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
My husband has requested this sauce on chicken, pork, fish…. he is in love and even when I burned it the first time he is still asking for more.
Made this tonight. The sauce was a thick don’t know how to make a thinner in consistency. But it was still very good. My daughter loved it and she is a very picky 6 yr old
Try a little chicken stock?
Im making this now, cant wait to see how it turns out
Can agave be used instead of maple?
Any thick sweetener can be used as a substitute. The sweetness balances the salt and tanginess. The sugars caramelize during baking and make yummy.
Has anyone tried with boneless skinless breasts? Cooking time?
Just made it with chicken breast tonight, soooooo yummy! 4 chicken breasts took 45 minutes, but I’d check with a thermometer. Defiantly making this again!
Wow. This was really good, and SO simple. It definitely was mustardy, though, but we liked it. Next time, I think I will try switching the ratios on the mustard and syrup as others have suggested. The rosemary is mandatory, and so is the tin foil lining. I misunderstood the directions, and flipped the thighs over midway. Still really good. So easy. I’m excited. I’ve never been good with raw chicken. This just might change my life. One note: Between me, my 12 year old boy and my husband, 1.59 lbs of boneless, skinless thighs was just barely enough. And I’m a light eater.
Yummy recipe – loved it! But apparently my man doesn’t like dark meat! Do you have cooking time recommendations for boneless skinless breasts?
Has anyone tried making this a few hours ahead, and letting the chicken marinate in the sauce for a while? I’m making it tonight…
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Could you use any other kind of vinegar. Rice wine vinegar is not a staple in my house and hate to buy it for 1 tblsp
Regular vinegar would work! You must try this recipe!
I thought the same thing, but I’ve made it numerous times, so it’s worth it.
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious!!! I added a little more maple syrup than it called for and also added green onions with the fresh rosemary!! Can’t wait to make it again!
Hello….
This sounds so wonderful. I am a bit confused though. Why do you write “rice/rice wine vinegar”? Is there a rice vinegar and a rice wine vinegar? If so, which did you use? Thanks so much for sharing. Le
They’re the same thing, but people got confused when I mentioned only one title. I can’t win!
After following all directions I place the chicken on a plate and took the left over sauce and made a roux with water ,cornstarch and left over sauce and drizzled it over the chicken. Not a lick was left on anyone’s plate! This is such a do again and again recipe! Don’t forget the fresh rosemary as it added the extra wow to the flavour!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Love it!
Can you use spicy mustard or honey mustard instead?
Do you cover it with foil when baking?
Nope
Really, really good. My family liked it and I was able to use excess mustard I had. Win, win, win.
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Hi ,
Does it matter if it is pure maple syrup or pancake syrup? What do you use brand wise?
I’ve used both types of syrup and the pure maple seems better, not quite as sweet. Experiment, they’re both very tasty.
well, it’s in the oven now…I used stone ground dijon mustard. I didnt know there was a difference since I’m not much of a mustard eater. Forgot about the fresh rosemary, so I’m gonna see if I have any dried. It definitely does not look like the picture, but my fingers are crossed, hoping t comes out well
What does everyone serve with this as side dishes??
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Tried this tonight….AMAZING! Have two teenagers who super picky and it was a hit! We had sliced tomatoes and avocados with it as a side. Not a morsel or drip was left. Will definitely be making this again. Thanx 🙂
Made this tonight…so easy & VERY Delicious! I followed the sauce recipe but used two big chicken breasts, two thighs and two legs, all boneless except for legs. Served with white rice and a salad this meal hit the spot! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner. The only minor changes I made were – I used fresh, boneless chicken breasts as substitute for the chicken thighs as we’re not big dark meat eaters and I marinaded the chicken in the sauce for a few hours before I placed it in the oven. The end result was dry, tasteless chicken. On a scale of 1 to 10, this recipe is clearly a 1 at best.
Love this recipe!! I’ve made it 3-4 times now and it turns out great every time! Even used it over salmon. I also add more maple syrup and about 1-2 Tbsp of brown sugar to sweeten it up and make it less mustardy. I also found that the baking time is way too high for too long. I cook at 350 for about 30 minutes and baste 2-3 times to keep the chicken moist and delicious, then broil for about 2 minutes at the end to achieve the brownness on top =) Overall 10/10 recipe, and my husband agrees!!
I have made this several times now…my husband LOVES it (as do I)!!! I always use boneless chicken breasts and just use the meat thermometer to tell me when they are done…. We like to have it with brown rice (great for soaking up extra sauce!!) and a roasted veggie…sometimes broccoli or asparagus, tonight it is brussel sprouts 🙂
Hello! I am planning on making this for the first time tonight and we have company coming over! If I double the batch, do I need to increase the cook time or keep it the same? Thanks so much.
Made this tonight and loved it! Served it up with a kale salad. Very tasty! I will definitely make it again. Thanks
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I made it tonight but it was definitely too mustardy. Will switch amount of maple syrup with mustard next time. Also, I read about adding a tablespoon of brown sugar – that should balance out the mustard more.
I made the chicken used 4 thighs and 2 sectioned breast both boneless and skinless. I used equal parts mustard and pure maple syrup rest of recipe unchanged, the chicken was moist and tasted pretty good. But looked nothing like the picture, I found that my chicken didn’t Carmelize or brown and after baking the sauce was runny on its own so I had to reduce it on the stove using a roux base, served with red skin potato mash and steamed broccoli, after tasting I think rice would pair better I’m going to try it again so any tips will be appreciated.
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Has anyone tried this in the crock pot? What cook times did you use & did you make any changes.
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I was also curious about how long it would take for this recipe in a Crockpot.
My husband never comments on my cooking, but tonight he said, “This chicken is delicious!” Will definitely be a staple at my house and it will be a great easy meal for guests too!
Great recipe! I took the advice of previous posts and added equal portions of mustard and maple syrup. Even then the mustard flavor was overpowering so I added some brown sugar as was also advised. I basted the chicken half way through and then broiled the chicken for 3-4 minutes at the end. To get the crispy golden brown look, I sprinkled a little bit of brown sugar on top of the chicken before broiling, and I think this also helped cut through the mustard taste. The chicken was juicy and delicious!
Make this for my family a couple of weeks ago…didn’t use the rosemary because I forgot to add it at the end.
Hubby is requesting I make it again tonight.
I served it over Basati rice
I have made this about a dozen times because we love it! I use chicken breast and thighs and both are great. Thinking of trying this sauce as a glaze on a ham, bet it will be good. Thanks for this recipe!
This really was not very good. Will never make again.
this is the worse chicken I’ve ever cooked.
It taste like a mouthful of Mustard. , and I love mustard.
We couldn’t eat it.
I made the according to the directions, it was very tart. My son made it using honey and white wine instead of the maple syrup and viniger. It was much better. The honey covers the mustard taste and the wine is not as tart as the viniger.
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I’ve made this chicken 3 times now and my family really likes it a lot! Even my picky 8 year old daughter eats it and she hardly ever eats anything but junk food lately! I used less mustard the first time I made it thinking that it seemed like too much mustard but my hubby said it could use more flavor. The second time I made it I used 1/2 cup and he loved it, and we don’t think it tastes too mustardy at all! I’ll be making this again and again for sure!
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Just made it. Hubby asked for seconds which is unusual.
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I made this recipe tonight, used Horseradish mustard instead of Dijon, added Brussels sprouts in with the thighs. End result: Fantabulous!! will try this again with Salmon and definitely with chicken thighs again. 🙂
Really awful!
My Fiance and I loved this recipe, we are gonna try it on our flank steak which we got marinating for tonight’s dinner.
I have made this several times! IT always pleases the peeps eating it. I have used Balsamic and Red Wine for the Rice Vinegar:) All liked all versions. Certainly a keeper! Thank you for sharing.