Give your grilled chicken an exciting sweet and tangy flavor with this easy Honey Mustard Marinade! Made with common pantry ingredients, it’s easy to mix up and perfect for chicken thighs.
This honey and mustard marinade for chicken is one of my absolute favorites! It’s so easy to mix up using ingredients I already have in my pantry, and it gives the meat such an amazing flavor.
This marinade is sweet from the honey and tangy from apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. A pinch of cayenne pepper gives it a little bit of a kick!
You’ll need to plan ahead at least a few hours to make this marinated chicken recipe, but the waiting time is well worth it!
If you’re looking for more delicious marinade options for chicken, see them all in my post of the 6 Best Chicken Marinades.
And if you love honey mustard you must try my honey mustard salmon recipe next!
Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade Recipe Highlights
- Big Flavor – You’ll be amazed at what you can create using ingredients that you already have! This marinade is flavorful and wonderfully balanced, and the juicy chicken you make with it will be delicious.
- Make Ahead – You can prepare this marinade whenever you have the time. Store it in the fridge for a couple of days if you need to, or add the chicken to it and come back to it when you’re ready to grill.
- Versatile Recipe – Play around with the marinade ingredients if you like. You can use different types of mustards, swap honey for brown sugar, or add your favorite seasonings to this easy marinade.
Key Ingredients for Honey Mustard Marinade
Here’s what you need to make this sweet and tangy chicken marinade:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Olive Oil: Oil helps to keep the chicken moist and juicy on the grill. Use regular olive oil rather than extra virgin olive oil. Other mild flavored oils work too.
- Dijon Mustard: I love the sophisticated flavor of Dijon mustard with chicken.
- Honey: This adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the marinade.
- Vinegar: This acidic ingredient tenderizes the meat, and balances out the sweetness from the honey. Apple cider vinegar is my favorite, but white wine vinegar works too.
- Garlic: Freshly mince 3 whole cloves of garlic. The flavor of fresh garlic is so much better than jarred garlic!
- Seasonings: To round out this delicious mixture, you’ll need salt, black pepper, paprika, and a bit of cayenne powder. Leave out the cayenne if you want a milder dish.
- Chicken: Once you have the marinade ready, you’re going to need a vessel for all of that amazing flavor! I’m using inexpensive boneless, skinless chicken thighs today.
How To Make Honey Mustard Marinade
Tip!
Once marinated, you can cook this chicken however you like! It will be delicious whether you grill it, bake it, or air fry it.
How to Cook Marinated Chicken Thighs
These boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be cooked in a variety of ways. Here are the basic instructions for grilling, baking, or air frying chicken thighs:
- Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, then clean and oil the grill grates. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for three more minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and add the chicken to a rimmed baking dish lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until done.
- Air Fryer: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs should take about 12-14 minutes to cook fully in a 400°F (200°C) air fryer.
Tip!
No matter how you cook it, chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C with an instant read thermometer.
Recipe Tips
- Use it with any chicken pieces. This marinade is delicious with boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, chicken tenders, and bone-in chicken pieces as well.
- Adjust the spice level. This recipe has a bit of a kick from cayenne pepper, but you can leave it out if you prefer a less spicy outcome.
- Use it with other meats! You can use this honey mustard marinade with pork, beef, salmon, or veggies too. It also makes a delicious dipping sauce.
Storing Tips
- Make the Marinade Ahead of Time: Feel free to mix up the honey mustard marinade and store it in a jar. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.
- How to Freeze Marinated Chicken: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before cooking, allow the chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- How to Store Leftover Honey Mustard Chicken: Once cooked, chicken thighs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I love to keep grilled honey mustard chicken on hand to add to salads during the week!
What To Serve With Honey Mustard Marinated Chicken
If you’re grilling your honey mustard chicken, you’re going to want some easy, summery side dishes to go along with it.
Try some of my favorites – I know you’ll love these:
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad with the creamiest dressing
- Grilled Potatoes in Foil take about 30 minutes on the grill.
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is so simple, and goes great with everything.
- Broccoli Salad – a classic, and always a hit!
- For dessert, try something light and fruity, like Strawberry Shortcake, fresh Mango Cake, or Lemon Blueberry Cookies.
Recipe FAQs
What can I use instead of Dijon Mustard?
I have great news! This recipe will work with any kind of mustard that you have. Try it with whole grain mustard, yellow mustard, or spicy mustard instead. The flavor will change a bit depending on the mustard, but it will still be amazing!
How long can chicken be marinated for?
24 hours, maximum.
When marinating chicken, you want to avoid marinating it for too long. The acidity from the vinegar in this marinade helps to tenderize the meat, but after 24 hours, the meat will become too tenderized, resulting in soft, mushy chicken.
I have found that the sweet spot for marinating chicken is somewhere between 6 and 12 hours, but you have plenty of wiggle room to marinate it for more or less time than that.
Can I freeze the chicken with the marinade?
Yes! I do this all the time. Add the chicken to the marinade and seal it up in a ziptop freezer bag. Label and date the bag, then store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow the honey mustard marinated chicken to thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking it.
More Marinated Chicken Recipes
Save this recipe by pinning it! Honey Mustard Marinade is so delicious, and the perfect way to turn plain chicken into a sweet and tangy family favorite.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Honey Mustard Marinade for Chicken
Recipe Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 ml) honey
- ½ cup (120 ml) Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds (900 g) chicken thighs or any other chicken parts
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine honey with dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the chicken to a ziploc bag, or a bowl, and pour the marinade over the chicken. Mix to make sure that the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap, or seal the ziploc bag.
- Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 2-24 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the bag, and grill it or bake it until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F/74°C with an Instant read thermometer.
Notes:
- Grill over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C 0r 160°C for fan oven) oven for 15-20 minutes or until done.
- Use it with any chicken pieces. This marinade is delicious with boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, chicken tenders, and bone-in chicken pieces as well. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the pieces.
- Adjust the spice level. This recipe has a bit of a kick from cayenne pepper, but you can leave it out if you prefer a less spicy outcome.
- Make ahead: Feel free to mix up the honey mustard marinade and store it in a jar. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.
- How to freeze marinated chicken: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before cooking, allow the chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Store leftovers: Once cooked, chicken thighs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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