Easy Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs Traybake

You will love this quick ‘n’ easy tray bake of Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs, with meat so juicy it makes its own gravy. Simply pop all the ingredients into a roasting pan and bake. Hands-on time is less than 5 minutes, so it’s ideal for a weeknight supper. 

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

I love a quick and easy one-tray leave-it-all-to-cook chicken dish. It is the ultimate easy but delicious supper, with innumerable variations. Whether it’s a French-style casserole or rich curry, it’s a great way to enjoy delicious food with minimal effort. 

Mustard works beautifully with chicken. In this version, I’ve smothered tender chicken thighs with a mixture of honey, mustard, soy sauce and olive oil. Then I’ve put them into a roasting dish containing sliced onions and garlic, thrown in some lemon and left it all to cook. There’s only five minutes’ hands-on work and if you want, you can do this up to 12 hours in advance.

Chicken thighs are frugal and full of flavour. They also remain moist after roasting, unlike chicken breasts which can dry out. This makes them my first choice for a dish of this type. As the chicken cooks, the marinade forms a delicious coating, and all the juices mix and thicken to make a rich gravy.

Making the Most of Chicken

For best value, buy a whole chicken. You get so much more for your money. Use the carcass for stock and freeze some of the meat if there is too much to use right away – why not try these Easy Freeze-Ahead Chicken Kebabs? If you have cooked leftovers, use them for the next night’s dinner in pasta or in this easy Healthy Coronation Chicken. 

Serve Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with rice, crispy Parmentier potatoes, couscous, mashed potato, rice, or a hunk of crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices. You can dress this dish up or down. Use boned chicken thighs and bake in a pretty china dish for a dinner party, or keep it simple for a weekday supper. Leftovers freeze well and can be reheated in either the microwave or the oven.

Why Make Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs 

• There is barely any prep aside from slicing an onion. No need to fry ingredients off before cooking.  
• This is a bung-it-all-in-and-cook dish that is delicious. 
• It uses everyday ingredients. 
• One pot means less time spent on the clean up and washing up.
• It is adaptable and perfect for a batch cook. 
• Easy enough for every day, but tastes good enough for a dinner party.  

How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs 

Grab the ingredients: chicken thighs, honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, onion, garlic and a lemon. You can use smooth or grain mustard or a flavoured one, as mild or fiery as you like. 

Chicken Thighs 

My preferred cut of chicken for most dishes is the thigh. Cheaper, moister and more flavoursome than the breast as they have more fat. I use skin on and bone in, but for a dinner or supper party you can use skinned and boned. If you fillet them yourself, then freeze the skin and bone for stock. 

Step 1 – Heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Mix the mustard, honey, soy and olive oil together. 

Step 2 – Peel and slice the onions and garlic and then place in a shallow oven-proof dish. Nestle the chicken thighs into the onion, and tuck lemon wedges between each piece of chicken. Push the onion down between the chicken thighs to make sure it cooks in the juices. 

Step 3 – Smother the chicken with the honey mustard mix and season the dish with salt and pepper. If you want to, you can cover and leave in the fridge for 12 hours before baking. 

Step 4 – Bake for 40–50 minutes until the chicken is golden. I usually baste the chicken thighs halfway though. Garnish and serve with buttery mash, crusty bread, couscous or pasta to soak up all the juices. 

How to Reheat 

This dish is perfect to make in advance and reheat. As soon as leftovers are cold, cover and put in the fridge. Eat within 3 days, or freeze.

When you are ready to reheat your Honey Mustard Chicken, simply cover and pop it in a hot oven or microwave until piping hot. You can add a glug of white wine to make more sauce.   

Hints, Tips & Variations 

We love this dish as it comes, but there are lots of ways to vary it. If you add extra ingredients, you may need a bigger dish so that the thighs are spread out in one layer. You want them to bake rather than stew. 

• Add a handful of new or salad potatoes for a more substantial meal.
• Mix up the flavours with more or less mustard, grain or smooth or a dash of chilli sauce. 
• Swap the lemon for orange and the honey for marmalade for a baked orange chicken.
• Swirl some cream through before the end of cooking for a creamy honey mustard chicken. 

Easy rice sides

A rice side would be delicious served with this and perfect for soaking up that delicious sauce.  Try:- 

• Nandos rice
• Greek rice
• Italian rice
• Mushroom rice
• Spicy rice
• Other easy rice dishes

More easy chicken recipes

• Peri peri chicken
• Chinese chicken curry
• Sticky Asian chicken wings
• Soy chicken
• Lemon chicken salad 
• more chicken recipes

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5 from 8 votes

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs Traybake

You will love this quick 'n' easy honey mustard chicken tray bake. It even makes its own gravy. Simply pop all the ingredients into a roasting pan and bake. Hands on time is less than 5 minutes.

Servings: 4

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion – peeled & sliced
• 3 cloves garlic – peeled & sliced
• 1 tbsp mild mustard
• 1 tbs honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• salt and pepper
• 4 large chicken thighs (with skin and bone)
• 1 lemon (quartered)

Instructions

• Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4.
• Scatter the onion and garlic into an ovenproof dish.
• Place the chicken pieces on top of the onions. Mix the mustard, olive oil and soy sauce, and use it to coat the chicken thighs. Pour over any remaining mustard mixture.
• Season well with salt and pepper.
• Tuck the pieces of lemon between the chicken thighs.
• Bake for 40–50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the juices have thickened.

Notes

• Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs freeze well. Just reheat in the oven or microwave.
• Scale the recipe up or down but always use a roasting tray big enough so you can spread the thighs out to a single layer
• This recipe is 10 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition Facts

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs Traybake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 341 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 110mg37%

Sodium 677mg29%

Potassium 347mg10%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 90IU2%

Vitamin C 17.1mg21%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1.3mg7%

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

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chicken

Keyword: Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

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Update Notes – Honey mustard chicken thighs first published August 2016.  Updated with new photos, hints, tips and step by step instructions April 2020.

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