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.
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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.
Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs
Servings 6 thighsIngredients
- 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)
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.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos
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.
Stir the Maple Dijon sauce ingredients together, then set the sauce aside.
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.
Pour the Maple Dijon Sauce over the chicken pieces, covering them as much as possible.
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.
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)
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!
We loved it!!!!
Just made this tonight and it was soooo good!! We had really small chicken thighs and they cooked in about 35 minutes on 375° F. Luckily I was watching them, but just an FYI to anyone else. This recipe has the chicken so juicy and delicious, we have no complaints and will definitely be adding this to our rotation.
Awesome recipe. Didn’t have any dijon, so I used a combination of yellow and chinese hot mustard. My wife generally doesn’t like thigh meat, but she had seconds of this dish. So goooood
New to your site.
I’ve had your famous Maple Dijon chicken, at my sisters BBQ for years now.
A family favourite every year.
Can’t wait to explore more on your site. I love that you consider people who are on a budget, and still want to have a good and balanced meal.
Thank you
Anna
Montreal, Quebec Canada
I made these with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (400 degrees for 45 mins did the trick, and I didn’t even need to finish them with the broiler!) and WOW they’re amazing. I was tempted to halve the maple syrup, since one of my housemates really hates sweet food, but he inhaled his first portion and came back for seconds! It’s easy, it’s fast, it’s delicious, and it’s even great for meal prep (if there are ever any leftovers, which is NOT a given :D). Another Budget Bytes favorite!
Simply delicious! My go to recipe when cooking for those with common food allergies, as it is dairy free and easily made gluten free by swapping the soy sauce for liquid aminos.
Wow wow wow! One of our new favorites. I tripled the sauce, seared and cooked the chicken in my cast iron on the stovetop instead. I also opted for chicken breasts instead. Served with mashed potatoes and hot honey roasted carrots. 10/10.
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it seems to get even better each time. My family enjoys it. Thanks so much for sharing!
This recipe is a go-to for our house with a young toddler. It’s simple and tasty and made with ingredients we always have on hand. (applause) TY!
A 10 in our house!
I’ve made this dish a bunch of times and love it! Quick question…I only have the “fake” maple syrup on hand and am on a tight weekly grocery budget. It’s on the meal plan for this week and forgot to add the real maple syrup to the list…I’ve maxed out this week’s budget. :-/ Can I use this instead of pure maple syrup? Will it change the flavor much? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with pancake syrup, but my guess is that it would change the flavor, and maybe even the consistency of the sauce. But without actually trying it, I can’t say for sure how much the end product will be affected. It could end up surprising us all!
Chef Moncel knows to bring out a flavor pop with the addition of garlic 👌🏻That and good quality Dijon and Maple Syrup do the trick! I preseasoned the bone-in Chicken Drumsticks with salt&pepper and seared at higher heat to seal juices, then applied the great sauce/glaze and baked for longer 50-60 min @ 400 degrees. Roasting Potatoes on the sheet pan also simplified the side dish. Can add carrots too. One pan dinner!
Thoughts on agave instead of maple syrup?
Just wanted to say that this has become one of my go-to recipes over the past two years since I tried it. My wife claims to hate chicken, but she loves this. I now triple the sauce because it’s so good drizzled on rice and roasted veggies. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve shared the recipe on Facebook.
Always great