This delicious sweet and tangy honey mustard chicken is perfect for pan searing and serving up with your favorite grain, salad, or veggies. Requiring only a handful of basic ingredients, this chicken will be on your table in under 30 minutes. It’s the perfect dinner for nights when you want something simple, healthy, and filling on your plate that doesn’t require another trip to the grocery store.
Honey mustard chicken is also a great meal prep dish for the week due to its versatility. You can enjoy this chicken with your favorite side dish, toss it into your favorite salad for some added protein, or turn it into a chicken sandwich or wrap.
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Ingredients
- Chicken – we use chicken breasts in this recipe to keep it lean. Trim the chicken. If you’re using larger chicken breasts, cut it into tenders and then flatten to roughly equal thickness with a meat tenderizer. You can also butterfly chicken into thinner pieces.
- Honey – a natural sweetener that adds texture to the marinade.
- Dijon mustard – for some tanginess to balance out the marinade.
- Seasonings – fresh garlic, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper add depth to the honey mustard sauce. Feel free to sprinkle in additional spices.
- Lemon – for a splash of brightness and acidity.
- Avocado oil – for browning the chicken. We prefer to use avocado oil since it has a higher smoke point than olive oil.
Tips for Making Honey Mustard Chicken
- Get chicken to even thickness โ chicken cooks evenly when it is roughly the same thickness, so you’ll have juicy, tender chicken instead of pieces that are over or under cooked. Use a meat tenderizer to flatten thicker pieces/sections of chicken to the same thickness. For larger chicken breasts, either butterfly the chicken or cut into smaller tenders and then tenderize.
- Make sure the pan is hot โ for the perfect browned chicken that’s crispy on the outside, but tender on the inside, wait to add the chicken until you’re certain that the oil is hot. You can test by adding a few droplets of water to the pan. If they sizzle and evaporate upon impact with the oil, you’re ready. Adding the chicken too early will cause the liquid to escape the chicken, resulting in dry and rubbery chicken.
- Donโt overcrowd the pan โ if your pan isn’t large enough to fit all of the chicken, then cook the chicken in batches. Overcrowding the pan will cool the pan and force liquid to escape the chicken and you’ll end up with dry chicken.
- Chicken internal temperature โ the time it takes to cook your chicken will depend on the thickness and size of your chicken as well as the pan you’re using. So, the times listed should be treated as guidelines. For the best results use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Remove the chicken from heat and tent with foil once the internal temperature reaches 160F. The temperature will continue to rise and your chicken is safe to eat once it reaches 165F.
- Use the right pan โ some pans are better than others for browning chicken. We get the best results using a well seasoned cast iron, enameled cast iron, or cast aluminum. You can also use stainless steel, but we have varied results with our stainless pan.
How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken
Trim the chicken and cut larger breasts into tender-sized pieces. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the tenders and flatten them to the same thickness using a meat tenderizer. Alternately, you can butterfly the breasts into thinner pieces. This will allow them to cook more evenly. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag or shallow container.
Whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Reserve half of the sauce for serving. Pour the remaining half the sauce over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes (up to overnight). We prefer to marinate ours for 2-4 hours.
Drizzle ยฝ tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer in the pan. Discard leftover marinade. Brown on one side for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brown for another 4 to 5 minutes. Cook time will depend on the thickness of your chicken and the type of pan used, so for the best results use a meat thermometer.
Once the internal temperature reaches 160โ, drizzle the reserved honey mustard over the chicken. Warm for another minute, then remove from heat and serve. Note: the final internal temperature of the chicken should be 165โ when done.
How to Store
- Refrigerate – store honey mustard chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing this chicken.
- Reheat – warm chicken in a frying pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until warmed throughout. Add a few tablespoons of chicken broth to the pan as you warm the chicken to prevent it from drying out.
What to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken
- Potatoes โ we make garlic potatoes, brown sugar sweet potatoes, and sweet potato fries regularly.
- Cooked grains โ quinoa, barley, couscous, and farro are easy sides.
- Brown rice โ regular brown rice is a classic, but switch things up with our miso or cilantro lime brown rice.
- Pasta salad โ classic, peach, Greek or avocado pasta salad are great pairings with this chicken.
- Veggies โ grilled, sauteed, oven roasted, air fried, or steamed. Try this chicken with baked zucchini fries, roasted broccoli or asparagus, sauteed green beans, breaded squash, or Parmesan zucchini tots.
- Risotto โ garlic orzo risotto, mushroom risotto, or asparagus risotto are fantastic.
- Side salad โ garden, Greek, Caesar, etc.
- Bread โ a slice of homemade bread, dinner rolls, or garlic bread are perfect for soaking up extra sauce.
Recipe Modifications
- Chicken wrap – cut the chicken into strips and toss it into a tortilla with some cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onions to make it a wrap.
- Chicken kabobs – cut the chicken into cubes and slide onto wooden skewers with veggies to turn these into kabobs. Grill instead of pan searing.
- Chicken sandwich – sandwich the chicken between two buns and layer with your favorite toppings.
- Chicken salad – top your favorite salad with this chicken to up the protein level.
- Chicken thighs – you can use chicken thighs in place of chicken breast, if desired. The cooking time may differ.
- Spices – add some green spices, like thyme, oregano, basil, or rosemary. Make things spicier with red chili flakes or chipotle powder.
- Cooking method – this recipe has you pan sear the chicken, but you can also grill or bake this chicken too.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Chicken is cooked at an internal temperature of 165F. We recommend removing the chicken from heat once it reaches 160F. The temperature will continue to rise to 165F, but pulling the chicken early will prevent it from overcooking.
Use an oil with a higher smoke point, like avocado, grapeseed, or safflower oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil also works, but cheap olive oils won’t due to lower smoke points.
Cast iron or enameled cast iron are perfect for browning chicken, as they retain heat really well and will create the perfect golden crust.
No. Just transfer the chicken to the pan, keeping a little bit of marinade coating the chicken. Discard the left over marinade.
Check out our other chicken recipes
- Bourbon peach chicken
- Chimichurri chicken
- Honey garlic chicken skewers
- Cilantro lime chicken
- Italian herb chicken
- Creamy pesto chicken scallopini
Honey Mustard Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), trimmed, cut into tenders, tenderized
- ยผ c Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ยฝ lemon, juiced (1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ยผ tsp sea salt
- โ tsp cracked black pepper
- โ tsp cayenne pepper
- ยฝ Tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Trim the chicken and cut larger breasts into tender-sized pieces. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the tenders and flatten them to the same thickness using a meat tenderizer. Alternately, you can butterfly the breasts into thinner pieces. This will allow them to cook more evenly. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag or shallow container.
- Whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Reserve half of the sauce for serving. Pour the remaining half the sauce over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes (up to overnight). We prefer to marinate ours for 2-4 hours.
- Drizzle ยฝ tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer in the pan. Discard leftover marinade. Brown on one side for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brown for another 4 to 5 minutes. Cook time will depend on the thickness of your chicken and the type of pan used, so for the best results use a meat thermometer.
- Once the internal temperature reaches 160โ, drizzle the reserved honey mustard over the chicken. Warm for another minute, then remove from heat and serve. Note: the final internal temperature of the chicken should be 165โ when done.
Notes
- What temperature is chicken done – chicken is cooked at an internal temperature of 165F. We recommend removing the chicken from heat once it reaches 160F. The temperature will continue to rise to 165, but pulling the chicken early will prevent it from overcooking.
- What oil should I use to brown chicken โ use an oil with a higher smoke point, like avocado, grapeseed, or safflower oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil also works, but cheap olive oils won’t due to lower smoke points.
- What is the best pan for browning chicken โ cast iron or enameled cast iron are perfect for browning chicken, as they retain heat really well and will create the perfect golden crust.
- Do I add the extra marinade to the pan – no. Just transfer the chicken to the pan, keeping a little bit of marinade coating the chicken. Discard the left over marinade.
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