The crispiest skin, ultra-juicy meat, and baked to perfection—once you try these bone-in Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs, you’ll never want them any other way! A mix of tangy Dijon, honey, and a squeeze of lemon coats the chicken, creating a dish fit for simple weeknight meals or fancy enough for entertaining dinner guests!
London’s Top Tip: The darker, the better! When the chicken skin turns a deep golden brown, that’s when you know all the excess fat has cooked off, leaving only crispy deliciousness. If you’re worried about overcooking, just pop them under the broiler for a few minutes to finish them off!
Table of Contents
For some reason, bone-in chicken thighs have a bad rap for being tricky or “too hard to cook.” But honestly, that couldn’t be further from the truth. After testing these for the 10th time for my Weeknight Winners cookbook, I realized bone-in thighs are almost impossible to mess up—especially when baked in the oven. The bone helps lock in all the juices, keeping the meat tender and preventing it from drying out.
The key? Bake them until the skin is golden and crispy. Pull them out too early, and you’ll end up with mushy, fatty skin. But when they’re cooked just right, all that excess fat melts away, leaving nothing but crispy deliciousness!
Then, smother it all in the most incredible sweet and tangy honey-mustard-garlic-lemon sauce. It’s a dish that’s easy enough for weeknight dinners, but fancy enough for entertaining!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, you can jump to the recipe.
- Bone-in chicken thighs: Two pounds will give you about 4-5 thighs. If you have more, reduce the cook time by 5-10 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Dijon mustard: Stick with Dijon—yellow or stoneground mustard will be too overpowering for this recipe.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced garlic is key! Using a garlic press and pre-peeled cloves speeds things up.
- Seasonings: A mix of dried thyme, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra flavor. Cut back on the flakes if you prefer less spice.
- Lemon: Both juice and zest brighten the dish. Use a microplane for fine zest!
How to Make Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
Jump to the recipe for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
- Make the sauce: Add the mustard, garlic, lemon juice and zest, honey, and dried seasonings to a small or medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Prep the chicken: Pat the chicken dry so the sauce sticks, then place the thighs in a baking dish. Leave a little room between, then drizzle each one with olive oil and salt.
- Season the chicken: Spread the sauce evenly over each of the chicken pieces; this is best with a pastry brush.
- Bake the chicken in the oven: Place the pan in an oven preheated to 425°F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Broil an additional 2 to 3 minutes to get a crispy exterior.
- Serve the chicken: Allow the thighs to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with some fresh thyme for a beautiful, and tasty, finished product.
FAQs
The best way to store leftovers is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze them, tightly wrapped, for up to 4 to 5 months.
The best way to prep ahead is to either make the sauce up to 24 hours early, or combine the sauce and the chicken in the baking dish and store in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
Chicken thighs are delicious when cooked in a variety of ways! This easy oven-baked recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight, but you can also try these Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs.
More Baked Chicken Recipes
Baking chicken is a great way to get delicious protein in an easy dish. Try these recipes next.
What to serve with Baked Chicken Thighs?
Each of these sides pair deliciously with this easy baked dish.
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Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ small lemon juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Fresh thyme optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Pat the chicken dry and place skin side up in a 9×9-inch or 13×9-inch baking dish, depending on the size of the thighs. (You want to leave a little room between each thigh.) Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and rub it all over. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt all over.2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice and zest, honey, dried thyme, black pepper, red pepper flakes, if using, and ¾ teaspoon salt.1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 4 cloves garlic, ½ small lemon, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- Spread the sauce evenly over the skin of the chicken thighs using a pastry brush.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads at least 165°F. If the skin is not browned and crispy yet, preheat the broiler. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin is crispy.
- Allow the thighs to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with additional fresh thyme.Fresh thyme
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Notes
- Chicken: Thighs are best, but you can opt for breasts if needed.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Tightly wrap and place in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 4-5 months.
- Tips: Avoid overcooking by broiling for 2-3 minutes at the end of baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you had more, would you not need more cooking time? (Bone-in chicken thighs: Two pounds will give you about 4-5 thighs. If you have more, reduce the cook time by 5-10 minutes to avoid overcooking.)
Hi Genera! This should read, if you have LESS, reduce the cook time. Thank you for catching that.
Juicy, delicious and easy
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Becky! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!