Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
I make chicken at least a couple nights a week with a variety of recipes like my tomato basil chicken and easy chicken cacciatore recipe. However, this honey mustard chicken is my absolute go-to option when I need a quick, easy, crowd-pleasing meal!
Featured Comment: “I’ve been making this chicken every Christmas since you shared it. It’s always such a hit with my family. Looking forward to making it again soon. Thank you Katya!” – Lauren
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I’ve been making it for years, and it never disappoints. With minimal prep time and simple ingredients, the chicken always comes out juicy and tender, and the sweet and tangy honey-mustard sauce takes it over the top, causing guests to practically lick their plates.
Plus, it makes plenty for a crowd, and leftovers store and reheat well, meaning it’s great for meal prep! With a five-star rating and countless reviews, it’s one recipe you’ll look forward to eating again and again.
Take a look at what readers have to say, too:
“So delicious! Super easy to make, the sauce goes well with almost any side dish you can think of – I did green beans and rice. Will be a new regular for me!” – Kaylee
“I made this dish last night for my family. It was easy and delicious! And I didn’t change a thing. It will now be a staple at our house. Thank you!” – Hania
Why You’ll Love this Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe
- Cozy fall dinner. It’s great for nights when you’re craving something warm and satisfying or back to school meals.
- Fancy enough for guests. It’s great for entertaining and holidays. Even though this recipe is pretty straightforward, it’s a meal that will impress your guests. We also love Chicken Basil Recipe.
- Saucy. You’ll want to serve it over something to soak up that sauce. Crusty sourdough garlic bread or some type of mash, such as Yukon gold mashed potatoes or red skin mashed potatoes is always a great choice.
Honey Mustard Chicken Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Bone-in chicken thighs – flavorful, and juicy, and they can withstand heat well
- Aromatics – fresh rosemary, garlic, shallot, and bay leaves
- Sauce – half and half, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and flour
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.
How to Bake Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Before starting, it helps to have all of the ingredients measured and ready to go as the recipe goes quickly. See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Pat dry the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.
Recipe 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.
2. Add shallots to the pan and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice, and add to the pan with half and half, rosemary, and bay leaves.
4. Bring to a quick simmer and let the mixture thicken.
5. 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.
To Make Ahead: These creamy honey mustard chicken thighs are simple enough to pull off on a weeknight. Sear the chicken the night before and keep it refrigerated until the next day.
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.
Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe Tips
- Dry the chicken skin. For a golden, crispy exterior pat the raw chicken thighs dry with a clean paper towel before you begin.
- Sear the chicken. Sear the chicken in butter until golden on both sides to lock in flavor and keep the meat tender.
- Use a meat thermometer. Avoid over or undercooking your chicken thighs by using a meat an instant-read cooking thermometer to ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Adjust the sauce. Feel free to use yellow mustard in place of Dijon mustard for a sweeter, slightly milder-tasting sauce.
- Don’t swap the half and half. For the best consistency, I do not recommend using anything lower in fat than half and half. Otherwise, the sauce will separate during baking and turn greasy.
How to Serve Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken
- This creamy honey mustard chicken serves best over cheesy mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, garlic mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta of choice.
- Serve it with a side of roasted fall vegetables, roasted lemon asparagus, or with a side of fresh salad such as harvest salad or kale apple salad.
More like these Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
If you try Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken, please leave a star rating and let me know how you like the recipe in the comments below.
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Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe (with Chicken Thighs)
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy chicken thighs baked in a creamy honey-mustard sauce with shallots, garlic, and rosemary. This is the ultimate comfort meal.
Ingredients
- 6–8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin on, excess skin trimmed
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup diced shallots
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream (do not use fat free)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Honey-Mustard Sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken thighs with few sheets of paper towels. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat butter in a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes per each side until lightly golden on the outside. Do not overcrowd. Cook in batches if need to. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add shallots. Cook until softened, 2-3 minutes, stirring nonstop. 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. Don’t be alarmed if the sauce is very thick–during baking the chicken will release juices and the sauce will even out.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, skin side up. Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Discard rosemary and bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Substitutions: I highly recommend using bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor. You can also use yellow mustard instead of Dijon, however, the sauce will be milder and sweeter tasting.
- Leftovers: Leftovers will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh with sauce
- Calories: 574
- Sugar: 18.6 g
- Sodium: 393.6 mg
- Fat: 36.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.4 g
- Protein: 33.8 g
- Cholesterol: 201.3 mg
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
I would like to cook this but not sure when I am supposed to add the half and half?
Hi: Step 4 in the recipe card is when you add half and half.
I’ve been making this chicken every Christmas since you shared it. It’s always such a hit with my family. Looking forward to making it again soon. Thank you Katya!
Is 3 tablespoons of mustard correct? It’s incredibly, overpoweringly mustardy.
Also adding the lemon juice to the mustard mix makes the half and half curdle when it’s added.
Hi Michelle: Correct, you’ll need 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. It does taste mustardy since it is mustard chicken recipe. As far as the lemon juice, it should not curdle at all. Did you use regular half and half (and not fat free)? Enough flour?
I can’t wait to try these amazing recipes I’ve saved on Pinterest!
I’m widowed, so have to wait for company!!
Katya’s One Pot Chicken Stew is a family favorite so I tried this tonight. The aroma that fills the kitchen while in the oven is amazing and the favors were incredible! Served over white rice. Recipe says it feeds 6-8 but it’s so yummy it feeds about 4-5 in my house!
Thank you Joe for feedback! I’m so happy you loved this recipe.
Yummmm….just like all your recipes that I have tried. Paired it with your cauliflower mash and sweet peas.
So delicious! Super easy to make, the sauce goes well with almost any side dish you can think of – I did green beans and rice. Will be a new regular for me!
I made this dish last night for my family. It was easy and delicious! And I didn’t change a thing. It will now be a staple at our house. Thank you!
That’s so great! Thank you.
Hi
I don’t understand what 1 cup half and half not fat free is
Thanks for your help
It means do not use fat-free half and half for this recipe
half of what??
Half and half is simply equal parts of milk and cream.