Honey Mustard Chicken

In search of a simple main dish for tonight? These honey mustard chicken thighs are thrown together quickly and baked until golden brown and crisp.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Updated June 30, 2021
Elise Bauer
Overhead view of baked chicken in a casserole dish.
Michelle Becker

This is one of those lazy days, couldn't be easier, don't have to think about it and it still turns out great, dishes.

You just mix honey, Dijon mustard, and olive oil together and pour it over chicken thighs in a casserole dish and bake until done.

Video: How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken

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Honey Mustard Chicken

The chicken produces its own gravy with the honey and mustard, and the skin on the top gets crispy brown. We have lots of rosemary in the garden; adding a sprig or two takes the dish up a notch. The chicken is great served with rice to soak up the honey mustard gravy.

Do you have a favorite lazy day chicken recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Overhead view of Honey Mustard Chicken baked in a casserole dish.
Michelle Becker

The Best Chicken for Honey Mustard Chicken

Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs are ideal for this recipe, but any bone-in, skin on cut of chicken will work. Different cuts require different cooking times. Thighs have a better texture when cooked to 175°F, while breasts are better at 165°F.

Boneless, skinless cuts will work, too, but they'll need a shorter cooking time and may be dryer than their bone-in, skin on counterparts.

Tips for Crisping the Chicken Skin

This chicken is baked uncovered, and the skin should brown and get crispy from the olive oil in the Dijon mustard sauce. If the skin is not brown and crispy when the baking time is done, place it under the broiler (make sure it's a broiler-safe dish) for about 5 minutes. That should do that trick.

Making Honey Mustard Chicken in Advance

To make this dish in advance, cook as directed, but don't spoon off any rendered fat - it will keep the chicken moist when you reheat it. Let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before reheating at 350°F until just heated through - about 20 to 30 minutes.

Or, you can assemble the dish a day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate, uncooked. Let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as directed.

Sides to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Honey Mustard Chicken

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

If you don't want to eat skin-on chicken, still cook the dish with the skin on, even if you don't eat it. The skin will protect the meat from drying out.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (or legs), trimmed of excess fat and excess skin

  • Salt

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 sprigs rosemary (or a generous sprinkling of dried rosemary)

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven:

    Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center.

  2. Salt the chicken:

    Sprinkle chicken thighs on both sides with salt and lay the pieces skin-side up in a shallow casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Chicken thighs in a casserole dish ready to be baked.
    Michelle Becker
  3. Make the honey mustard sauce:

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt and mustard until you get the flavor where you want it.

    Making the honey mustard sauce for baked chicken.
    Michelle Becker
  4. Spoon the honey mustard sauce over chicken:

    Spoon the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs in between the pieces of chicken.

    Spooning honey mustard sauce over chicken thighs in a casserole dish.
    Michelle Becker
    Honey mustard chicken ready for the oven.
    Michelle Becker
  5. Bake the chicken:

    Bake for 45 minutes, or until the thighs read 175°F on a meat thermometer.

    Remove the casserole pan from the oven and use a spoon to spoon off any excess chicken fat that has rendered during the cooking.

    Overhead view of Honey Mustard Chicken baked in a casserole dish.
    Michelle Becker
    Serve:

    Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the chicken before you serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
571 Calories
34g Fat
17g Carbs
54g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 571
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 290mg 97%
Sodium 946mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 611mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.