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
Well Congrats! This is the first recipe I’ve tried off pinterest that was TERRBLE. lots of flavor, yes…but NOT good flavor.
I have this pinned to my food board on Pinterest & have had 282 repins, which is crazy!! I finally made it last week & the fam loved it. Thanks so much for sharing, Witty. I’m looking forward to trying a version of this with pork tenderloin. Keep the good stuff coming!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for sharing on Pinterest. You must be popular on there!
what brand of dijon should i use and do i need the vinegar? thanks!
I just read through everyone of these posts. I have to agree with a couple of other earlier posts — if you add or substitute ingredients for the recipe — it is then YOUR recipe and not the original and you should not post on how good or bad YOUR recipe tasted. Just a thought.
what sides would you do with this? I’m deff going to cook this chicken but i need some sides.. ideas please n thank you! and yes I’m trying to wooo my love!
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De-lish!! I might have drank some of the sauce. I would serve over potatoes so you can sop up the wonderful ness. A million thank you’s for sharing this!
Yum x10! Juiciest chicken I’ve ever made that follows my diet (allergy) restrictions. Pretty delicious and definitely pleased my man. One note: I wasn’t paying attention to the type of chicken and ended up buying chicken thighs that were NOT skinless and boneless. The end result was amazing but the prep time wasn’t, so FYI on that. Will definitely make it again, but with skinless/boneless thighs. Flavors were killer…made a huge salad w/ balsamic, Swedish baked potatoes and steamed artichoke. Pinterest win for sure =)
My man said that the only people who don’t like this chicken must be allergic to deliciousness! He is a big guy who loves to eat and he called this “the best d**mned chicken ever”. I can’t wait to make it for company!
I just made this for dinner! Instead of 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs, I used 1 lb. of boneless/skinless chicken breasts. I also used half grey poupon and half generic dijon mustard to cut on the spicy factor (i’m a wimp) and used only a fraction of regular syrup and about a teaspoon of brown sugar.
yumm!!
Can you tell me what brand of Dijon mustard?
OoOoOoOo….I want to try this!!!
I made this and we all really enjoyed it. Am in NZ and we used Delmaine French Dijon Mustard and Steeves Canadian Natual Maple Syrup and Wine Vinegar (couldn’t find rice wine). Hubby is not a fan of mustard nor maple syrup, so I didn’t tell him how I made it and he kept saying how nice it was. It was so good, my young girls wanted seconds (will be sure to make more next time)! Thank you for sharing.
okay, I’ve made this at least 1/2 a dozen times since I found this recipe on your website a few months ago – IT IS SOOOO GOOD! We LOVE it! My entire family, including my 2 year old gobbles it up. Never any leftovers when I make this! Keep posting yummy recipes! Thanks!
I came across this recipe on Pinterest this morning and thought it would be worth a try! I realized I didn’t have all of the ingredients, so I went to my pantry and decided to mix up what I could substitute and see how it tasted…..I used dijon mustard, regular syrup since I didn’t have any maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. It tasted great so on the chicken it went! I have this in the oven as we speak and I can’t wait to try it! I will post about how my variation turned out. For some reason, I really want to add bacon to this…..Hmmm…
These comments are hilarious! “I hate mustard. Should I make this?” or “I changed half the ingredients and it didn’t turn out right! Bad recipe!” HILARIOUS! I’m always amused when people change a recipe and then complain that the recipe didn’t work or tasted bad!
This looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to make it! 🙂
So agree with you! If people can’t have or don’t like mustard, or sugar because they are diabetic or don’t have REAL MAPLE SYRUP they should NOT MAKE IT. Period. Find another recipe instead of trying to make this recipe YOUR recipe and then complain it didn’t taste good.
Just finished eating this for a lovely dinner that was man and women pleasing!! I found some chicken breast a bit overlong in the freezer and marinade 2 days before baking. Also substitued Tropical Traditions coconut vinegar, other wise prepped and baked as directed. Plan to use the leftovers in some wraps for a light dinner tomorrow and top a salad for work lunch. Served with roasted broccoli and onions, which cooked at the same high heat nicely. Leftover roasted corn , cut off the cob warmed in a little amish butter. Some garden sliced tomatoes finished off the plating. visually pretty and yummy. Thanks for sharing!
I found this recipe on Pinterest a couple of months ago and I absolutely LOVE it!! We are making it again this evening, and it has become one of our favorites! Thank you for sharing!!
I have this in the oven right now and it smells great!!
I just made this and love it! My kids didn’t care for the extra sauce, so next time I won’t put it on their pieces I will be making this again. FYI, I used rice vinegar as I could not find rice WINE vinegar. Some sites I looked at said it was the same. Either way, it turned out great!
I tried it tonight with chichen breast and it was so so watery. Nothing stuck to the chicken and the sauce was separated and no flavor at all. I am so disappointing. I am not sure what i did wrong? Everything was done exactly as stated, and the result was awful.
Mine turned out the same way! Very disappointed.
I must admit that I was skeptical about this recipe as was my husband. It was the syrup that was throwing us for a loop. I decided to step outside of my box and make it. Oh my gosh! It was delicious. Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Have you ever made this with sugar free syrup? My husband is diabetic and I wondered if it would work ok?
This recipe sounds amazing, and I’m definitely going to make it. When I try a new recipe, I always make it exactly as it is; then I know what (if anything) I want to change later.
Here’s the poem someone mentioned in an earlier post:
I didn’t have potatoes, so I substituted rice.
I didn’t have paprika, I used another spice.
I didn’t have tomato sauce, so I used tomato paste.
Not a half can, a whole one, I don’t believe in waste.
My friend gave me the recipe,
She said you couldn’t beat it.
There must be something wrong with her,
I couldn’t even eat it!!!!!
I made these for dinner tonight. I used bone-in chicken breasts, and cooked them according to the temp/time above. They were cooked PERFECTLY, and got rave reviews from my family! I will definitely be making this again (and again….and again…)
Thank you!! 🙂
Tried this tonight, couldn’t have been easier and was so good, thanks for posting!
This recipe is DELICIOUS!! Man-pleasing, indeed. The men in my house-all three of them-devoured this chicken.
I charcoal grilled the chicken instead of baking, and doubled the marinade recipe so I could baste while grilling and have some leftover to serve with it. The boys dipped their potatoes in the sauce, it was so good.
Thanks for the recipe; it’s going in the “Keeper” file.
This looks amazing! I plan to make it this week! I’ll let you know how it turns out! And, I can not believe RUDE some of these people are! Geez. If you know you don’t like mustard in the first place…DON’T try a recipe that calls for a large amount of it! Simple logic people! : )
I made these and followed the directions perfectly. I love mustard, but this was so sweet, that I felt it was more of a sweet chicken dish, than a mustard flavored chicken. I think I may either cut the maple syrup or eliminate it all together. Or, add more mustard. I’ve made other dijon mustard chicken and pork dishes and we loved them. Just didn’t care for the sweetness of this recipe. I will tweak it, so it will fit my families tastes a bit more. Thanks!!!
My man and I both absolutely loved this chicken!! I had it with brown rice and green beans an I put some of the yummy sauce on the rice. I could have sworn I had maple syrup at home, but I didn’t. So I used honey instead and it was so good. Next time I’ll try it with the maple syrup, but just an FYI honey is cheaper and people may already have it. Thanks!
wow! thanks for posting your version of my recipe–can’t believe all the pins it has gotten! some of the comments are hilarious…but i’m glad people are (for the most part) enjoying the dish, and tweaking it to make it their own. that’s the fun of cooking, right?
Thanks so much for your comment! Your recipes are wonderful!
I made this for my hubs tonight. He liked the taste, but I thought it just tasted like mustard coated chicken….I even added a little extra maple syrup to it and still, all I could taste was mustard. Also, the chicken was WAY overcooked (my fault, I suppose…I should have been checking it as it cooked instead of just leaving it in for the stated amount of time)….it should probably be about 25-30 minutes instead of 40. I doubt I will make it again because of the overwhelming mustard flavor…..but it was fun trying something new.
This is how a poor college student replicates “Man-Pleasing Chicken”. I had two porkchops instead of six chicken thighs. I didn’t have syrup so I used a quarter cup of honey instead, and I had to use brown mustard since I didn’t have dijon…and sherry instead of rice wine vinegar (I’ve used it as a substitute in asian dishes before). It was a gamble, but it turned out simply DELICIOUS! Thank you for posting this recipe; it gave my limited diet a little variation 😉
Had to post a followup to my comment from a few days ago…for the love of all that is clean and beautiful, don’t skip the FOIL-LINED pan instruction. My glass pyrex dish has been soaking for DAYS, and I still haven’t been able to get it cleaned!!!
My Pampered Chef Stoneware baking dish cleaned up fast & easy without foil.
Oh my goodness! This was AMAZING! I used Grey Poupon dijon mustard with 100% pure maple syrup. I added a bit more of each so I would have extra sauce which really wasn’t necessary, there was plenty. I like mustard and could taste a little bit of mustard but the sauce is really in a league of it’s own. Savory is a great word to describe the party it leaves in your mouth. Even my very picky 9, 8 & 4 year old asked for more! Now THAT is a rarity!
Making this tonight. Love the title as well as the pictures. I think my husband will love this recipe. Thanks for posting!!! Any suggestions on good sides to make with this. I am probably going to make it with corn and black beans but wanted to ask for opinions.
I dont really like mustard, so I should have stayed away from this… but the reviews were so good I had to try it… SOrry but I couldnt even eat it. All I tasted was mustard, even after adding more maple syrup & it stunk up the house when I re-heated it. =(
We love, love, love this chicken. Making it again for about the fourth time since discovering it on pinterest.
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Made this tonight. Mmmmm…. So good! The man and all the kids loved it too 🙂 Thanks!
Delicious flavor combination. I use Balsamic vinegar and some orange zest for freshness. We marinate the chicken thighs for a couple of hours and cook on a charcoal grill, basting part way through.
Husband wanted maple/mustard chicken for dinner. Out of Dijon, but had some chipotle mustard left here after a potluck. Hmmm, lime goes with chipotle, added a little of that. Marinated and grilled, topped with extra sauce and fresh cilantro. Oh my goodness, one of our favorite recipes taken to a whole new level!
I made this about a month ago with balsalmic vinegar(all I had) and it came out great! I pulled out chicken breasts yesterday but couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with them. Going to try this recipe on the breasts and hope not to dry them out. Not very good at figuring out the appropriate temperature and time, any tips on that?
I followed the directions and should have known this was not going to turn out well when my house started to smell, not in a good way either. This tasted awful and I LOVE mustard. I wont be recommending this recipe to anyone. Ick.
Just made this tonight and it is AMAZING! I used Chicken Breasts instead of thighs but cooked for the full 40 minutes. I was a little apprehensive because it seemed like a LOT of mustard. But I jumped right in and made it. I don’t know why people kept saying it tasted like mustard because it doesn’t. They must be using the wrong kind. Regular Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard with a good maple syrup. NOT pancake syrup, maple syrup. And when you are basting it, be sure that mustard isn’t clumping on top. If it is, you may get a stronger mustard flavor in those areas. .
You are absolutely right Quinn. If people would follow the directions as is and used the ingredients called for instead of doing all kinds of substitutions they just might like it.
So many comments by people who do not like mustard…well I do not like maple syrup at all. But my family does. Just wondering how syrupy tasting this is?
Not at all, it just tones down the mustard taste.
this may be a weird question, but can you use like aunt jemima for maple syrup? or does it need to be real maple syrup?
Pancake syrup is nothing like maple syrup. I don’t think it would taste good, and that stuff is really bad for you anyways.
I don’t know how anyone could of gotten this recipe wrong. My was delicious, and I hate mustard. I bought the grey poupon brand of Dijon mustard, not honey mustard, just plain Dijon, and real maple syrup. I did not have rice vinegar, but I read online you could dilute white vinegar with water as a substitution. I cooked it exactly for 40 minutes at 450 degrees. I did not taste the mustard nor the maple syrup. It was just really good. My hubby loved it too!
I’ve made this TWICE….and WE LOVE IT! <3 Thanks…it's SUPER EASY! 🙂
The first time I did it, I put the chicken and sauce in a disposable tin foil baking dish, covered it with tin foil and froze it. I took it out, and put it in the oven and baked it…I can't say (don't remember) how long it took, but I kept the tin foil on it, and it was amazing. I cooked up some Jasmine Rice….oh so good.
Thanks again! 🙂
Whats a good side dish to serve with this?