5-Ingredient Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
by Katie Webster
October 20, 2022 Jump To Recipe
These 5-ingredient honey mustard chicken thighs are so flavorful and easy to make, they will be one of those recipes that will be your new healthy basics. Just mix the ingredients together and bake them on a sheet pan and you have dinner ready just like that!
This post contains affiliate links. I originally shared this post on Jan 6th, 2015. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipe
No matter what life throws at us, I wanted to make sure you knew I got your back when it comes to getting dinner on the table. So amidst all the noise and chaos, if you’re struggling with “what’s for dinner?” I am here to say: This healthy chicken thigh recipe is what’s for dinner!
And who isn’t psyched to see a 5-ingredient recipe showing its pretty face around here today? I know I am! You may even be thinking it could be a contender for your weekly menu rotation. Maybe, just maybe it will become one of those family-pleasing dinner staples. I hope so.
Love this flavor combo! Have made these dozens of times! Never disappoints! Most times I make half for dinner and freeze the other half to cook another night. The “marinade” still tastes great even from the freezer!
~Jackie
Recipe Highlights
- This honey mustard chicken thigh recipe makes 6 thighs, enough for four for dinner, plus two thighs left over for our lunches too.
- It is perfect to have over a salad for a high protein, but light dinner or lunch.
- It is easy. No long wait time for the marinade. Just whisk together the marinade, coat the chicken in it, and bake!
- It pairs well with all sorts of side dishes such as Steamed Cauliflower, Roasted Broccoli and Sauteed Green Beans. Serve with Buttermilk Mashed potatoes or our Creamy Low Carb Mashed cauliflower for a lighter option.
5 Key Ingredients
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
If you are not yet a fan of chicken thighs, this recipe may be the way you’ll be converted. I mean I love boneless skinless chicken breast too, but chicken thighs are wonderful because they are so juicy and it is nearly impossible to overcook them.
If yours has a lot of excess fat, feel free to cut it off with a sharp knife before adding to the honey mustard mixture.
Honey
Since this recipe is so very simple I love using a really good honey for the most flavor. Orange blossom honey is my all time favorite. But if you happen to have locally produced honey that is great too. If your raw honey has gotten granular, simply warm it up in the microwave to make it melted and liquid again, or you can place the jar into a bowl of warm water.
Mustard
I use brown deli mustard for mildly peppery mustard flavor. You could make this more spicy by choosing a Dijon mustard.
Thyme & Salt
To season I add fresh chopped thyme and salt to the mixture. You can use 1 teaspoon dry thyme too. And feel free to add in fresh pepper too here if you like.
How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Make the honey mustard sauce
The healthy honey mustard marinade is a simple combination of mustard, honey, fresh thyme, and salt. I used brown deli mustard to really amp up the mustard flavor, but feel free to use whatever is in your pantry.
Coat the chicken
Fully coat the chicken thighs in the honey mustard sauce, making sure to get it into all the crevices (you may need to use your hands to really work it in!).
How Long To Roast Boneless Chicken Thighs at 375
- After the chicken thighs are fully coated in the honey mustard, arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (the parchment paper makes for easier cleanup).
- Roast the honey mustard chicken thighs for 30 to 40 minutes. I use a digital instant-read thermometer to check that they’ve reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- To make sure they stay juicy once they come out of the oven, let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Can You Make This Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe Ahead?
- Yes! You have two options. You can mix the chicken with the honey mustard mixture up to 1 day ahead and then bake them.
- Or they reheat really well. You can do so in the microwave, until they are steaming hot. Or you can set them in a pyrex baking dish and cover them with foil. Then just bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until they are steaming hot.
What To Serve With Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- The honey mustard is a classic mellow flavor that pairs well with so many recipes. I like them with Caesar Salad made with my Egg Free Caesar Dressing. I have been making Homemade croutons with my day (or two) old sourdough bread.
- Right now Swiss chard is in season, and we are loving this Simple Sauteed Swiss Chard.
- My girls love green beans a lot, and this Simple Skillet Green Beans recipe is always a hit. I love the way the garlic tastes paired with the honey mustard!
- This Farro Salad would make it a yummy and hearty meal too. Bonus: it also makes great leftovers for lunches!
- If you’re up for a little baking, these Dairy-free Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes are amazing!
FAQs
Absolutely! I love Honey Cup brand and it is awesome. Use 1/3 cup mixed with the thyme and salt.
Yes! They will take a little longer to roast and the honey mustard coating will brown, but they will still be juicy and delicious. Make sure to use an instant-read thermometer to check that they are at least 165 degrees in the center (about 40 minutes.)
Yes! You can freeze the chicken before or after roasting.
Yes but foil is reactive with mustard (which has acidic element to it and cause pitting of the foil.) To prevent the chicken from reacting with the mustard mixture, brush the foil with oil before placing the chicken on top. This will help create a barrier to prevent the reaction.
Chicken thighs are great for reheating. Place them in a small casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until heated to 165 degrees F, about 25 minutes. You can also heat through in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per chicken thigh on high power.
More Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes:
- Our Grilled Boneless Greek Chicken Thighs are great in the summertime when it is too hot to use the oven.
- If you have bone-in chicken thighs, this recipe Yogurt Curry Chicken Thighs is a great one!
- This is always a fan favorite. Check out the reviews for this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Though it’s not the prettiest, this Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner is sure tasty!
- If you love basic recipes, then you’ll have to check out my Simple Italian Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken.
- This summer, you’ll totally want to try this Healthy Barbecue Chicken with Maple Chipotle Sauce
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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5-Ingredient Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 thighs 1x
Description
These 5-ingredient honey mustard chicken thighs are so flavorful and easy to make, they will be one of those recipes that will be your new healthy basics. Just mix the ingredients together and bake them on a sheet pan and you have dinner ready just like that!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons brown deli mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2 pounds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk honey, mustard, thyme and salt in a medium bowl. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat. Arrange chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet, tucking them into neat thigh shapes.
- Roast chicken until cooked through and browned in spots, 30 to 40 minutes *See note. Let rest 4 to 6 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I use a digital instant read thermometer to check that they’ve reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
To Make Ahead
- You can mix the chicken with the honey mustard mixture up to 1 day ahead and then bake them.
- Or they reheat really well. You can do so in the microwave, until they are steaming hot. Or you can set them in a pyrex baking dish and cover them with foil. Then just bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until they are steaming hot.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 685 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
Keywords: honey mustard chicken thighs, healthy chicken thigh recipes,honey mustard chicken,baked honey mustard chicken,sheet pan honey mustard chicken
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
Thank you for this, delicious and easy fast family supper.
★★★★★
You are very welcome, Miriam.
Love this flavor combo! Have made these dozens of times! Never disappoints! Most times I make half for dinner and freeze the other half to cook another night. The “marinade” still tastes great even from the freezer!
★★★★★
I am so glad you came back to let me know! Thank you Jackie!
Very Good! Used Grey Poupon course mustard and it was excellent. Chicken nice and juicy.
★★★★★
Love it! thank you Lisa!
Can I just say how easy it is to make this! And how delicious the chicken is! I love how Katie makes recipes do easy to follow. Yum
Thank you my friend. I hope you are well!
I like cooking with boneless skinless chicken thighs, but was looking for a new variation. I decided to try this honey mustard chicken even though my husband doesn’t usually like mustard marinades. But even he liked it! The higher proportion of honey smooths out the mustard so it doesn’t overpower it. And I love that you can just toss all the ingredients together and not marinade for hours. I’m adding this recipe into the rotation. Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Love this! Thank you for reporting back. I made these this week too and my family cleaned their plates. Have a great rest of your week Jen!
Hi, Can i use with bone in chicken thigh for this 5 ingredient recipe?
Sorry and 3 more question is if i can keep it in the fridge and eat the next day? How do I reheat? Can I use foil and while i use foil do I have to brush olive oil on it before i place the chicken over?
You can but they will need to roast for longer. The honey may brown a bit more, but it should be fine. Do you have an instant read thermometer? If so you can use that to know if they are cooked through to the bone. I think it would take around 45 mins. Yes you can use foil, but know that it is reactive and the mustard may react with the foil and break it down. I would spray it to be safe or your method to brush with oil would be fine. You can definitely reheat leftovers. Just make sure they are cooked through and then cooled and refrigerated.
Easy and delicious. Used dry thyme and it was still great. thanks!
★★★★★
That’s awesome Joan! Thank you for the review and rating!
Good stuff!
★★★★★
Thanks Ed. So glad that you liked the chicken!
Can an air fryer be used for this recipe the honey mustard chicken thighs
I think that would work. They may get a little dark because of the honey, but I don’t think they would burn. I would do it in batches so you don’t overcrowd the basket. Try them at 350 for 20 minutes to start and see if they are cooked through.
Hello can I eat fryer be used for this recipe the honey mustard chicken thighs
I think your autocorrect may have gotten in the way of your comment intentions. Are you asking if you can air fryer them? I would say so, but keep an eye on them so they do not get too dark. With the hot circulating air food browns much faster in an air fryer.
My picky wife and daughter both LOVED this chicken!!!!
★★★★★
That’s great news! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave your rating and review. It’s appreciated Ed.
Made this tonight and it was so good! Marinaded the chicken all day and it was so flavorful! Definitely adding to my weekly rotation! Thanks for such an easy, tasty recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you for coming back to report Amy!
Can I use Dijon mustard instead?
You can for sure. It will be a bit more spicy though. You could always use a little less if you’re worried about it being too spicy.