This honey mustard chicken thighs recipe is made with two types of mustard and a splash of soy sauce for added umami flavor. It’s such an easy dinner recipe!
Whenever I’m stuck on what to fix for dinner, I always come back to chicken. It’s a no-brainer. Particularly chicken thighs. I’ve professed my love of chicken thighs before in recipes like my Lemon Chicken Stew, Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup, and Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken. The darker meat creates an almost always juicy bite after 45-50 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Much like my chicken marsala and chicken piccata, these honey mustard baked chicken thighs are super saucy and a longtime chicken recipe staple of mine. They just hit every flavor note—sweet, tangy, zesty, savory. And with only 5 minutes of prep, they couldn’t be simpler to make. Just let them work their magic in the oven while you cook up some rice and green beans for some easy sides.
What is Honey Mustard Sauce Made Of
Besides boneless, skinless chicken thighs, all you’ll need is 6 ingredients (many of which you likely already have in your fridge and pantry) for the sweet and savory honey mustard sauce.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Whole grain mustard
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Soy sauce—lends a salty, umami flavor and gives the sauce a bit of a hearty base
- Fresh tarragon (you could also use fresh thyme or rosemary)
- Fresh ginger
Note: I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this baked honey mustard chicken, but you’re welcome to make this recipe using chicken breasts or tenders instead. See my notes below for the suggested cook time.
How to Make This Honey Mustard Chicken
This saucy baked chicken thighs recipe is a breeze to make. Here’s how to make it:
Prep the chicken. Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and rinse with cold water. Pat dry, then toss in the honey mustard chicken marinade.
Make the honey mustard sauce. Combine the whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, soy sauce, tarragon, and ginger in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
Bake the chicken. Place the thighs in a roasting dish, topping with more tarragon leaves if desired. Bake for 45 minutes or until the thighs register 175°F and the juices run clear. Spoon some more of that yummy cooked sauce from the roasting dish over the thighs before serving.
Can I Use Another Kind of Mustard?
German whole grain/stone ground mustard reign supreme in this recipe. If you don’t have grainy mustard, double up on the Dijon. I don’t recommend using American yellow mustard here as it’s too sour and doesn’t have the same depth of flavor as Dijon.
Is There a Soy Sauce Substitute I Can Use?
If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce, sub tamari in this recipe. And for a soy-free alternative, you can use coconut aminos. The flavor of the baked honey mustard chicken will differ slightly from my recipe, but it’ll still taste good!
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead of Thighs?
If you’re averse to dark meat, go ahead and do the old routine of chicken breasts. I would start checking the doneness of the meat at about 35-40 minutes since breast meat dries out quicker.
Note: When checking the doneness of the thighs you do NOT want to cut them open in the middle. This will cause the juices to spill out and will dry out the chicken.
What to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken
- How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time
- German Potato Salad
- Salad with Pears, Gorgonzola and Candied Pecans
- Easy 5-Minute Zucchini Parmesan
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Honey Mustard Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup whole grain/stone ground mustard
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves , chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , minced finely
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Trim any excess fat or skin from the chicken thighs, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels then set aside.
- Combine the whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, soy sauce, tarragon, and ginger in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Place the thighs in a roasting dish, topping with more tarragon leaves if desired.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the thighs register 175°F and the juices run clear. Spoon some more of that yummy cooked sauce from the roasting dish over the thighs before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More Baked Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
- The Best Baked Chicken Breasts
- Cast Iron Skillet Whole Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
- Crispy Smoked Paprika Chicken
- 40 Cloves of Garlic Roast Chicken
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I meant to write and let you know that this is one of my favorite dinners. Since you posted this recipe, I’ve made this dozens of times. It’s absolutely delicious!
Made this tonight just remember, I forgot the ginger it was gorgeous, I’ll have to make it again with the ginger
I made this dish without the tarragon, as I didn’t have any on hand. So delicious!
I absolutely LOVE chicken thighs, because it’s inexpensive, flavorful and juicy. :-)
I was wondering if I could use the dry spice tarragon instead of fresh?
I’ve just made it and it is AWESOME! The ginger makes it even better. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
My husband and I literally make this at least every 2 weeks. It is a staple in our home. We like to pair it with some yellow saffron rice and omg . its incredible. and seriously SO EASY.
This has been a family favourite since I first found on Pinterest last year! I dated a boy at Uni who made Honey Mustard Chicken as his speciality, so I knew the flavour combo was a winner, but the fresh tarragon and ginger lift it to a whole new level! This is our dinner tonight, with a brown rice quinoa blends and a green salad – perfect summer meal!
So glad you’re continuing to enjoy it!
nice recipe. Thanks! mom is gone and im looking for things to make…and i found this. Very simple and easy to make! Thanks Heidi!
Made this twice already. So easy and delicious. The tarragon really adds to it.
Thanks :)
I’m so glad you liked it Tricia, I’m a big fan of tarragon too.
I made this tonight and it is definitely a keeper. All of my picky boys gobbled it up…until they asked the ingredients and I told them ginger. The looks were priceless. Next time I will just have to grate it instead of tiny dicing it. I am off to discover more of your delicious recipes.
I’m so glad you liked it! Great idea on grating the ginger, I’ve started doing that more often too.
Very nice recipe – just made it tonight, was super quick and delicious. I did not have tarragon so I subbed thyme…was tasty! I served over brown rice with a side of brussel sprouts – yum!
looks damn tasty! pretty sure I’ll be making this tonight.
Made this today! I think I went overboard with the fresh ginger though, the ginger was overwhelming:( Should have stuck to exact measurements(I just eyeballed it). Had to wipe the hubby’s chicken off so he could eat it…haha oops:) My kids gobbled it up though so that’s a plus!!!
I agree with Jayme – I think you read it the wrong way. Sauce bakes in baking dish with chicken and gets fully cooked – then spoon it out and drizzle over chicken, rice, etc.
I like to read reviews from people who actually tried the recipe – here it is: I made this yesterday. I prepped it ahead of time and kept in fridge until I was ready to put in oven. I’ve never cooked chicken thighs before – I bought some but found the fat trimming process was going to be quite lengthy and I had limited time so I put away thighs and used chicken breasts. Will try thighs next time. I doubled recipe and drizzled sauce over chicken and rice on the plate. It was very good – I’ll be making this again. I’d still like to know if you’re supposed to bake it with foil on or not – I baked with foil about half way then removed it.
This sounds yummy. My husband loves all kinds of chicken. I am definitely going to try this one.
I too freeze. So my ritual is to prepare meals that I can cook in the oven. That way my kitchen heats up and smells great, which in turn brings my hubby in. We share a glass of wine while we wait for the meal to cook.
Does this get baked covered with foil or uncovered?
Made this today and must say that this recipe is a keeper. My family and I really liked it. Thanks!