and continue baking until the chicken is cooked through and the thickest part reaches 165°F. The cream mixture will cook down into a rich, flavorful pepper sauce around the chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before carving. Spoon the creamy pepper sauce over each portion and serve with your favorite side dishes.
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