Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs

$6.70 recipe / $1.12 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.92 from 72 votes
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If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest, any time at all, you’ve surely seen a pin for Maple Dijon Chicken. Pretty much every blogger out there has made it and it has been pinned to the moon and back. So, I thought I’d play a little game of pintester and try it out myself, because unless every single blogger out there is a liar, this stuff has got to be good.

Of course, I didn’t want to just beat a dead horse with a stick, so I threw my own spin on the recipe. I made the basic Dijon and maple syrup marinade, tasted it, and then added what I thought it needed.

top view of a baking dish with cooked maple dijon chicken thighs

See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.

Maple Dijon Chicken My Way…

I made a few changes to the recipe found all over Pinterest. First, it needed garlic. I mean, it was just begging for a little garlic. The bulk of the marinade is Dijon mustard, which can be very sharp and tangy, so it needed some low garlic notes to bring it back to the ground. Second, I added a touch of soy sauce. This acted in the same way as the garlic to help round things out and balance the high and low notes. Not to mention, it provided a little bit of much needed salt to balance the sweet maple syrup and just help all of the flavors pop.

I only made about half the amount of marinade as most other people do. I found that it covered my chicken very well and that helped keep the costs low (real maple syrup is NOT cheap). Lastly, I baked my chicken in a casserole dish (as opposed to on a baking sheet) so that the juices would stay near by and keep the chicken moist, rather than evaporate away and leave the edges dry and burned. It resulted in super tender, delicious chicken and ample juices for braising.

Thyme, Rosemary, or Both!

You can make this Maple Dijon Chicken with either thyme or rosemary. When I began preparing the recipe I found that I was out of both. I almost wanted to give up on life right then and there, but suddenly remembered that I have a rosemary plant on my front porch. :D So, I used fresh rosemary. I have dried rosemary listed in the ingredients, but you can use fresh instead (I’d use about the same amount).

What to Serve with Maple Dijon Chicken

I paired this succulent chicken with my Carrot and Orzo Salad this time around, but I think it would also go quite well with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables, or a nice Fall inspired salad, like my Autumn Kale and Sweet Potato Salad. If you’re looking for some more classic comfort food type sides, try it with mashed potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Whether I need one or two chicken thighs for a serving depends on the size of your thighs, so I just listed the price per “serving” as the price per thigh.

One maple dijon chicken thigh with a side of orzo salad on a plate
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Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs

4.92 from 72 votes
You won’t find an easier, more flavorful dish than these Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs. Sweet and savory, this dish is a family pleaser.
You won't find an easier, more flavorful dish than these Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs. Sweet and savory, this dish is a family pleaser. BudgetBytes.com
Servings 6 thighs
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard ($0.36)
  • 2 Tbsp real maple syrup ($0.60)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce ($0.04)
  • 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
  • 1/2 Tbsp dried rosemary or fresh ($0.30)
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2.3 lbs.) ($5.19)
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a small bowl, stir together the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, and soy sauce. Mince the garlic and chop the rosemary. Stir both into the marinade.
  • Arrange the chicken thighs in the dish so that they are close, but not overlapping. Pour the marinade on top and then spread it around until the thighs are completely covered.
  • Bake the chicken thighs in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the liquid around the thighs is simmering. Spoon some of the liquid over the thighs, return them to the oven, then switch the oven's setting from bake to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until the top of the chicken is golden brown. Watch the chicken closely as it broils, as broilers can vary.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.


Notes

Use a spoon to drizzle the cooking juices over top of the chicken after baking. Avoid using a brush as this will wipe off the baked on marinade.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 255.77kcalCarbohydrates: 5.52gProtein: 34.67gFat: 9.82gSodium: 378.45mgFiber: 0.57g
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Close up of maple dijon chicken thighs in baking pan

How to Make Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos

Maple Dijon Sauce Ingredients in mixing bowl

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Add the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, and soy sauce to a small bowl. Mince the garlic and roughly chop the rosemary, then add them to the bowl as well.

Maple Dijon Sauce Mixed together

Stir the Maple Dijon sauce ingredients together, then set the sauce aside.

Raw Chicken Thighs in Dish

Coat the inside of a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Arrange the chicken pieces inside the dish so that they are close, but not overlapping.

Pouring Maple Dijon Sauce over Chicken in dish

Pour the Maple Dijon Sauce over the chicken pieces, covering them as much as possible.

Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs ready to bake

If necessary, use a spoon to scoop up some of the runoff back up over the surface of the chicken. You want the chicken completely covered.

Top view of Baked maple dijon chicken thighs in baking pan

Bake the Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the liquid around them is simmering. Spoon some of the the liquid back up over top of the chicken, then place them back in the oven, switch the oven from bake to broil, and let them broil for about 5 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Watch the chicken closely as it broils, as broilers can vary. (That extra rosemary is just a garnish)

One maple dijon chicken thigh with a side of orzo salad on a plate with a fork on the side

The Maple Dijon Chicken Thigh is pictured here with my Carrot & Orzo Salad.

The other bloggers didn’t lie – It’s one of the easiest, tastiest chicken dishes I’ve ever had. I want to eat it every day!

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Comments

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  1. Just checking on the Cook time. I thought boneless thighs cooked more quickly, so is 45 minutes not too long? Many recipes I see only call for 20 minutes.

    1. 45 minutes works really well for this recipe. It gives the sauce some time to cook down and concentrate, and the thighs get very nice and tender.

  2. Made this for dinner last night and absolutely loved it! I used smoked garlic as I had just bought it on the weekend and wanted to try it out. Not sure if it made any difference but the flavour was delicious anyhow! I couldn’t really taste the mustard or maple flavours individually but they melded together so perfectly, just amazing! The chicken was so tender, the marinade was so easy to whip up. Can’t say enough good things about this recipe!

  3. This. is. amazing. I cook a ton and have been a line cook before, so I’m critical of food. I used to never like thighs until I had them well-made a year or so ago. Now I jump at the opportunity to use them. They’re so easy and tender. They also don’t usually involve any cutting! I was skeptical about how good this would be – the sauce looked thin and I didn’t know if the chicken would pick up any flavor. I’m glad how wrong I was! Perfect weeknight dinner. So few dishes.ย 

  4. Delicious! I Usually do the standard honey mustard but I love the maple replacement. Also, using rosemary this time of year is perfect! Thanks!

  5. Currently eating this and i am soooo obsessed!! We served with roasted root veggies on the side and some rice to soak up the delicious sauce. This is going to be a staple in our house. Itโ€™s the perfect fall dish but we will eat this all year long! Thanks for posting!!

  6. Love, love, love this recipe. I’ve made it several times and will make it again tonight. It’s fast to make and the ingredients are usually on hand. . Thanks for posting!

  7. So delicious, so simple! ย You likely have ingredients on hand. ย Chicken was tender, moist, flavorful. Whole family loved it. ย Will definitely make this again.ย 

  8. I just made this tonight and my family loved it! My six year old and even picky three year old finished their plates and I couldn’t believe it. I coupled this dish with green beans and simple pasta and it couldn’t have been easier. The chicken came out so tender and my house still smells amazing. Definitely a new favorite!

  9. This recipe was soooooo good. I’ve already made it twice.. Simple, quick and tasty. If you don’t like chicken thighs. This will change your mind. Thanks for sharing.

  10. OK – so I love chicken breast – love the white meat and have a MILLION recipes for them (it’s true … ask my husband and kids) not such a huge fan of thighs but my husband loves the thighs. So …. every third trip to the grocery store I buy them, freeze them and, occasionally cook them. We were down to the bottom of the freezer, no white meat left, only thighs (my kids used to call this “purging” or “eat to the back of the cabinets” when they were growing up …. you know, eating all those things that you just “have”but never quite get around to using). So, here are the thighs – staring me in the face. OK … my first go-to place is Pinterest and I came up with this recipe. It sounded great, just ONE little thing … I use my crock pot all the time. I work all day and have night meetings several nights a week. Cooking something for an hour after I get home is usually not an option. So, I gave this a try ….

    I took my frozen thighs, right out of the freezer (I freeze them like they still have the bone in them, rounded little humps), peel off the wrap (I wrap my meat portions in press and seal and store in ziploc freezer bags), place the frozen thighs in the bottom of a sprayed crock pot, mix up the sauce as per recipe and pour right over top. Cover and cook on low until I get home (8 – 10 hours). When I get home I can just make some rice and vegetables or salad (at times I just throw a couple of sweet or white potatoes in the oven before I leave for work and set the delay start on the the oven to bake them). This has become (I’m ashamed to admit it) one of my favorite chicken recipes. My husband is thrilled because it’s his beloved dark meat and we have it so frequently now. Give it a try …. I’m sure it doesn’t come out as crispy on top as it would from the oven, but it’s quick, easy, and the thighs come out tender and juicy. Win-Win