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
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Umm ummm good! Second time I’ve made it and just as good as the first!
Great recipe! Not the “best” chicken I’ve ever had, but definitely good. What makes it great is that, it’s simple, quick, healthy (I subbed Cary’s sugar free syrup) and my 4 and 2 year old’s loved it! But we are a mustard loving family. Thanks for the recipe, it will definitely become a regular in our house!
“Sugar free” syrup is poison. You would go better to stick with maple syrup.
Agreed. REAL maple syrup makes this recipe. It’s hard to judge a recipe when the ingredient list isn’t followed. We make this twice a month in our house. LOVE!
I LOVE real maple syrup, but I am looking for ideas for my diabetic mother so I would think I would have to go with sugar free. Any other suggestions that could help out because this recipe looks delicious?
The nutritional content in the syrup is very high, and sugar free syrup will provide do nourishment at all….Sugar free anything is absolute poison. My husband and 5 year old son are type 1 diabetics and i refuse to buy anything sugar free….We just cut down on the sugar recipes call for. Try cutting the recipe in half as it looks like it makes a LOT. Good luck!
i’m not a doctor, so this is not a medically correct response. there’s only 1/4c of maple syrup in the entire recipe; that doesn’t seem like much. and maple syrup does contain minerals and other good things – it’s not just sweet. i would not change the recipe, but perhaps limit the amount consumed in a sitting.
i agree….we always fill up on veggies first then eat the other goodies…Have your mom eat her veggies first and save the chicken for last…by then she’ll be more full and wont eat as much of it.
Try raw honey instead?
Agreed! Sugar free anything is POISON!! Real maple syrup is actually good for you and the taste doesn’t compare. Especially in this recipe!
This chicken was awful!!! First recipe I’ve ever made that we had to stop eating it and go pick something up to eat. I followed the directions exactly!
Are you crazy? Something is wrong with you then lol you musta messed this simple ass, delicious recipe up somehow because this is AMAZING !!….
Wow, I was just checking the type of vinegar and looked at this post. I can’t believe you made this right. I have made it about 5 times in the last 6 months and everyone that has had it loves it. Someone that I made it for made it for me. AMAZING flavor!!! Sure you used REAL MAPLE SYRUP? That really matters. If you didn’t you should try it again. My Family can’t wait to have this again tonight!
I agree – we tried it tonight. Followed the recipe exactly and it was not man woman or teen pleasing.
I made this several times this and it was really good until I tried making it with skinless, boneless chicken, didn’t turn out at all. Maybe that was your mistake
The only way I can imagine this tasting awful would be substituting ingredients. It would be easy to miss the RICE wine vinegar and use WHITE wine vinegar instead, maybe this was done??
We loved this and have made it at least 4 x’s so far. However, one must like mustard. I’m not a huge mustard fan, but still really enjoy this dish with rice and a veggie! so easy….is key.
Well it’s 6:50am and I am ready for some of this chicken. It looks absolutely delicious; my mouth is watering. Thanks for sharing your delicious food.
Jeff
Thank YOU for making me smile 🙂
We too are not heavy mustard fans. That worked out fine, though since I only had about 1/4 cup of aged (read old) Dijon. But was rather thick and may have equaled more. I used legs and thighs. We were both very pleased with the finished product and will definitely have it again. Also, it was so simple to make! Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Jennifer… a waste of good ingredients.
Did you use REAL MAPLE SURUP? Really need to use the real stuff, not high fructose corn syrup, like Mrs. Butterw…. etc. You get what you pay for.
This chicken is out of this world will make it again!!!!!!
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Good chicken recipe – not “amazing” like I expected but very good. Sauce is yummy. Also, overall very very easy to prep and cook. I served this with wild rice + roasted asparagus, which overall made for a very low-fuss prep meal, but looked fancy. Sauce was good – husband liked it. I would make again, but would also consider doing some breasts, since I’m more partial to white meat. Definitely worth a try!
450 degrees? That seems like the chicken would burn before it gets done. I want to try this recipe but has anyone had any problem with the temp that high?
I wondered the same thing, so I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. They were cooked well enough that I think it would have turned out just fine if I’d left the thighs whole.
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Yuumm!!! We loved this. The temp was fine though I did turn the oven off about 2 minutes before the timer was up. Super easy and the fresh rosemary made it even better. As long as you don’t hate mustard, I highly recommend.:-)
I made this again last night in my new convection oven, set on 450 “bake”. A-ha! I finally got the nicely browned edges on top. This time, I used bone-in thighs with the skin ON. Added more sauce and flipped them at 20 minutes. Turned the oven off after 35 minutes and let them sit for the last 5. So, total 40 minutes in the oven, but only 35 at 450 degrees. PERFECT in every way. I will continue to make this chicken because it’s so easy, cheap and tastes wonderful. Thanks again!
Congrats on the oven, very exciting!
Made yesterday and the hubby thought it was “okay, not dieing to have again, but it wasn’t bad.” Should of probably bought regular dijon, not the peppered kind. I had to add more maple syrup to offset the mustard taste. After cooking, the flavors mixed together well. I broiled at the end to give a crispy texture. I thought it was tasty.
Made this tonight, expecting spectacular, flavorful chicken.. It was “ok” but probably not anything I’d make again, & not nearly as good as the reviews said.
We made this last night and really enjoyed it!
If you won’t like mustard don’t even try.
It was good i will use less mustard next time.
It was like omg this is the best ever and i have to have again tomorrow kinda thing.
If you won’t like mustard don’t even try.
It was good i will use less mustard next time.
It wasnt like omg this is the best ever and i have to have again tomorrow kinda thing.
I have made this before, @ 450 deg. oven temp. it burned up all of the sauce so I reduced the temp. to 350…perfection! Use only the best ingredients, and you will taste a huge difference opposed to using less expensive mustard or syrup.
I totally agree – using “maple flavored syrup” is going to ruin this recipe. You need the real stuff, Grade A or B from Vermont.
Went to make this the first time intending to use Dijon and honey. All I had was honey mustard, buy it still turned out delicious! Making this again tonight with honey mustard and honey, white rice and artichokes.
This is a great mustard based barbecue sauce! I did not realize how easy it would be to make but will definitely keep this when we want barbecue chicken! Thanks!
This looks amazing and seems like a perfect dinner plan! Man pleasing chicken… hahaha!
Definitely not he BEST recipe Ive had, but its pretty good and my husband really liked it. Its not nasty and the one young lady who thinks it is must of used a different kind of mustard or syrup or something, because its pretty good. Ive made it twice before and only looked it up just now so I could make it tonight. Its quick and simple. Thanks for sharing this!
How about calling this dish People Pleasing Chicken, unless only men are allowed to eat it.
I totally agree with you.
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I just tried this recipe. While it was in the oven the whole house smelled amazing and when the chicken came out of the oven the pan looked exactly like the picture – that never happens!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. The chicken was delicious! The flavor really penetrated the chicken and didn’t just cling to the surface. So easy to make with just pantry ingredients. I will make this a lot.
yummmmmm. i used french dijon, real canadian maple syrup, and organic rice vinegar; i added chopped garlic to the mustard sauce before baking. like i said…yummmmm.
I posted earlier that I had a problem with the sauce burning up @ 450 deg., I have found that the problem was the pan I used was too large. With an 8 x 8 pan this recipe works just great!
Thanks for continuing to try, and I am so happy that you figured out the issue! Chicken for everyone!
We just finished our meal and it was AMAZING!! The only reason i could see people not liking this is if they either dont like mustard or used poor ingredients. I made a couple modifications…I used fresh sage (because i didnt have rosemary) i cooked wings instead of thighs (crispy..yummm) i used coconut vinegar (again thats all i have) and i cut down a little on the syrup. (not by much though) yum yum yum!!! I’ll be making this again for sure!! Thank you!
I have never heard of coconut vinegar before. Very interesting!
Did anyone use wings and/or legs instead of thighs? How did it change the cooking temp and time?
I’ve used legs. The cooking time is the same, but they just didn’t taste as good as the thighs do.
I used it with wings and drummets too….very good! cooking time was about the same. Got very crispy and delicious.
I made this for the first time this evening and both my husband and I really liked it. I used generic brands for the Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup (not breakfast/pancake syrup) without issue. I also substituted with red wine vinegar and dried rosemary since I already had those on hand. I followed the cooking directions – foil lined 8″x8″ pan, 40 minutes at 450 degrees and it turned out great! I did give it a minute under the broiler to crisp up the edges a bit only because I had completely covered the thighs in sauce. The chicken was not at all overdone and had a very good flavor to it. My husband can be a bit picky but he really enjoyed this meal. The mustard flavor was pronounced but not overwhelming. I might reduce the amount of Dijon next time when I make it for my nieces and nephews and thicken the sauce a bit once the chicken is cooked. I served it with jasmine rice (with extra sauce spooned over the rice) and broccoli. I will make this again. Thanks for a great recipe!
This recipe is delicious! I used boneless skinless thighs and baked for about 55 minutes vs the 45 minutes. The chicken had a nice color to it and texture. Will make again. Extremely easy!
Made this for dinner last night. No one in my family really cared for it. Used real maple syrup, too.
***** This chicken was so good! In fact, my 15-year-old son said that I “nailed it!” when he took the first bite. That is a serious compliment In my world. I found your recipe a while go from Pinterest but with the mixed reviews I didn’t make it. I wanted to add my review because the chicken really is very tasty AND EASY. You can cook roasted red potatoes at the same temperature and have your dinner pretty much done all at once. I do have a few suggestions: use an 8 or 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 pan and nothing bigger, only use Dijon mustard and real maple syrup. After plating the chicken, you have the mixture left in the pan – add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk it. That will give you a thicker mixture to put on top. Also two layers of tinfoil worked better for me. Great recipe!
My family thought this was wonderful. I made enough to eat for lunch tomorrow. It was a big hit!
I understand we all have different taste and dietary restrictions but am I the only one who gets completely annoyed by unsavory rating or comments towards a recipe when it was not followed exactly? I’ve made this a couple times per the recipe (real maple syrup)and my Man was very pleased. I first made it with mashed red potatoes and steamed broccoli but after trying it I was reminded of an asian style dish so I now pair it with rice and fresh sauteed green beans with slivered almonds. I hope this helps someone and Kudos Witty!
I agree with you. If you don’t follow the recipe as written, don’t expect it to turn out as described. I realize different brands also can vary the taste of recipes, so that can be expected too. In addition, if you did follow the recipe and still don’t like it, you don’t have to be rude about it — I respect those who have politely said on here that it’s just not something their family liked, instead of slamming it totally like others have. I’ve tried MANY recipes that weren’t particularly my taste, but I didn’t go online and post ugly comments. The creator took her time to document the process and post the recipe, and for that reason, one should appreciate that fact and be polite with whatever comments are made. It’s called GOOD MANNERS — something that people are using less and less of each day.
This chicken was off the charts fantastic and will be going in my instant classics recipe file! I love its simplicity, yet it has complex flavors. The slight sweetness of the maple syrup and the tang of the Dijon mustard is a delicious contrast. Any comment post that said it wasn’t good either didn’t do it right or should stick to Chicken McNuggets.
While I followed the recipe exactly this first time, I think it would also be fabulous on the grill. I will try spooning on good layer of the Dijon mixture before grilling, and then basting every few minutes until done. I think the sugars in the maple syrup would caramelize perfectly on the grill.
Another point: if you used “maple flavor syrup,” I think your results are going to be awful. Grade A or B Vermont REAL maple syrup is necessary. The other stuff is just corn syrup dyed brown.
I’ve made this before my whole family hated it! It was disgusting I will never mske it again!
Well, aren’t you a peach! Really no need to come and bash a recipe you don’t like…just don’t make it again and keep quiet.
When I’m looking at an unusual recipe, I like to see the bad comments as well as the good so I can judge how the recipe will go over with my family and myself. That said, I can’t disagree with the sentiment of your reply to Shana. I appreciate the perspective she brings, but she didn’t say what her family didn’t like about the recipe or whether or not she deviated from the recipe. Without that information, her post, and any others like it, is just unpleasant static.
I think it would be more helpful to give constructive criticism rather than just saying it’s “disgusting” but thats just my 2 cents.
This is really good. Used the best ingredients and it was really good. I’ll make this again!
It is rare that I comment on a blog. Even more rare that I comment on the comments left by others but I am astounded by the amount of rudeness being left here for a simple recipe. My goodness! Do you really not have anything better to do than to leave overwhelmingly rude comments? I mean – seriously – it’s ok if your family did not like the recipe but it’s no one’s fault you didn’t like it. (Unless you, yourself, didn’t follow the recipe correctly and are unjustly placing blame. If so, shame on you!) I would encourage you to remember a golden rule, “If you don’t have anything nice to say then, please, say nothing at all”. Super easy to remember and follow and you just might find yourself with a little less anger in your heart and more friends at your side.
As for the recipe, my husband and I enjoy it as is. I have made it several times using the Safeway store brand of pure maple syrup and Dijon mustard and it was delicious. I have used dried rosemary as well as fresh and, while both versions were good, I do prefer the fresh rosemary as indicated in the recipe. When preparing this for my niece and nephew I did reduce the amount of mustard because they don’t care for the strong mustard flavor. I like to serve it with jasmine rice that’s been prepared with veggie stock, garlic, and cilantro and steamed broccoli. The sauce the chicken cooks in is great served over the rice, as well. The first day it can be a little thin but still very flavorful. The leftovers the next day are great, too and the sauce thickens up in the fridge. I always look forward to lunch the day after I make this recipe.
This recipe has become a staple in our house and is in the monthly menu rotation. Whenever I see chicken thighs on sale I stock up knowing I will be able to use this recipe!
And, please, remember – it’s ok to disagree with or dislike something. It is not ok to be blatantly rude and/or mean about it. Please consider your words and actions before doing something. This is just good advice for anyone and applicable to just about everything.
Thank you! I just can’t believe the lack of manners that have become common place on Pintrest lately. Maybe people should take a good long look at themselves and what is wrong with their lives and families, and work on fixing that instead of attacking others who just want to share.
I wanted to add that i tried this on the grill last night and it was amazing!! I marinaded the chicken for a few hours in this delicious sauce then popped it on the grill…Everyone went nuts over it…we have no leftovers!! Yuum!!!
I made this for my husband and he LOVED it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Yum! I saw this on pinterest last week and just had to make it! So glad I did! Even my vegetarian housemate was drooling over it! Mum is making it tomorrow night. Thanks for a great recipe!
I have made this twice and really enjoyed it! The second time I only had 1/3 cup dijon and liked it even better. I think the fresh rosemary is a must, but I love rosemary! My only problem is that I could never get the chicken to brown *at all* and doesnt even come close to how gorgeous it looks in that photo. Is this because I did not line with tinfoil? Or would I need to have a convection oven to have that effect?
I made it last night and forgot the rosemary altogether 🙁 but we ALL still loved it! I got it browned by broiling for about 5 min at the end. Mine wasn’t browned before that either.
The tin foil won’t affect browning, but try turning on your broiler at the end for some directed heat.
I went into this recipe without very high hopes. I have never made a recipe that called for so much Dijon mustard and I typically don’t like dijon mustard that much. I do however like maple syrup so I decided to give it a shot. I prefer chicken breasts to chicken thighs so I made that change and added just a tad more maple syrup with the hopes it would balance out the mustard. As I would have expected the breasts were not quite as tender as the thighs probably would have been. The overall flavor of the chicken was similar to a honey mustard which is what I was hoping for. My kids who are very fussy ate it so for that reason alone I would make it again. I could also envision making the sauce and serving with fried or batter dipped chicken strips (you’d have to cook the sauce on the stovetop)
I couldnt afford REAL maple syrup, is it really going to ruin the chicken if all I have is the imitation maple syrup?
I personally would not try it with fake syrup…It REALLY does make a difference. Do you have honey? I’d pick that over imitation syrup. If you must use the syrup, i’d use less because the imitation stuff is much sweeter than the real stuff. good luck!
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! Husband loved it…even my picky 18-year old (yes I said 18 and picky) asked for more. Used real maple syrup and grey poupon Dijon mustard with rice wine vinegar. Cooked 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a 8×8 glass pan lined with foil. Broiled for 5 or so minutes at the end to brown the top. Was delicious and easy to make! Served with roasted red potatoes and a salad. Will definitely be making this again!