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
What temp to bake? Mine didn’t get that nice burn crust.
450
what if I swapped the maple syrup for molasses?
That’s a good idea!
That’s a good idea! Thanks. Not crazy about maple in my food either.
Delicious!! My husband and kids absolutely love it! Thanks for sharing it!
What temp did you cook it on and for how long really want to make this!
Take a minute to re-read the recipe and see for yourself.
DOH!
That was not nice…
How do you read this article and then ask for the temp? Next you’ll ask what kind of meat to use…..(oh, and that would be CHICKEN).
I can see your mother named you properly. all this is unnecessary. Can’t we just be nice and answer questions. It really doesn’t matter.
Best to ignore..there will always be those few that are miserable..;-)
It doesn’t say what temp. in the recipe.
Ya. It does…
I know this is rude but I’m dying laughing.
Read the words under the pictures. That is the ‘how to’. There you will find the oven temp, the time to cook, and the proper temp your chicken should reach.
People are just flat lazy these days!
A very tasty dish! Will be making again.
Could you tell what temp you cooked this on and for how long?
She wrote it in the recipe….it says, 4o minutes on 450 degrees
No, it doesn’t say that anywhere.
It does say the temp, just below the 2nd picture.
“To make this chicken, which you should absolutely do immediately, preheat your oven to 450ºF. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice/rice wine vinegar. ”
I’ve got my chicken thighs defrosting in the fridge so I can make this AGAIN. Love this dish!
I swapped the maple syrup out for honey because my hubby doesn’t like maple syrup. Great recipe and so easy! I might try it with the maple syrup when he’s out of town. 🙂
good idea, Jen…I was just going to ask because my husband doesn’t like maple syrup either..so I’ll try honey…good idea!!!!!!! Thanks, Jen!
even if you do not like maple syrup or mustard, try this recipe. I am not a mustard fan and I love it. My husband doesn’t care for maple syrup and he loved it also. Two together do not taste the same as each separately.
Made this for dinner last night. I’m not sure what happened. Followed directions to the letter, but mine didn’t turn out right. First off, it tasted plain. Making the mixture to pour over it, I was think, yes this is going to be amazing. It seems like it didn’t absorb any of it. Idk, I may try again.
I have made this recipe several times now, it’s one of our favorites. I recently tried it with boneless pork chops and it was wonderful. 350 degrees for 40 minutes. The first time I made it, I didn’t have pure maple syrup and it is definitely better with the real thing. I’ve never been able to achieve the crispy browned edges on mine like the picture, but it’s delicious just the same. I serve it with sassy coleslaw. Thanks again!
All I have in my freezer tonight is boneless chicken breast. Is it OK to sub or will it get too dry? Any opinion?
clgatlin – Somewhere in the comments there were a few mentions of using chicken breast. My guess is it would be fine, maybe reduce the temp and/or cooking time. If you scroll through older comments you may find the answer you’re looking for. Good luck!
This recipe was really good. The mustard isn’t strong but if you aren’t a mustard lover then you may want to increase the ratio of maple syrup to decrease the mustardy taste. I hardly ever eat mustard and when I do it’s very light but I loved this chicken.
Do you think sugar free maple syrup would work in this recipe?
I used sugar-free Maple “flavored” syrup the 2nd time and the taste was no different than with the real stuff. I also have used this recipe to cook a whole chicken in the oven at 450.
OMG! This was so very good. The sauce was awesome and the chicken was very tender and flavorful. I served with steamed broccoli and rice with butter and parsley. My husband really was a happy man. Thanks, this is a keeper!
second time cooking this… thank you!
Well I didn’t have maple syrup so I used good old Aunt Jemima. And I didn’t have rice wine vinegar so I used white vinegar. It was still AMAZING. I will make it again soon and get all the right ingredients.
Loved it. My hubby and kids chowed down!
Served with long grain and wild rice, peas and corn
Thanks!
It was DELICIOUS! Thank you!
However I did change the recipe a bit……I lightly fried some chopped onions then added the chicken to the pot to seal – season.
Then mixed everything with the maple/mustard sauce and……. into the oven!
Jen says she used honey instead of syrup – great for a day when there is no syrup around…..
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Looks yummy—-going to try this in the crockpot!
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I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Such a simple and quick recipe. I used pancake syrup and it worked just fine. The chicken was soooo juicy with the perfect little crisp on the outside. It was a hit with my boyfriend, too. Will definitely make it again!
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I made this tonight, It wasn’t quit what I was expecting. It was good, but really too tangy and I love mustard, all types. I even added more maple syrup during the taste test because it was so tangy. I also didn’t get the brown edges. It appears, it may need to broil for a couple minutes to get that burnt crusty look, which I didn’t do. I did cook it a little longer. I normally don’t use anything but chicken breast, because all that other chicken “meat” usually looks disgusting to me, but I did the thighs (boneless/skinless, like the recipe states) IF, I make this again I will use breasts. The man liked it, and the son liked it, but me and the girl, well maybe we have the same taste buds, it was good but not something I will make every month.
One more thing…the smell was delicious when it was cooking. I think maybe I used to much Dijon Mustard. I doubled the recipe because I doubled the chicken..maybe I will experiement with it a little. Not a bad recipe, just not what I thought.
I thought this looked delicious followed the recipe exactly, the marinade smelled wonderful, but the result was a big disappointment. I didn’t get that beautiful browned top, and the chicken was basically boring. Won’t be making this one again.
Made this tonight & it came out AWESOME!!! Didn’t change one ingredient except I marinated it in the sauce for about 3 hours before popping it in the oven for 40 mins. Halved the sauce recipe & half way through cooking time I doused the chicken in more sauce. The last 5 mins I set the oven to a low broil & got a nice crisp, shiny finish. The chicken was juicy & flavorful, everyone LOVED it! Served it with fire roasted corn & bell peppers & baked potatoes.
Thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂
would this work as a freezer meal? I’m thinking about putting the chicken in a foil pan, covering with the sauce, then wrap the pan well and freeze until ready to cook.
finally made this tonight.. twas AWESOME!
i didnt have maple syrup (as a canadian, this is probably blasphemous) nor rice vinegar, so used what i had and the smells pointed to a delicious meal and it was!
to get the lil burn/crusties – i broiled for about 10 minutes on the lowest rack (my oven is gets SUPER hot SUPER fast and will burn things if im not focused).
i will DEFINITELY make this again.
oh, they would make amazing wings.
i dont think it would translate as well in slow cooker. but i might attempt it one day!
Use a product called Ginger Syrup. Conpany is the Ginger People. It would be a good substitute if you don’t like maple.
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Looked fabulous but with my changes, turned out horrible. Don’t like dark meat so substituted breasts. Couldn’t cook as long or hot so sauce never caramelized, stayed thin and, well just horrible. Stick to the original recipe is my advice.
Is it best to get real maple syrup? Would it be horrible to just use pancake syrup? Can’t wait! yum!!
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LOVE this dish- did it the first time with chicken breast and agave nectar instead of maple syrup (just what I had on hand) I actually forgot the rosemary but I don’t think I missed it and my kids don’t like it anyway. I’m making it with pork chops tonight the same way as the first time. SO yummy!
Oh! And I used Apple cider vinegar. I did have to throw the broiler on for a few minutes to get the crispy bits on top…
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what about a slow cooker-thoughts?
I made according to recipe, loved it. Decided to play with it a little this time, added 1 1/2 tsp more vinegar and 1/ cup Smuckers apricot/pineapple jam. Still using the rosemary and yum~! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds good!
Absolutely loved this! We served the chicken over rice and poured the sauce over the chicken and it was divine! Thank you for the recipe! Will be making again! 🙂
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This Chicken is addicting! NOM NOM! I flipped them half way through instead of rebasting just because it was easier…SO GOOD!
I followed the recipe to the letter but my sauce came out much thicker than in the picture and formed a skin over the chicken while baking. I tried covering it to prevent the skin formation but skin still formed and the sauce ended up less like a smooth sauce and more like a weird clumpy liquid. Suggestions/tips to prevent this would be much appreciated!
Try whisking the sauce once the chicken is finished cooking. It should smooth it out.
I also made this to exact spec using bone in with skin chicken thighs. The mustard seemed to overwhelm and the skin was gummy. I was surprised because the comments have been so positive.
Thanks for the suggestion; I did try that but the sauce was still weird and clumpy. Even initially pre-baking my sauce was much thicker than what the sauce in your pictures look like and immediately into baking it formed a skin. My ingredients and amounts were exactly per the recipe…any other ideas as to how to prevent a skin from forming?
Very frustrating, so sorry!
I made theses but added a couple extra ingredients. I added 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, and added the salt & pepper right in the maple/Dijon mixture. I also marinated the chicken for an hour in the fridge. To make it come out crispy, take the chicken out of the excess marinade. Put in a baking tray or shallow baking dish and give them room between each piece. Too much sauce and too close together makes it boil which doesn’t allow it to get crispy.
Do you think this would be good as a make ahead meal? Thinking about making it for a freezer moms swap…thoughts?
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Just made this tonight and will definately make it again!
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I adjusted this recipe with a third of the mustard in the original recipe. Plus I added a 1/4 cup of sweet teriyaki sauce and it is was the most delicious recipe I have ever tasted !