Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken

Juicy chicken thighs baked in a creamy honey-mustard sauce with shallots, garlic, and rosemary. This is the ultimate comfort meal. 

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Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs baked in a creamy honey mustard sauce just has to be my new favorite meal! It’s a perfect fall dinner…great for nights when you’re craving something warm, saucy, and satisfying.

Not to mention it’s a great meal for weeknights or cozy entertaining as it comes together in one skillet.

You’ll want to serve it over something to soak up that sauce. Crusty bread or some type of mash, such as cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes is always a great choice.

What is Honey Mustard Sauce Made Of?

What I love about this recipe is the creamy sauce, which is a combination of the honey mustard sauce with delicious herbs and cream.

It’s really easy to make too! You only need 3 ingredients: honey, Dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice. Lemon juice adds brightness to the sauce and cuts down on the sharpness of the mustard.

Will yellow mustard work? Yes, it will. The sauce will be sweeter and milder in taste.

Then you quickly sauté shallots with garlic. Add rosemary, bay leaves, half and half, along with honey mustard sauce for one delicious creamy thick sauce. It truly tastes like fall. Plus the flavors only get better when it’s baked with chicken.

Why Use Chicken Thighs?

For this recipe, you’ll want to buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Bone-in thighs are more flavorful, extremely juicy, and forgiving than chicken breast or even boneless thighs which can easily be overcooked. Not to mention the skin crisps up nicely! 

When you cook chicken thighs with the bone in, the flavor that’s inside the bone spreads out into the meat, leaving you with chicken with a deeper flavor. Also, thighs release fat and juices when baked so all of that flavor gets mixed into the creamy honey mustard sauce.

Katya’s TIP: To make crispy skin, pat dry the thighs with a few sheets of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Also, avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook the chicken in batches.

How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken

These creamy honey mustard chicken thighs are simple enough to pull off on a weeknight. You can sear the chicken the night before and keep it refrigerated until the next day. Before starting, it helps to have all of the ingredients measured and ready to go as the recipe goes quickly.

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a quick rundown:

• Step 1: Prepare and sear the chicken.

Pat dry the chicken thighs with a few sheets of paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.

• Step 2: Make the sauce.

Add shallots to the pan and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice, and add to the pan with half and half, rosemary, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a quick simmer and let the mixture thicken.

• Step 3: Bake the chicken.

Add the chicken back to the pan, skin side up. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350F or until fully cooked through. Discard rosemary and bay leaves before serving.

How to Tell When Chicken is Cooked Through

You can take a paring knife and gently cut a slit on the side of the thigh around the bone to see if the meat is done—if you’re seeing a lot of pink, give it a couple of minutes more.

For a more accurate reading, use a cooking thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked when an instant-read cooking thermometer registers at 165 degrees F. 

Love one-pan chicken recipes? Here are a few of our favorites:

• Creamy Tomato Chicken Recipe
• Chicken and Quinoa in Mustard Sauce
• Chicken Mushroom Spinach Pasta
• Easy Chicken Vegetable Curry

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