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GET IT NOWI’ve been making honey mustard chicken for over a year now and even had it photographed, but somehow never got around to sharing it with you. This ends now, because you need this dish in your life! This honey mustard chicken recipe is a little twist on my Dijon chicken, but with a sweet touch of honey. Make it with me in only 20 minutes!
Why You Need My Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe
- Tender, juicy chicken with sweet honey mustard sauce – I’d even call this sauce a glaze, because it’s shiny and a little caramelized, with a hint of creaminess. And with my go-to stovetop-to-oven method (the same one I use for a perfect ribeye, pork steak, and New York strip), you’ll get chicken that’s nice and juicy.
- Fast and easy – This is a great one to add to your rotation for busy weeknights. It’s super quick!
- Clean ingredients – Just 7 of them, plus salt and pepper. And this dish is naturally gluten free, with no refined sugar.
- Perfect for any meal – Honey mustard chicken is a hit with everyone in my house, and it works for everything from a quick, healthy dinner to a special meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my baked honey mustard chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken – I used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, but if you want honey mustard chicken thighs, use 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. Bone-in chicken can also work, but it’ll take longer to bake, and is not my favorite here because the sauce will soften the crispy skin.
- Honey – I use Wholesome Yum Sugar Free Honey (it’s natural and still tastes like the real deal!), but regular honey works just as well for the honey mustard sauce.
- Dijon Mustard – I recommend a creamy one like this, but any kind of mustard you like will work.
- Garlic – I choose fresh whenever I can. You can use a teaspoon jarred minced garlic or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you need to.
- Chicken Broth – If you have time, I suggest making your own homemade chicken broth for the best flavor, but any low sodium kind will work.
- Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce creamy and thick without added thickeners. For a dairy-free alternative, you can use full-fat coconut milk instead.
- Olive Oil – To sear the chicken. Avocado oil works, too.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – I just used simple salt and pepper, but you can add a dash of dried herbs (like thyme or rosemary) for more depth.
How To Make Honey Mustard Chicken
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the chicken. While your oven preheats, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear until golden. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Sear chicken breasts until golden brown on each side. Remove and cover to keep warm.
- Saute the garlic. Add more olive oil to the pan, and cook the minced garlic until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan and reduce the liquid. Pour in the chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Make the sauce. Stir in the cream, honey, and Dijon. Bring the honey mustard mixture to a boil, then simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Bake to finish. Add the chicken back to skillet and coat in sauce. Bake the honey mustard chicken until cooked through.
My Recipe Tips
- Use a cast iron pan if you can. It’s the quickest way for the sauce to thicken, and it’s safe to go straight to the oven. I use and love this one. If you don’t have one, another oven-safe skillet is okay, or you can try transfering the sauce and chicken to a baking dish to finish.
- Watch how much you reduce the liquid. You want it reduced by half. If you don’t reduce it enough, your sauce will be too runny, but if you reduce too much, it’ll be too thick and you risk your honey mustard chicken drying out.
- Make sure the sauce is thick before baking. It won’t thicken much in the oven, so we’re relying on the stovetop here to get the right texture. I like to check that it coats the back of a spoon, and when you add the chicken, the sauce should coat it without sliding off.
- What if the sauce or too thin or too thick? As long as you haven’t baked the honey mustard chicken yet, it’s okay! Simmer it for longer if it’s not thick enough, or add an extra splash of broth or cream to thin out.
- Be careful not to overcook. The cook time can vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts and even your stovetop temp, so I always stick my probe thermometer into the thickest part to make it perfectly. You can check with a regular meat thermometer if that’s what you’ve got. The goal is 165 degrees F, but I try to pull it at 162-163 because the temp rises a few degrees after you take it out.
- Don’t leave the chicken in the pan. It will continue to cook from the residual heat, so it’s better to transfer to plates or a platter pretty quickly. (I had to work fast for these pictures, ha!)
Serving Ideas
Honey mustard chicken is a no-frills meal, so I like to pair it with something simple. Here are some ideas:
- Starchy base – My air fryer potatoes, rice, or cauliflower rice are great for soaking up extra sauce from the pan.
- Vegetables – While the honey mustard chicken is finishing up in the oven, whip up my sauteed green beans or fried brussels sprouts on the stove.
- Salad – I love the sliced chicken over a fall salad or mandarin orange salad for a light meal, but many of my other salad recipes will work on the side, too.
Honey Mustard Chicken (20-Minute Dinner)
This honey mustard chicken recipe is an easy 20-minute dinner! Juicy chicken breasts cook in a creamy sauce with honey, mustard, and garlic.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts in a single layer (cook in batches if they don’t all fit) and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half.
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Whisk in the cream, honey, and Dijon mustard. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon or thickens to your liking. (It will thicken a tiny bit more in the oven at the next step, but not by much.)
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Return the chicken to the skillet and turn to coat in sauce. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
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Serve honey mustard chicken with the sauce from the pan drizzled over it.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken breast with honey mustard sauce
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to to help you get the right consistency in your sauce, pick the perfect pan, and ensure that your chicken stays juicy.
- Store: Pop leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. (The leftover chicken is wonderful for a quick Cobb salad or wrapping it in a tortilla with the sauce!) I don’t recommend freezing, as the cream-based sauce can separate.
- Reheat: Warm it up in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-20 minutes, or microwave if you need to.
- Note on nutrition info: This is calculated using my natural zero sugar honey. Some numbers will be higher if you use regular.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Spring Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Honey Mustard Chicken
Gratitude Moment
My Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey turned 3 years old a few days ago! I first created it because there are so many honey-based recipes I wanted to make, and didn’t love the sugar spike from regular honey.
What you might not know is that it now comes in different flavors! Here I’m holding 2 of them that I like to use for this honey mustard chicken when I want it to have a little kick — jalapeno and turmeric ginger. I’d love to know which is your fave if you try one of these!
10 Comments
Andrea
0My dad was making chicken thighs in the air fryer, and I remembered I wanted to try a recipe with your zero calorie honey. I used the sauce portion of this recipe and it worked perfectly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy to hear that, Andrea! That’s a great way to use this sauce.
Janet
0Used chicken thighs and bone broth. I wanted to lick the plate clean. My 4 year old loved it, even though it wasn’t real honey (Besti). Will keep this as an easy quick dinner staple. Thanks. Also it gave me confidence to use my cast iron!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That’s awesome, Janet! Thank you for sharing. How sweet that even your 4-year-old enjoyed this dish!
Stacey Kirch
0I just made this and it tastes great! My husband didn’t even know I used zero sugar Honey (Besti). I think it would also taste great with coconut milk/ cream and a little ginger… next time.. yum! Hint: definitely thicken sauce before the chicken as directed as the chicken adds fluid.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Stacey! That’s awesoem that your husband didn’t even know. Thank you for sharing your variation with the coconut milk and ginger. That sounds great!
Wendy
0This was very good. I used your jalapeño honey and it worked well. I need to thicken my sauce a bit more next time. I served it with roasted broccoli and poured the sauce over that too. Yum!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Wendy! Yes, I have some tips on sauce thickness in the post above, but honestly it’s still delicious even if it’s a little thin. Roasted broccoli sounds like the perfect side. Enjoy!
Wendy McKay
0Hello! I have your jalapeño honey. Do you think that would work? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Wendy, Yes, absolutely! It’s actually one of my favorites for this recipe when I want a kick.