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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Cath
I have a square of chocolate after dinner with a cup of tea every night. It has to be after the kids are asleep and the day is ‘done’
Dana
This looks amazing. Forgive me for being a bit clueless but what is “grainy mustard” .
Lindsay
by “grainy” mustard I think she’s just referring to a mustard that is not completely pulverized i.e. a whole grain mustard where you can still see the seeds. I just learned how to make it actually and its super easy!!! (link, if you want: http://lovebeerlovefood.com/make-your-own-beer-mustard/)
Dirksen
Made this tonight… DELISH!!!!!
I used chicken breasts and double the sauce to pour over rice.
Thank you for such a delicious and easy recipe. My husband loved it!
Mary
I made the honey mustard chicken tonight, and it was delicious. I used rosemary instead of tarragon since we had it in a pot on our front porch. Other than that, everything else was the same. Yum! This is definitely a keeper and a great way to use chicken thighs. Very tender and tasty. Thank you for sharing!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and used your own rosemary!
MARY VILLEGAS
It looks simply delicious and I off to the grocery store to get the ingredients and make this tonight. Would you by any chance know the nutritional info? I’m on My Fitness Pal and counting calories. If you don’t, that’s ok. I’m gonna make it anyways. :D
Ashleigh
I used the recipe importer at MyFitnessPal and it calculated this at:
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 487
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16 g 25 %
Saturated Fat 4 g 20 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 180 mg 60 %
Sodium 919 mg 38 %
Potassium 495 mg 14 %
Total Carbohydrate 38 g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g 1 %
Sugars 35 g
Protein 46 g 93 %
Vitamin A 0 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 0 %
Iron 13 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Thanks for adding the nutritionals. Very helpful.
Arthur in the Garden!
Hmm, great flavors!
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven
Honey mustard chicken is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken—This chicken looks sooo good. Gorgeous photos!
Emily
Looks absolutely delicious! I need to try this recipe. Not usually a fan of honey mustard chicken but I’m willing to give it a shot!
Lori
Do you think this would work for wings if i halved the cook time maybe? I’d definitely want to try the thighs, but I’ve been trying to compile a list of wing recipes outside of the usual barbecue/hot/buffalo varieties.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
I make a honey mustard chicken (thighs too) with honey, mustard, and bacon…this looks delicious! I am definitely pinning to try it…every one of your recipes I have ever tried have turned out amazing. I am constantly making the avocado cream enchiladas…that is a huge favorite here.
Thanks so much for letting me know Michelle! That’s so cool to hear your family enjoys the dishes here!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
We made it tonight…it was really good!
Tieghan
I am with you on the thighs. So flavorful!
This meal looks so good!
New ritual? Planning out my days! I need organization!
Amanda
I may start a ritual of reading a FoodieCrush blog post every day. I loved this one and just realized how much I TRULY love your writing and your spirit! :)
My grandmother did the same water trick every morning, but with lemon. Water, it’s always key to keeping things moving. :)
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom
This sounds so delicious! My daughter has a soy allergy and I recently discovered you can substitute coconut aminos for soy…and I am going to try it in this recipe.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I love honey mustard with chicken! I often freeze/get tense while on the computer too. I’m trying to take more breaks to stretch.
Meredith In Sock Monkey Slippers
Gorgeous and I love the tarragon in this!
Elizabeth
I have never been a resolution setter, but for some reason creating a ritual sounds more doable and right up my alley. I love thinking of it that way. We have recently started a ritual of talking about our favorite part of the day with our 3 year old. She loves it and we usually laugh at her response (nap time, singing a song, or hugging a baby doll).
And, I don’t know if it’s because it was the only thing my mother would actually make while I was growing up, but I cannot get enough of honey mustard chicken. I think I must have 10 different recipes and I love every one of them. Can’t wait to try this one!
My daughter and I have the same ritual of talking about her day. Every day after school she tells me three things that she did that day, and they can’t all be “eat lunch” or “go to recess.” It’s a great way to let your kids know you’re there, and listening.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
My husband bought thighs this week by mistake and we made slow cooker chicken adobo with them last night – I am totally sold on the thighs!!
Shanna@ pineapple and coconut
I am always freezing, yes that can happen even living in Las Vegas, and my husband finally busted out a little space heater that I have next to me at all times. Even when I am standing in my kitchen cooking meals. I feel your chilly pain. Oh and yes, chicken thighs for the win.
Angela
I’m not usually a fan of honey mustard (usually too sweet) but this looks awesome, I hope my picky eaters would eat it– but if not I don’t really care this looks so good, and paired with rice yum!
It’s going on next weeks meal plan!
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes
honey mustard is everything – the end. love!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
I am so in love with this chicken. It looks so flavorful and so juicy!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife
LOVE this Heidi! I think I should take the stairs to one of my upper floor meetings once a day. And have 3 fingers of red wine.
Stairs are good. Probably better than jumping jacks if you’re working with others :)
Liz
Thank you and have a Happy and warm Thursday.
Belinda@themoonblushbaker
As cheesy as this sounds I had add a ritual to find at least one thing in the day that made me smile. However I had also added the “ritual” of ice cream afterwards; so take what you can from that.
This is gorgeous! I adore honey chicken and that glaze with rosemary would be perfect weeknight wonder for any meat.
Jim@DJLOFTEN - Face Book
Thanks for your take on an old favourite.