Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
This Baked Honey Mustard Chicken features juicy chicken tenderloins cooked in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary. It’s a simple, 7-ingredient recipe that requires little to no prep to assemble and bake!
★★★★★
“I made this for dinner tonight and I’m so glad that I did! It was so easy to make (few ingredients) and the taste was phenomenal! I paired it with some wild rice and zucchini. My husband loved it as well….I’ll definitely be making this again in the near future.”
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The Quick and Easy Chicken Dinner I’ve Been Making for Years
This simple, no-fuss honey mustard chicken recipe is a family favorite that I’ve made hundreds of times over the years. My kids, husband, and extended family all adore this recipe — which is fine by me because it takes less than 10 minutes to assemble.
Just when I was starting to worry that that I’d made this recipe one too many times, my sister exclaimed “Yes! Honey mustard chicken!” when she spotted it last week on the dinner table. That settles it! I’m never throwing this recipe out of my recipe box.
Here’s why we LOVE this recipe:
✔ Minimal Prep Work and Ingredients: This fast and easy chicken recipe rescues me time and time again when I want something good for dinner but I don’t really have a lot of time (or ingredients) on my hands.
✔ Easy to Customize: You can use pretty much any cut of chicken you like, as well as any kind of mustard(s). This is a flexible recipe that works with what you’ve got!
✔ Oven Baked and Grilling Options: Guess what? I’ve tested this recipe for the grill as well, making this a no-fuss weeknight dinner any time of year.
Enjoy!
-Katie
The 7 Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll be amazed at how these simple ingredients give such rich flavors. For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this honey dijon chicken, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
- Honey — You can use any variety you like.
- Mustard — Over the many, many years I’ve been making this recipe, I’ve found that using a blend of Dijon and whole grain mustard delivers the best, most complex flavor. But really you can use any mustard or blend of mustards you have on hand.
- Olive Oil — Helps thin the honey mustard and make it more of a sauce.
- Aromatics — Yellow onion and garlic give the honey mustard baked chicken even more flavor.
- Chicken — I almost always use chicken tenderloins to shorten the cook time, but breasts or thighs work too.
- Fresh Rosemary — Can be swapped with fresh thyme or oregano, if desired.
How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken in the Oven
- Prepare the honey mustard sauce for chicken: In a small bowl, combine two types of mustard, honey, and olive oil. Set the honey mustard mixture aside. Then sauté the onion and garlic.
- Assemble the honey mustard chicken bake: If you’re using a pan that’s oven-safe, place the chicken tenderloins in a single layer atop the veggies and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pour the honey mustard sauce over top, and arrange the rosemary sprigs in the pan.
- Bake the honey mustard chicken: Bake until the chicken pieces are fully cooked through, removing the aluminum foil covering halfway through the bake time.
- Serve: Discard the rosemary sprig. Then, serve spooning extra sauce over the honey mustard chicken tenders.
The above is simply a quick summary of this easy chicken recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips
- Want even more flavor? When I have a few extra minutes, I sauté a half an onion and a few cloves of garlic before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pan. I like to use my Le Creuset Cast Iron Rectangular Roaster to bake this recipe in.
- Having a really busy or lazy day? Skip the onion and garlic steps completely. Just stir the honey, mustards, and all 3 tsp of the olive oil together. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
What to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken
We most often serve this Easy Honey Mustard Baked Chicken alongside our favorite sides: Smashed Potatoes with Parmesan Herb Gremolata and Roasted Broccoli.
The delicious savory, sweet chicken in sticky honey mustard sauce served alongside the potatoes and broccoli was a welcome meal in the bellies of all of my visiting family after a long day snowmobiling out in the cold.
Here are some other side dish ideas:
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Cream Cheese Chive Duchess Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Green Beans
A simple side salad also goes well with this great recipe. We often use mixed greens, lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, and tomato for a simple green salad. Check out these 3 Simple Salad Dressing Recipes to go along with your salad.
Can I Make this in a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?
I don’t see why not. It might be a good idea for lazy days, but I haven’t tried it myself. Here are my suggestions:
- I predict, however, that in the slow cooker the homemade honey mustard sauce will be less thick due to the condensation of the slow cooker. You may want to thicken the sauce using a cornstarch slurry.
- If I were to test out and Instant Pot honey mustard chicken with my pressure cooker, I would probably follow the guidelines in this Instant Pot Mustard Chicken Recipe to start with. And, of course follow all manufacturer required safety protocols and instructions.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts or Thighs Instead?
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs in this recipe in place of the chicken tenderloins.
I recommend cutting the chicken breasts in half. Then, browning both sides of the chicken stove top in a large skillet first since they’re a thicker cut of chicken and take longer to cook. Even with the browning, you’ll likely have a slightly longer cook time.
For dark meat, I prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs. Follow the recipe as written with this substitution. If you like bone in, skin on thighs, then I recommend giving the skin side of the chicken a nice sear first so the skin is nicely browned.
More Easy Weeknight Chicken Dinners
FYI, you can also browse all of the chicken recipes through the Ingredient Index!
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Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe
Baked Honey Mustard Chicken is one of our favorite recipes. Chicken tenderloins are baked in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary. This recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken is sure to please even your pickiest eater!
Ingredients
For the Honey Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 cup of grainy, course mustard
- 1/4 cup smooth dijion mustard
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Chicken
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 - 4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Make the honey mustard sauce. In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Combine using a small wire whisk or a spoon and stir until smooth. Set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a sauté pan or cast iron skillet, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. I like to use my Le Creuset Cast Iron Rectangular Roaster for this because this piece can be used for the whole recipe and go from stove to oven to table. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Assemble. Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the onion and garlic mixture (or transfer to a baking dish if your skillet isn't oven-safe). Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference. Pour the honey mustard mixture over top. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the chicken in the pan.
- Bake. Bake the chicken covered at 400ºF for 15 - 20 minutes.Remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and return to the oven and cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes uncovered, or until the sauce has thickened, the chicken is browned on top, and is cooked through.
Notes
Chicken: Chicken thighs also work well. I prefer boneless skinless thighs, but you can use bone-in or skin-on if you prefer. I have also used pork chops, but I brown both sides of the chops first before baking.
Having a really busy or lazy day? Skip the onion and garlic steps completely. Just stir the honey, mustards, and all 3 tsp of olive oil together. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.
To store: Store leftovers chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat at partial power in the microwave, 30-60 seconds at a time, or on the stovetop in a lidded skillet.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 596mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 45g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Tanya says
Can you make this a day ahead and put it in the fridge and then to the oven the next day?
Sandy says
Would frozen chicken breast work?
Katie says
I use frozen chicken but I thaw it first.
Kellye says
This sounds delicious! I’m only one person, so, can I make and freeze and reheat later? Thanks!
Katie says
yes
Ivan says
Could I substitute the honey and both mustards for just honey mustard?
Katie says
I haven’t tried that yet.
dessa says
would this be ok without the rosemary because im allergic.
Katie says
yes, you could leave it out or substitute thyme instead.
Allison says
Oh. My. God. We just had this for dinner and it was AMAZING!!! I hate mustard and I’m not a fan of honey and yet I’ve always liked the two together. Go figure 😉 Up until now I have always relied on a jar but we have just realised what a rip off they are in terms of flavour, not to mention the many nasties I’m sure are lurking in there.
This really was superb – easy and great with new potatoes and carrots. Now I have to find an excuse for having it again tomorrow night as well!
kate says
Thank you so much for all your help
Katie says
your welcome!
Kate says
And also, if you don’t have a baking dish with a lid, would tin-foil work?
Katie says
absolutely! 🙂
Kate says
Do you mind sharing what smoothe Dijon mustard you use? I am cooking this with girlfriends tomorrow night.
Katie says
used Grey Poupon
Kate says
Hi – do you think I can prepare everything a day prior? (up to the point of baking).
Katie says
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not.
Bridget Cantafio says
Hi Katie,
Just wanted to say I stumbled on your website while googling recipes using chicken tenderloins. I have a 3 year old and I am always trying new recipes because it is important to me that she eats healthy home cooked meals. This was so easy and absolutely delicious! I served it with Chunky Mashed potatoes (I leave the skin on after steaming them, then half mash them and add a little butter, milk, Himalayan Crystal Saft and parsley). My vegetable side was asparagus with lemon and butter. My daughter and Husband loved it! Next time I will make this with brown rice or quinoa because it is healthier but this one time, the potatoes were a nice treat with this dish especially with the sauce from the chicken! Thanks and I’ll checking out other recipes you have posted!
Bridget
Chris B says
Do you think Maple Syrup could substitute for the honey if one is allergic to honey?
Katie says
Yes, because I’ve used maple syrup when I’ve been out of honey.
Bridie says
I wonder if I can adapt the liquid to make it suitable or slow cooker?!
Katie says
I haven’t tried that but if I were to experiment with a slow cooker I would probably just leave the honey mustard proportions as they are in the original recipe, and maybe cook it at the end with the cover off for a little while.
Kristen W. says
Thanks for the recipe! Made it last night, and it was so yummy!
Tracy says
Hi can this be cooked in a fan forced oven and if so what temps would you suggest?
Katie says
I believe convection ovens usually suggest cooking at 25 degrees lower temperature than what the recipe indicates.
Angie says
What if I can’t find the grainy mustard in my tiny town. Is it ok without it?
Katie says
you can sub dijion mustard for it. I have done that before when I’ve been out of grainy mustard.