Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken – succulent pan-seared chicken thighs simmered in a sweet tangy sauce with a nice little kick and finished in the oven for an incredibly tasty dinner option!

Stashing extra cuts of chicken thighs in my freezer has already become one of my habits. Even if our meal plan for the week has all been laid out, I always make sure to keep extra chicken thighs in my freezer just in case I want something different for that day. Not that I don’t put more thought into our meal planning, it’s just that I love preparing chicken thigh meals.

This Honey Mustard Chicken was actually birthed on one of those very few spontaneous nights. It’s easy to prepare using just a handful of ingredients and comes ready in no time.

Regular Mustard vs Dijon Mustard vs Stone Ground Mustard

Mustard is made from ground mustard seeds mixed with liquid to release its enzyme and oils that gives off its notable bite. You could buy them in powder form, the classic, the “smooth mayo-like” or the coarser ones.

If you’ve probably noticed, I’m an avid fan of Dijon mustard which happens to be one of my go-to mustards when it comes to salad dressings and chicken recipes. Unlike the yellow mustard’s milder taste, a.k.a “American mustard”, Dijon mustard has a more complex, sharp flavor and heat. 

But in our case for today, I’m using Stone Ground Mustard which has a coarser, chunkier grind texture of mustard seeds that helps it have a very good deep flavor.

What Does Honey Mustard Taste Like?

Although our chicken is quite flavorful on its own with the Creole seasoning rub, that sweet, tangy flavor of honey mustard combination is undeniably a match made in heaven meant to make these chicken thighs even more desirable.

It’s saucy, sweet, tangy and slightly spicy (from the stone ground mustard) with additional touches of onion garlic and thyme flavor. The bigger coarse of Stone Ground Mustard allows us to partially create a thick paste to coat the chicken as it cooks in the oven.

What Can I Substitute for Stone Ground Mustard?’

Now if you don’t typically have stone ground, you may replace it with the basic yellow mustard. But of course, there’ll be a slight difference in taste.

How Long to Bake Chicken Thighs?

For a bone-in chicken thighs, you can bake the chicken thighs at 25-30 minutes to a preheated 350 F oven with an internal meat temperature of 165 F. If you’re using boneless chicken thighs, you can bake them for about less 10 minutes.

Can I Use Boneless Chicken Breast Instead?

Yes, you sure can! For boneless skinless Chicken Breast, bake it at 400F for 20- 25 minutes.

Can I Make Honey Mustard Chicken Ahead of Time?

To prepare this dish, you can make the Honey Mustard mixture up to a week ahead of time and store in an air container in the fridge. Or another option would be to sear the chicken first, cover tightly after cooling down and refrigerate. Continue with making the sauce part and finish it in the oven when ready to serve.

What To Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken?

This lip-smacking chicken here definitely calls for warm rice. But if you’re not a fan of it, you can choose any of these side dishes below that you have the most connection with.

Easy Dinner Rolls

Tropical Fruit Salad

Skillet Cornbread

Wedge Salad

Creamy Chicken Pasta

Mashed Potatoes

Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes

Chicken Cacciatore

Teriyaki Chicken

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Thighs

Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs

Chicken Biryani

 

 

How To Make Honey Mustard Chicken

 

Pat dry chicken thighs with a paper towel and place in a bowl. Season both sides with salt and pepper if using any, rub with creole seasoning; set aside. If desired, this can be done an hour or two before to let the seasoning marinate.

Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Heat a Cast Iron or skillet over medium high heat; place chicken side down  in a skillet. Fry each side for about 3 minutes until golden brown on both sides, be very careful with the chicken, it shouldn’t burn. Chicken will finish cooking in the oven. Set chicken aside on a plate.

Add the sliced onion, garlic and thyme  to the skillet, quickly stir for about 30 seconds, be careful not to let it burn, cause it might alter the flavor.

In a medium bowl, whisk together creole seasoning, mustard and honey. Deglaze the pan by adding chicken stock to the skillet, then make  sure to scrape all food particles in the skillet, bring to a boil.

Quickly poor in mixture into the skillet  and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.

Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, coat in sauce. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven, platter and serve with rice/vegetables/potatoes.