honey mustard chicken

Our honey mustard chicken recipe is packed with incredible flavor thanks to an easy honey dijon marinade that doubles as a sauce.

Not a week goes by that I don’t get asked for more chicken recipes. Understood! Many of us end up tossing a package of chicken in our cart before deciding what to do with it.

This super flavorful honey mustard chicken recipe is your answer! Marinate chicken thighs (and other parts of the chicken if you have them) and cook in the marinade. The chicken turns out to be incredibly juicy, saucy and really tasty. I am currently making this recipe on repeat with my family. I’m looking forward to trying it out soon.

main ingredients

Chicken: We love chicken thighs in this recipe, but our marinade works with almost any chicken (boneless, bone-in, skinless, or with skin). The honey mustard marinade I share below is enough to marinate 2 pounds (maybe a little more), so adjust the amounts depending on how much chicken you have on hand. Honey and Mustard: We use local pure honey and Dijon mustard. I especially love the fancy mustard flavor (it packs a little punch). The most common luxury item found in standard grocery stores is maille, and this one is perfect. Mayonnaise: We love using mayonnaise in marinade recipes (see this pork chop marinade for proof). It adds flavor to the chicken, makes it tender, and keeps it tasty and juicy. If you prefer to use thick plain yogurt, you can. In fact, we use it in our popular Greek chicken marinades (Icelandic or Greek full-fat yogurt are my favorites). Lemon: The juice of one lemon is used in the marinade to balance out the sweetness of the honey. Garlic and oregano: This chicken recipe calls for a good amount of garlic (you’ll need 6 cloves). With the combination of honey and Dijon mustard, you can eat it without disturbing the garlic. Originally, this recipe was developed for fresh oregano, which is very tasty if you have it. I have used the dried version in the photo as it is easily available at local stores. The amounts of dried and fresh are shown below.

See the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to make honey mustard chicken

Tip 1: Make the marinade. For the best flavor in your chicken, use honey mustard chicken marinade. It’s very simple and goes great with chicken (chicken thighs in this case).

To make it, mix together honey, mustard, mayonnaise (or yogurt), lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Then add the chicken and let it marinate for a while in the fridge. For the best flavor, we recommend waiting at least 4 hours and possibly overnight.

Tip 2: Start cooking the chicken on the stove. I like my chicken to have a little color, so I take out the grill pan, heat it up over medium heat, and add the marinated chicken (reserve the marinade left in the bowl for later). You don’t want to cook the chicken all the way through, just add some color.

I love the grilled bread here. The honey in the marinade will quickly brown and help with grill marks. If you don’t have a grill pan, a regular frying pan is fine, but be careful not to darken the honey too much.

Tip 3: Finish in the oven. Once it has some color, I like to transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and pour the reserved marinade over it before baking in the oven. If you’re concerned about reusing the marinade, bake it in the oven long enough to reach a safe temperature.

Bake the chicken in the marinade until the internal thermometer registers 165°F or 175°F to 180°F (175°F to 180°F for thighs) (165°F is safe, but cooking it a little longer will make it more tender and juicy).

offer suggestions

There are many ways to serve this chicken. It also goes great with sautéed broccoli and white rice. I love it as a topping on salads, on the side of roasted potatoes, or with sweet potato fries.

For more of a cookout-style meal, consider summery sides like potato salad, creamy pasta salad, and coleslaw. Or add roasted butternut squash, mashed sweet potatoes, or even comforting macaroni and cheese for a fall-inspired meal.

See more of my favorite marinades