Easy Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

This honey mustard chicken has saved more crazy weeknights in our house than I care to admit. The first time I made it, Oliver swore he hated chicken - then he smelled that sweet glaze bubbling away in the oven. Now he begs for it, which trust me, doesn't happen often with a seven-year-old. I've made this recipe at least fifty times, tweaking it until I got that sticky, caramelized coating that doesn't slide off, plus meat that stays moist instead of turning into rubber. The whole thing takes about ten minutes of actual work, then you just pop it in the oven and deal with whatever else needs your attention.

Honey mustard chicken with caramelized glaze, parsley garnish, side salad, and dipping sauce in a ramekin on a gray plate.

Why You'll Love This Honey Mustard Chicken

Here's what happens when I make this twice a week: prep takes ten minutes, maybe less once you've done it a few times. Mix honey, mustard, garlic, and oil in a bowl. Coat the chicken. Stick it in the oven. Done. No standing over the stove flipping things every two minutes or juggling five pans. While it bakes, I help Oliver with spelling words, fold laundry, or sit down with coffee for ten minutes. The ingredients are stuff you already have - honey, mustard, garlic, oil, chicken. Never had to run to the store for some random ingredient. If you can measure things and turn on an oven, you can make this. No fancy knife skills or cooking school stuff needed.

Leftovers don't turn into dry, sad chicken that sits in the fridge until you throw it out. Still good the next day, still good two days later. Eat it cold in a sandwich, warm it over rice for lunch, chop it for salad - doesn't matter, tastes good every way. Most chicken gets rubbery and weird when you reheat it. This doesn't. The sauce soaks in more overnight, so day two might beat day one. I make extra now just for lunches, saves me from buying those expensive premade salads. Works for busy Tuesday when everyone's exhausted, works Saturday when people show up - same Honey Mustard Chicken both times.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Honey Mustard Chicken
Ingredients For Honey Mustard Chicken
Step by Step Method
Equipment For Honey Mustard Chicken
Tasty Twists on Honey Mustard Chicken
Substitutions
Storing Your Honey Mustard Chicken
Top Tip
What to Serve With Honey Mustard Chicken
FAQ
Time to Make Dinner Easy!
Related
Pairing
Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients For Honey Mustard Chicken

The Main Stuff:

4 boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Rustic wooden table with raw chicken breasts on a cutting board, bowls of Dijon mustard, honey, and olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon halves, and a dish of salt and pepper.

Extra Flavor:

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Fresh thyme sprigs

Rustic wooden table with Dijon mustard in a white ramekin, a glass jar of honey, a wooden spoon of smoked paprika, and fresh thyme sprigs.

Step by Step Method

Prepare the Chicken

Pound chicken breasts to even thickness (about ¾ inch)
Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture
Season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides
Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking

Make the Honey Mustard Glaze

Whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, and whole grain mustard in bowl
Add minced garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice to mixture
Stir in apple cider vinegar and smoked paprika until smooth
Divide sauce in half - one for marinating, one for finishing

Marinate and Bake

Coat chicken with half the sauce in baking dish
Let marinate for 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours in fridge)
Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until chicken starts browning
Brush with reserved sauce and bake 5-7 more minutes

Rest and Serve

Remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 165°F
Let chicken rest on counter for 5 minutes before slicing
Spoon pan juices over top for extra moisture and flavor
Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if you have them

Equipment For Honey Mustard Chicken

9x13 inch baking dish
Medium mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Meat thermometer
Whisk or fork

Tasty Twists on Honey Mustard Chicken

Spicy Honey Mustard:

Add 1 teaspoon sriracha to the sauce for heat
Sprinkle red pepper flakes over chicken before baking
Use hot honey instead of regular for sweetness with kick
Top with fresh jalapeño slices after cooking

Creamy Honey Mustard:

Stir 2 tablespoons sour cream into the sauce mixture
Add splash of heavy cream for extra richness
Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top before baking
Serve over egg noodles to soak up all the sauce

Garlic Herb Version:

Double the garlic to 6 cloves for bold flavor
Mix 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary into sauce
Add handful of chopped fresh parsley at the end
Finish with fresh lemon zest for brightness

Asian Inspired:

Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce to the honey mustard base
Mix in 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger for warmth
Drizzle sesame oil over chicken before serving
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds on top

Substitutions

Protein Options:

Chicken breasts → Chicken thighs (juicier, more forgiving)
Regular chicken → Boneless skinless (faster cook time)
Fresh chicken → Frozen thawed overnight in fridge

Sweetener Swaps:

Honey → Maple syrup (use same amount)
Regular honey → Raw honey (stronger flavor)
Honey → Agave nectar (slightly thinner consistency)

Mustard Changes:

Dijon → Yellow mustard (milder taste)
Whole grain → Spicy brown (adds kick)
Regular → Stone ground (more texture)

Oil Alternatives:

Olive oil → Avocado oil (higher smoke point)
Regular oil → Melted butter (richer flavor)
Oil → Light mayo (adds creaminess)

Storing Your Honey Mustard Chicken

Fridge Storage (3-4 days):

Cool chicken completely before storing
Keep in airtight container in fridge
Store sauce separately if you have extra
Reheat at 350°F covered with foil for 10 minutes

Freezer Storage (2-3 months):

Cool chicken thoroughly first
Wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap
Place wrapped pieces in freezer bag
Label with date and thaw overnight in fridge

Reheating Tips:

Oven method works best - keeps chicken moist
Add splash of water or chicken broth before reheating
Microwave on 50% power to avoid rubbery texture
Check that it reaches 165°F again before eating

Homemade Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe with golden caramelized edges, parsley garnish, and a ramekin of honey mustard sauce on a white plate.

Top Tip

This tastes better the next day once the flavors soak in. I make a double batch every Sunday and we eat it all week for lunches. The sauce gets thicker as it sits, and the chicken stays moist in the fridge way longer than regular baked chicken.

When you reheat it, throw a tablespoon of water in the container first. Creates steam so nothing dries out. Three minutes on medium power in the microwave, done. Doesn't get that weird rubbery texture some chicken gets.

Oliver likes the leftovers more than when it's fresh because the glaze soaks all the way through. We eat it cold in sandwiches, warm it up over rice, chop it for salads. One batch turns into four different meals, which saves me during crazy weeks.

What to Serve With Honey Mustard Chicken

From serving this dozens of times, here's what works on the plate. Rice is the go-to - white or brown, doesn't matter - soaks up that glaze. Mashed potatoes work if you want something creamy against the tangy sauce. Roasted potatoes with crispy edges are Oliver's pick when he gets to choose. Egg noodles with butter catch every drop, which matters when the sauce tastes this good. For vegetables, keep it basic - steamed broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans with garlic, or glazed carrots. Nothing too complicated that fights with the chicken. Want lighter? Mixed green salad, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or roasted asparagus all work fine.

We eat this over white rice most Tuesday nights because it's fast and Oliver cleans his plate that way. The glaze runs into the rice, and suddenly he's scraping his bowl without me nagging him three times. Sometimes bread helps too - garlic bread, dinner rolls, crusty French bread, cornbread if you're going southern. Anything that mops up the pan juices works. Don't overthink sides here. This chicken has plenty of flavor on its own, so you just need something to balance it and catch the sauce. Simple beats fancy every time.

Easy Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe in a skillet, golden brown with caramelized glaze, topped with parsley and served with a ramekin of sauce.

FAQ

What goes in honey mustard chicken?

The base needs chicken, honey, Dijon mustard, and oil. Most recipes throw in garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. This honey mustard sauce does double duty as the marinade and the finishing glaze, so you get tons of flavor without making two separate things.

Can I marinate chicken in honey mustard?

Yes, anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge works. The mustard helps tenderize the meat while honey keeps it from drying out. For this honey mustard chicken marinade, I stick with 2-4 hours - gets plenty of flavor without turning the texture mushy.

What are the three ingredients in honey mustard for chicken?

Honey, Dijon mustard, and oil - that's it for the base. Those three give you the sweet-tangy thing everyone loves. Most folks add garlic and lemon juice on top of that, but you only really need those three to make honey mustard chicken recipe work.

What to eat honey mustard chicken with?

Goes with rice, roasted potatoes, or pasta. We eat it with steamed broccoli, quinoa, or a basic green salad most nights. For something filling, honey mustard chicken and rice with roasted vegetables covers all the bases without feeling too heavy.

Time to Make Dinner Easy!

Now you've got everything you need to make honey mustard chicken that turns out right every time. From the marinade trick to that second brush of sauce that makes the glaze stick and caramelize, this Honey Mustard Chicken has saved more weeknights than I can count. Oliver went from "I don't like chicken" to asking for this twice a week, which if you have kids, you know that doesn't happen often. The best part? After making it a few times, you won't even need the recipe anymore - it becomes muscle memory.

Want more recipes that work for real life? Try our Easy Jalapeño Popper Meatloaf that takes two comfort foods and mashes them together - even people who swear they hate meatloaf eat this one. The jalapeños aren't killer spicy, the cream cheese keeps it moist, and it slices clean for sandwiches later. Need dessert without planning ahead? Our Easy Banana Cobbler Recipe Ready in 45 Minutes uses those brown bananas on your counter and stuff you already have. Tastes like you spent hours when you just stirred things and stuck it in the oven. Want to look fancy without the stress? Check out our Easy Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon - looks expensive, tastes great, comes together faster than ordering takeout.

Share your Honey Mustard Chicken with us! We love seeing what you cook, and Oliver gets pumped every time someone posts a picture.

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Got questions about cook times, swaps, or anything else? Check the FAQ section right above for answers to what people ask most. If your question isn't there, drop a comment - I read them all and usually answer within a day or two.

Why You'll Love This Honey Mustard Chicken