Stephen Colbert’s Spin on Ina Garten’s Mustard Chicken Is a Family Favorite—So I Tried It Myself

It’s quick, easy and delicious—what’s not to love?

By Korin Miller
Lifestyle Writer, Parade

Getty Images / Korin Miller

Oct 9, 2025 7:16 PM EDT
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Most of us know Stephen Colbert for his comedic prowess and interviewing chops on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and before that stint, The Colbert Report. But believe it or not, Colbert has a very specific claim to fame in the world of food and drink. Last year, the CBS late night host published a cookbook with his wife (and very frequent Late Show guest) Evie McGee Colbert called Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes Our Family Loves.

Inspired by the cooking the Colbert family did while stuck at home in South Carolina during the pandemic, the cookbook draws on their Lowcountry heritage while also featuring standout recipes the family has collected over the years. One family favorite is a twist on a classic Ina Garten recipe: the Barefoot Contessa’s Chicken Thighs with Mustard Mushroom Sauce. The Colberts are unabashed fans of the recipe—they even made it on the Today show while promoting their book.

Related: Willie Geist Calls This Classic Ina Garten Recipe His ‘Go-To’ (Exclusive)

During the segment, Stephen said that this favorite Colbert family chicken dish was inspired by a request from the couple’s kids. “We made Ina’s recipe for mustard chicken thighs so many times that the kids begged us to change it,” he said. “So, we changed it up.” Colbert also hammered home that Garten was the inspiration for the dish, joking that his family “stole” the recipe from her.

The chicken dish got rave reviews from Today co-hosts who called it “delicious” and “very good” while clearly chowing down their portions.

When I watched the Today show clip, it was clear that the Ina-inspired recipe had major homey, cozy vibes and it also looked surprisingly easy to pull off. Here’s what I learned when I tried this dish in my home kitchen.

Related: How to Make the Best-Ever Crab Cakes, According to Stephen Colbert and His Wife

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The Ina Garten Chicken Recipe That Started It All

Technically, there are two recipes at play here. One is Garten’s recipe for Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mustard Sauce, and the other is the Colberts’ spin on it.

Garten’s recipe is a classic, featuring chicken thighs and sautéed onions served in a creamy Dijon mustard sauce that also features crème fraîche and white wine. The Colberts’ take maintains all of the best parts of Ina’s recipe but in true Southern fashion, uses slightly more booze (wine), swaps in sour cream or Greek yogurt for crème fraîche and adds in a little chicken stock and sautéed mushrooms.

Stephen and Evie have a close, long-standing friendship with Ina, and the Colberts have given Garten plenty of shout-outs, which may be why Ina seems cool with this recipe homage.

Related: I Tried Ina Garten’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich and It’s Crispy, Melty, Buttery and Pretty Much Perfect

Ingredients You Need to Make Stephen Colbert’s Chicken Thighs with Mustard-Mushroom Sauce

Stephen Colbert’s chicken recipe uses a lot of ingredients you may already have at home. To make the recipe, you’ll need chicken thighs, a yellow onion, cremini or button mushrooms, dry white wine, sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard and salt and pepper.

How to Make Stephen Colbert’s Chicken Thighs with Mustard-Mushroom Sauce

To make the Colberts’ version of Garten’s chicken recipe, grab a large cast-iron skillet and pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Season a few chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper, then sear them skin-side down until the skin is deeply golden and crisp.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and toss some sliced mushrooms and onions into the same pan. Let them sizzle in that glorious mix of oil and chicken fat until softened and browned around the edges.

Pour in a splash of white wine to loosen all of those tasty brown bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet, then stir in a spoonful each of Dijon and grainy mustard, a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and a little chicken broth to loosen things up. Taste and season with salt.

Slide the chicken back in, spoon the sauce over the meat, then let it all simmer together until the chicken is cooked through and everything smells amazing.

Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley and serve it straight from the pan, ideally with noodles or rice to soak up every bit of that tangy, creamy sauce.

What I Thought About Stephen Colbert’s Chicken Thighs with Mustard-Mushroom Sauce

I cook a lot of chicken in my house, and I’m always looking for new ways to make it. The Colberts’ mustard chicken thigh recipe instantly won me over—it has a warm, familiar flavor that feels like something your mom might have made on a cozy Sunday night.

The mushrooms and sour cream give it a subtle stroganoff vibe; it’s creamy and comforting without feeling heavy. The mustard comes through just enough to add tang and depth and it’s balanced perfectly by the sour cream. Even my picky kids liked it—which is always a small miracle.

It’s also surprisingly quick to pull together. If you chop the mushrooms and onions while the chicken is cooking, you can really cut down on your overall time spent in the kitchen. I could only find boneless, skinless chicken thighs at my local grocery store, and I found that was even easier to cook and serve.

The recipe ends up making plenty, so leftovers are almost guaranteed, which is a weeknight win. Like the Colberts, I plan to add variations on this recipe to my weeknight cooking rotation.

Tips for Making Stephen Colbert’s Chicken Thighs with Mustard-Mushroom Sauce

Use the biggest pan you own. This recipe calls for a lot of chicken, and you’re also tossing in plenty of onions and mushrooms—and there’s also the sauce. If you don’t have a large skillet, divide the ingredients between two pans to make sure you cook everything well (and don’t make a mess of your stovetop).
Start your sides halfway through. This dish cooks pretty quickly and it tastes amazing when it’s served hot. Start water boiling for your noodles or other sides when you’re halfway through the cooking process for the chicken.
Don’t stress over measurements. The beauty of a recipe like this is that you don’t need to be precise with your ingredients. You can simply squirt in some mustard, add your sour cream, and taste as you go. That creates an even easier and more laidback cooking experience.