I have never gotten so many compliments before, let alone for a piece of chicken. David suggested calling this chicken, “So Good it Can’t Be Described, Explosion on Your Taste Buds Chicken.” Exactly. I have never encountered a dish that is so basic and simple to put together yet creates such a big pay off. This chicken, quite simply, is one of the most savory things I’ve ever eaten. If you are the busiest person on the planet and don’t have much cooking experience, but you have to prepare a meal to woo the love of your life, cook this chicken!
To make this chicken, which you should absolutely do immediately, preheat your oven to 450º F. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice/rice wine vinegar.
Put 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into a foil-lined or disposable oven-proof, 8×8 inch baking dish. Six thighs came in my package, which made enough to serve 3 people. Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated.
Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with the sauce half way through. I find that a meat thermometer is essential in cooking because it allows me to check for doneness without cutting into the meat and losing its precious juices. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, whisk the sauce that remains in the baking dish, and then spoon the extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. If there is ever a time to use fresh herbs, THIS IS IT! The flavors are just so good together. Enjoy the savory goodness of this meal!
I adapted this recipe from “The I <3 Trader Joe’s Cookbook” by Cherie Mercer Twohy. Thanks, Jenna!
Shopping list:
- Chicken thighs- 1 package
- Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup
- Maple syrup- 1/4 cup
- Rice/rice wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon
- Fresh rosemary
- Salt and pepper
Such an idiot. I was too busy trying to referee my three kids that I forgot to salt & pepper the chicken before putting the sauce. I ended up just sprinkling some salt n pepper over it. I hope it still turns out ok. Am I the only lame-o who forgot this step? 🙁
Nope,I did it too. trying to juggle cooked green beans and home cooked mashed potatos. Too many things to do at once!
How did yours turn out? Maybe it’s a Linda thing. lol
Ok if it’s a Linda thing, maybe I should do it that way, too! 😉
(I’m a Linda)
Ok, I made this for dinner tonight and it really pleased my man!
I used four large chicken breasts. I started to put the whole 1/2 cup of dijon mustard in but changed my mind at the last minute when recalling some people said tasted too much dijon. It didn’t end up as brown on top even though I did baste a few times. Cooked a little longer since the chicken breasts were so big. Hubby says, this is a keeper!
Made this last night. My husband liked it but I did not. It did not come near as brown as in the picture, tasted only Dijon mustard and none of the other ingredients. I just could not choke it down even though the picture in the recipe looks delicious.
Made this for the family last night, It was delicious!
Can this be made with sugar free syrup?
I have made this a few times with half sugar free syrup because my husband has type 1 diabetes… It turned out pretty well, we both really liked it. I am afraid to try all sugar free because it is so watery.
My husband is also diabetic. I used all sugar-free syrup and it turned out just fine. I tasted the sauce before pouring it over the chicken, and it was a bit strong for me – so I added more syrup (ended up using twice the amount listed in the recipe) – it was delicious!! I only put 1/2 of the sauce on when it was cooking, and used the other 1/2 for people to spoon over their serving. I will be making it again!
Mix two thirds sugar free syrup with one third blue agave
Great for pancakes!
Smuckers makes the best sugar free syrup by far. Consistency and taste is almost as good as regular. Unfortunately, I have found it difficult to find.
I can always find Smuckers sugar-free at Fred Meyer.
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I think i am going to try chicken wings because i love them and not only sprinkle rosemary on top be add some cut up green onions or maybe chives. can’t wait on the way to store now to buy items i need.
Tried with chicken wings as a “girlie alternative” to the traditional wings we usually have on Football Sundays. Went over very well. I used green onion on top. Made a quarter cup extra of the marinade as a dipping sauce.
Yum! Great idea!
This recipe was delish! I’m going to use it on a pork loin too.
Thanks for sharing.
I think you are on to something here. Pork would be very well suited for the mustard/maple combination in the sauce. Pork cutlets might work better than pork loin. They will spread out flat in the pan and be covered by more of the sauce during cooking. The results with pork cutlets will be more similar to the chicken thighs in the recipe.
I love the pork cutlet idea – thanks for the suggestion!
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This recipe is awesome! I was a little hesitant to try it due to some reviews but I followed everything and mine came out perfect! Great, simple dish.
we are not bone-in chicken lovers…is okay to do with boneless breasts?
This was definitely worth making. Delicious and juicy. Added fingerling potatoes to the pan for even more deliciousness. Mine had to cook a little bit longer because I didn’t take them out to defrost early enough. I didn’t change the recipe at all besides that. Lol
Just made this recipe for dinner tonight- just delish! Used skinless chicken breasts and 1/4 c. Dijon mustard and 1/4 c. whole grain mustard- otherwise, followed recipe. Very moist and flavorful- will make again. Thanks!
Has anyone tried this with honey instead of real maple syrup? I wasn’t able to find any at the store and I didn’t think mrs. butterworths would work lol
I have made it with honey and mustard… yummo!
serve it with rice… delish!
I am going to be making this recipe tonight. I’m glad I read through the comments; I have type 1 diabetes myself and I was going to make it with sugar free syrup. I probably won’t use sugar free, but will be using lite syrup. Can’t wait to eat!
I just tried the recipe and it turned out great. Doubled it because I had 10 boneless chicken thighs in the package I was using. Used a timer, basted at 20 min, used a glass dish. Looked similar to the pictures, browned okay, tasty, but a bit on the sweet side. The meat is cooked perfectly at the 450 temp. It makes a difference what kind of meat you use, because white meat will dry out quicker, so chicken thighs are definitely the way to go. The sauce ended up thick and yummy. I have to admit that I changed one thing…I didn’t have quite enough dijon mustard in the fridge, so I had to use a couple of tablespoons of a stone ground mustard mixed in.
I made this tonight for my husband (who, by the way, is not a big fan of dijon mustard) and he scraped his plate clean! It was delicious. I made the recipe as described, except I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. The total cooking time was about 33 minutes and they were just perfect – juicy and tender and flavorful. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Delish! Will make this again for sure. So easy, so yummy. Followed direction to a T. Used boneless chicken thighs. Will try wings next time….because….who doesn’t love wings?!? Thanks for posting!
I’ve made this recipe so many times for different guests and family and it’s a crowd pleaser every time!
Made this tonight and it was soooo good. I used sweet n spicy mustard and no vinegar. Used about 20 chicken wings, marinated this for 1 hour, baked for 25 min, then turned them over and baked another 25 min. Will do this again for sure.
What’s the purpose for the foil? Will it cook the same with out it? Can’t wait to make it looks so yummy 😉
I do not have a taste for any type of mustard but I’m trying to teach myself that I should try to. I did try a vinigarette that used dijon and I couldn’t detect it but my husband loved it. Is the mustard taste obvious in the finished dish? I would like to make this. It looks amazing.
I AM ALSO ROASTING SOME BRUSSELL SPROUTS THAT NEED TO COOK AT 400 F. WILL THIS TURN OUT JUST AS GOOD IF BAKED AT 400F?
I made this recipe tonight my boyfriend, my 6yr old, and I hated it. I love to cook and like to try just about anything. I made the recipe exactly as listed above and it was horrible. The dijon mustard not a good touch, the chicken thighs should have been replaced with chicken breasts. I had to throw it all away and just had sides for dinner! Not a fan of this recipe.
Has anyone tried this with another type of vinegar – say Balsamic or Red Wine? Soooo excited to make this recipe tonight!
I used Red Wine vinegar and it turned out really really good!!!!
This is a big hit in my family. However I have modified it a little. I use chicken breasts sliced in half. I like Dijon but the hubs loves Nance’s sweet n creamy mustard. And I only have a garlic rice wine vinegar which helps cut some of the sweetness. Now for the bad part. I add some cut up cooked bacon which goes in together with the chicken and towards the end I sprinkle some Monterey Jack cheese so it melts all over. I don’t think that bacon can ruin anything. I also bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. I make this about twice a month and never get tired of it.
OMG! Addition of cheese and bacon? Why didn’t I think of that?!? Couldn’t be any two finer ingreds!
My fiance and I aren’t huge Dijon fans but this recipe is really really good.I didn’t have any rice vinegar so I used red wine vinegar and I used boneless/skinless chicken but otherwise i followed the recipe exact.YUM!!!!!! I will definately be making this again.There is hardly any leftovers and I was asked to make this again very soon!!
I have made this recipe twice and while good, both times the mustard mixture comes out really dry, nothing like the picture. What am I doing wrong?! Is 450 too high of a temperature? I don’t normally cook chicken at 450.
My mixture was a bit thick on chicken and was not looking like the photo until I turned the chicken and stirred the juices from the chicken with mustard mixture and basted with that mixture it instantly started looking just like photo.
Maybe your baking dish is too big and the sauce gets baked on. The chicken should just fit in- no extra space.
This was delicious!! I used 2 large breasts (with skin and bones) and 6 drumsticks and doubled the sauce (doubled everything except the dijon mustard)….cooked it at 450 for about 55 minutes and basted half way through. Was amazing!!
was wary of this recipe but made it for dinner tonight and yummmm! so good
This has become a staple in our family. The kids, 2 and 6, and my husband love the flavor. It is also a hit with guest! We grill the chicken rather than bake it and it is wonderful.
Made this tonight with a few variations. It was delicious!!! My hubby really liked it. Used honey and half the mustard also had seasoned rice vinegar still delicious. Will serve this again!
I just cooked this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! My roommate and I could not stop licking the spoon (and pan!). Will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much! Absolutely love this recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight it was so yummy…Three of my hubby’s favorite things (Chicken Thighs, Mustard and maple Syrup) I knew it had to be a hit with him! And…it was…Me: “I would make this again” Him: “I would be happy to eat this again, I will take the left overs for lunch”.
I will be making this tonight with Chicken Breast. Any suggestions for sides? Thanks!
I made roasted red potatoes with mine….great combination!!!
I made the sauce (dijon mustard, vinegar and syrup) but when I put it over top of the chicken it barely covered all 8 pieces of chicken. Which is fine I can make another batch of the mustard, vinegar and syrup. But my question is.. it doesnt seem to be “juicy” enough. I am putting this in the crockpot and I’m worried it will turn out dry. What type of liquid could I add to it so it doesn’t dry out. Maybe about 1/4 cup of water and add more to it every few hours?????
When cooking in a crockpot, you should not have to add water. As long as you leave the lid on, the liquid level should be fine. If you’re worried that it needs water, I would only add less than 1/2 cup.
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Delicious! Made it according to recipe, really lovely mild flavour. Will make again!
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I noticed you say rice/rice wine vinegar. Is that different from rice wine vinegar??
Read the slash as an or; rice or rice wine vinegar.
Could you put the sauce ingredients together, put the chicken and sauce in a freezer bag, and freeze until you’re ready to use? I’m looking for ways to use up the 40-pound box of chicken breasts I got from Zaycon Foods this morning.
Mine are in the oven, I decided to add a malibu flair folding in some jack cheese and wrapping in ham, will let you know how it comes out. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my! Delish!!
I made this yesterday. Laid bacon across the chicken thighs while it cooked. This is a winner.
Delicious! I did not have maple syrup so used honey instead…
otherwise followed the recipe exactly. My husband
and kiddos all said it was their favorite chicken!
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for this recipe! I’m trying it out tonight for dinner. I found it on pinterest and immediately added it to my “meals to try soon” board! I think the dijon mustard-maple syrup mix sounds interesting. My husband is pretty hesitant, but he’s at work so he doesn’t know what i’m making for dinner! 😉
Do you use real maple syrup?
Yes, delicious.
I have made this 4 times now. Had hubby buy mustard and maple syrup @ Costco so I don’t run out! I absolutely love, love, love this. The 3 ingredients meld together in the most awesome way! Thanks for this recipe.
Ha! I’m so glad you like it!
I remember reading some of the wacky comments here quite a while back when I first pinned this recipe- I rarely make that big of an effort to chime in on such silliness, but just had to come back and yep- this is so SO yummy! And it browns up all nice and crispy in places, just like the pictures. And it was juicy, and man-pleasing indeed… the name had us giggling. Surely will make this again, what a yummy dish for a group or having company over for dinner. Also, it was a hit with everyone in our house, age 2& up. 🙂
I too forgot to salt and pepper before the sauce! This Is my second time making it and the men all loved it!! Love the name!! The first time I made it with Agave.