Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Juicy and tender Baked Honey Mustard Chicken is coated in a homemade sauce and then cooked in the oven for a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe.  Tangy Dijon mustard, sweet honey, garlic, fresh herbs and a few other simple ingredients combine to make the most irresistible marinade.  You can also easily prep-ahead this healthy chicken breast recipe and have it ready to bake on busy weeknights! 

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Some nights I am craving a good ole’ fashioned baked chicken breast.  I don’t want the fuss of having to follow a complicated recipe.

Cleanup needs to take less than 5 minutes.  (Which is always easier when it’s baked in a casserole dish!)  And it’s a bonus if I can meal prep it ahead of time!

While Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken and Honey Balsamic Chicken taste incredible, a new kid in town has recently stolen my heart….

This Baked Honey Mustard Chicken!

(Imagine baked chicken and honey mustard dressing had a delicious food baby.)

It’s the juiciest, most tender, mouthwatering, and flavor-packed baked chicken recipe you have had in a long time.

Maybe even ever. <– Bold statement, I know.

But seriously, I would serve this up to the most culinary advanced of relatives and watch as their mouths drop and their eyes pop.

Especially when they learn how easy it is to make these honey mustard baked chicken breasts at home!

Ingredients

One of the best parts about this honey mustard chicken is how quick and easy it is to throw the ingredients together.

You can prepare the chicken and the marinade ahead of time for a busy weeknight, or come home and whip it up quickly for dinner.

• Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are used.  You can also use the marinade on chicken thighs but will need to adjust the cook time accordingly.
• Mustard – Dijon mustard is the preferred type to use, but yellow or spicy brown may be substituted.
• Honey – An equal 1:1 ratio of honey to mustard is used to balance the sweetness and tanginess.
• Thyme – Fresh thyme is what adds an herbal richness to the sauce and pairs beautifully with the mustard.
  • You can also use ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
• Garlic – A fresh garlic clove is used, but garlic powder may also be substituted.
• Worcestershire – This secret ingredient adds a special umami flavor that balances out the sweetness of the honey.
• Paprika – This ground spice adds a brilliant pop of color and a subtle smokiness to the dish.
• Salt and Pepper – Adjust to your taste preference.

Expert Tips for Baking Chicken Breasts

Baked chicken is notorious for coming out of the oven dry and overcooked.

But you can say goodbye to those days!  I’ve got a few tips and tricks that will teach you how to bake chicken breasts that come out juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked!

• Pound It Out – Using a meat mallet, pound your chicken breasts until they reach about 1-inch thick.  Not only does this make them a similar thickness (which helps with even cooking!), but the forceful impact helps break apart the fibers and tenderizes the meat.

Cook’s Tip: This step can be a bit messy.  To prevent raw juices from splattering all over your kitchen either tenderize your meat outside, or cover it with a piece of wax or parchment paper.

• Cut Into Similar Sizes – While pounding the meat will help it to have a similar thickness, you also want to make sure to cut all of the portions into roughly the same size.
  • A 4-5 ounce chicken breast, that is about 1-inch thick, will cook the most evenly when baked in the oven.
• Marinate – A tasty marinade that has a bit of acidity in it will also help to denature the proteins in the meat and break apart sinewy fibers.
  • Be careful if using a marinade with a lot of acid in it or marinading for too long.  Too much acidity, or too much time, will actually begin the cooking process.
• Don’t Overcook It – Pulling the chicken breasts out of the oven at precisely the right time is critical to getting perfectly cooked, and not overdone, meat.  The best way to judge this is by using a meat thermometer.  For chicken, pull it out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees.  It will continue to cook and increase in temperature another 5-10 degrees once removed from the oven.
  • If the internal temp has already reached 165 degrees, immediately remove the chicken from the pan to prevent overcooking.

How to Bake

Once you get the general steps down for baking this honey mustard chicken in the oven, you will be able to repeat this process for any other chicken and marinade combination!

Step-by-step Instructions: (See recipe card below for more detailed directions.)

1. Prepare chicken by pounding to 1-inch thick and cutting into 4-5 ounce portions.
2. Whisk mustard, honey, oil, Worcestershire, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the honey mustard sauce.*
   • DON’T FORGET THIS STEP!
4. Place chicken into the bowl with the sauce.  Toss until it is well coated.
5. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight. 
   • You can transfer it to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag for easier storage.
6. Place chicken breasts in a 9-inch square baking dish that has been lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. 
   • It will increase by 5-10 degrees once removed from the oven, reaching a final temperature of 165 degrees.
8. Brush chicken with reserved honey mustard sauce.

Prep-Ahead Instructions

This honey mustard chicken recipe is a wonderful meal idea to add to your weekly meal prep and planning rotation.

A few meal prepping pointers:

• If preparing this more than 24 hours in advance, store the chicken and marinade separately.
• Toss the chicken in the sauce if preparing this recipe less than 24 hours before cooking.
• You can prepare the sauce and chicken up to 3 days in advance.

Serving and Storage

How do I serve this?

To add a pop of color, top each chicken breast with a sprig of parsley.

It tastes great when paired with Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus, Sauteed Zucchini and Squash, Instant Pot Mashed Red Potatoes.

How long will leftovers last?

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Will this freeze well?

This dish freezes exceptionally well.  Simply store it and any excess sauce in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for up to 4-6 months.

When ready to eat, let thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in a 300 degree oven.

Other Baked Chicken Breast Recipes

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4.27 from 34 votes

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Honey Mustard Chicken is coated in a sweet and savory sauce and then baked in the oven until juicy and tender.  This healthy, quick, and low-carb chicken breast recipe can easily be meal prepped ahead of time for busy weeknight dinners.

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Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken breast recipes, honey mustard chicken, mustard chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 225 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 1 - 1 ¼ lbs. chicken breasts pounded and cut into 4-5 oz. portions
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard*
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ tsp. fresh thyme finely chopped*
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• ½ tsp. salt to taste
• ⅛ tsp. black pepper to taste
• ⅛ tsp. paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare chicken by pounding to 1-inch thick and cutting into 4-5 ounce portions.
3. Whisk mustard, honey, oil, Worcestershire, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large bowl until smooth.
4. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the honey mustard sauce.
5. Place chicken into the bowl with the sauce. Toss until chicken is well coated.
6. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight. (You can transfer it to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag for easier storage.)
7. Place chicken breasts in a 9-inch square baking dish that has been lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (It will increase by 5-10 degrees once removed from the oven reaching a final temperature of 165 degrees.)
9. Brush chicken with reserved honey mustard sauce.
10. Serve with a sprig of fresh thyme and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

• You can also use ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
• Yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard can be substituted for an added kick.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 225 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 73mg24%

Sodium 461mg20%

Potassium 430mg12%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 154IU3%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 14mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.