This baked honey mustard chicken is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Marinated with a combination of mustard, honey, and lemon juice then baked until golden and delicious. Thick pan juices make a delicious gravy over steamed rice or buttered noodles.
Nothing beats a good old classic recipe. Right? This chicken is made from scratch just the way my mom use to make it. It's always been perfect so I've never had to change anything.
Table of Content
About this recipe
This tender juicy baked chicken legs marinated with Dijon mustard and honey takes only 40 minutes to make. The two main ingredients, honey, and mustard are probably already in your kitchen. So, this is one dish that does not need much planning.
The recipe is simple and easy. I mean really - mix the marinade, toss in the chicken, bake for 45 minutes! Prepare some rice on the side and dinner is ready.
Today, I'm using chicken legs but chicken thighs work just as well. And, I have also given you suggestions and cooking times if you plan to use chicken breast.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken - I always use either chicken thighs or legs for baking. Because you can't really overcook it as easily as you can chicken breast. You can use chicken breast of course. And, if you do, I have given you the recommended cooking time and temperature.
- Mustard - I use a good dijon creamy mustard. Mustard has a strong flavor, but when mixed with honey, absolutely heavenly. You can also replace it with yellow mustard or grainy mustard if you like the flavor.
- Honey - Use a good quality thick honey that really brings out the flavor of the mustard.
- Soy Sauce - It's just a tad but it helps give that little golden color you see.
- Thyme - I love the flavor of thyme with chicken, but you can omit if you don't have it on hand.
Step by step instructions (pin)
- Clean, skin, wash and pat dry the chicken legs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Tip - Too much water in the chicken will result in too much liquid in the finished dish. - In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken and coat it well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes to an hour on the counter.
Tip - Alternatively, this chicken can be left to marinate for up to 12 hours in the fridge. - Preheat the oven at 400 °F/ 200 °C / Gas Mark 6.
- Arrange the chicken pieces along with the marinade in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes until golden, basting with the marinade at least once or twice in between. The internal temperature of the chicken when cooked should be about 165 F.
Tip - We do not cover the chicken to prevent too much liquid in the pan. But, if you feel the chicken is getting too dark, loosely tent it with a foil. - Serve the chicken with the pan juices over rice or buttered noodles.
Tip - If you like a thicker gravy, you can thicken the pan juices in a saucepan with ½ tbsp flour. Cook until just thicken then pour over the chicken again. - Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely, dark meats like chicken thighs and legs are perfect for baking. Unlike chicken breast, the darker meats soak up the juices and become tender and flavorful.
Personally, I like to use dark meat for baking as they stay tender and juicy. Having said that, you can certainly use chicken breast. Make sure to leave the skin on and adjust cooking time and temperature.
Cook at 180 C and for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 F.
Yes, you can but with a slightly different process.
1. Season the chicken.
2. Use the saute mode and pan-sear the chicken on all sides for color.
3. Add the marinade and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes
4. Use quick-release, then open the lid.
Absolutely! Just place chicken and marinade in the slow cooker and let it cook on low for 4 hours or high for 3 hours.
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Printable Recipe
Honey Mustard Chicken
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Ingredients
- 8 (8 ) Chicken legs (or thighs)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
Marinade:
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) Honey
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) Butter melted
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- ½ tsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Thyme fresh or ½ tsp dried
Instructions
- Clean, skin, wash and pat dry the chicken legs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Tip - Too much water in the chicken will result in too much liquid in the finished dish.
- In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken and coat it well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes to an hour on the counter.Tip - Alternatively, this chicken can be left to marinate for up to 12 hours in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven at 400 °F/ 200 °C / Gas Mark 6.
- Arrange the chicken pieces along with the marinade in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes until golden, basting with the marinade at least once or twice in between. The internal temperature of the chicken when cooked should be about 165 F.Tip - We do not cover the chicken to prevent too much liquid in the pan. But, if you feel the chicken is getting too dark, loosely tent it with a foil.
- Serve the chicken with the pan juices over rice or buttered noodles. Tip - If you like a thicker gravy, you can thicken the pan juices in a saucepan with ½ tbsp flour. Cook until just thicken then pour over the chicken again.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
kim
What a delicious recipe! This is definitely going on my dinner menu!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Kim
Danielle Wolter
This was such a delicious recipe! I love how easy it was to make and the chicken came out perfect.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Danielle. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Appreciate you coming back to write this feedback.
Chris Collins
Honey mustard is one of my all time favourite combos! I bet this tastes beyond delicious 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Chris. Yes, this was so delicious
Brian Jones
Fantastic flavours, the soy with the mustard was a bit of a surprise but it works really well, delicious!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Brian. So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Appreciate you coming back to write this feedback.
Edyta at Innocent Delight
I love classic honey mustard chicken recipe. I usually add a small teaspoon of vinegar but I never added soy sauce. It's a good idea to get some nice color.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Edyta. Yes, the main purpose of the soy sauce is to add color in this recipe. I love when the chicken has this beautiful golden color.