What I love about Spicy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Looking for an easy weeknight dinner? If so, I’ve got you covered with these Spicy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs! They’re packed with bold, delicious flavour, and best of all, they’re sure to be a hit with the whole family. Not only does using skin-on chicken thighs create irresistibly crispy results in the oven, but the simple spicy honey mustard sauce also takes the dish to the next level.
However, if someone in the family isn’t a fan of spice, don’t worry. You can simply skip the chilli flakes and substitute the spicy mustard with more Dijon. That way, you still get all the flavour without the heat. Furthermore, if you’re cooking for a crowd or hoping for leftovers throughout the week, it’s easy to double the recipe. These chicken thighs reheat beautifully—just pop them back in the oven to restore that crispy skin.
As for preparation, this recipe couldn’t be easier. First, whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a single bowl. Next, pour the sauce over the chicken thighs. Then, place them in the oven and let the magic happen. In total, you’ll spend only about 10 minutes on prep—after that, the oven does the work. Honestly, I love meals like this that deliver big flavour with minimal effort.
Finally, to round out the meal, serve the chicken with oven-roasted potatoes and a crisp side salad. Altogether, it makes for the perfect weeknight dinner—quick, comforting, and full of flavour, especially on those extra busy evenings.
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Chicken thighs – For this recipe, you’ll need bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The skin gets super crispy in the oven and the meat is tender and flavourful. Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs just won’t produce the same results unfortunately and the cook time will be different, so I don’t recommend substituting with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Mustard – There are 3 types of mustard used in this recipe: grainy, spicy and dijon. Grainy mustard adds texture, spicy mustard adds a little spice and the dijon mustard adds more flavour. So, you need all three!
- Honey – Adding a little honey not only adds sweetness but it also turns the sauce into a sort of glaze and helps the chicken skins to get a little caramelized on top too.
- Garlic – Garlic is always a must in my kitchen! Lots and lots of garlic! I always recommend using fresh garlic. You can buy the marinated stuff from the store but in my opinion, it doesn’t compare when it comes to flavour. So, go for fresh!
- Chilli flakes – Chilli flakes add a little spice to this recipe which I love! If you aren’t a super spicy fan then just omit the chilli flakes. It won’t compromise any flavour.
FAQ
You can, although they will not produce the same results. The best thing about this recipe is how crispy and delicious the skins get and you won’t have this effect with boneless thighs. If you must use boneless thighs though, you’ll have to adjust the cook time. They will cook much faster than bone-in thighs. Check them after 25 minutes with a thermometer. They should have an internal temperate of 165F.
Yes. Just add another tablespoon of dijon mustard or even yellow mustard instead of the spicy mustard and omit the chilli flakes. Then, they will just be regular honey mustard chicken thighs.
Yes. You can add the chicken to the baking dish, pour over the honey mustard sauce and then store it covered, in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Just baste the thighs with the sauce before baking.
I like to pair with roasted potatoes and a crisp green salad. Mashed potatoes would also be delicious or even rice and steamed broccoli – don’t forget your veggies!
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat under LOW broil in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
Spicy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 8" x 10" Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 9 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup grainy mustard
- 1 tbsp spicy mustard
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp red chilli pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- fresh parsley chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and spray an 8"x10" baking dish with avocado oil. Set aside.
- Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towel and then add them to the bottom of the baking dish, skin-side up.
- In a small bowl, whisk the grainy, spicy and dijon mustards, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper until combined.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165F. (Be careful not to touch the bone with the thermometer).
- With the oven door closed, turn off the heat and set the oven to HIGH-broil for 2 minutes. Do not forget to set a timer! You don't want to leave the chicken under broil for longer than it needs to be.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the oven, garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and serve!
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