Tender chicken smothered in a sweet and tangy sauce with plenty of garlic and fresh thyme. This easy Maple Mustard Chicken turns a short list of ingredients into a flavorful meal that works any night of the week.
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You’ve got to love a recipe that’s ready in under 30 minutes but tastes like a restaurant meal. All it takes is a few high-quality ingredients and a quick stovetop-to-oven method to give this Maple Mustard Chicken big flavor and a perfectly tender result.
It’s a little sweet, a lot savory, and wonderfully satisfying.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced to about ½ inch thick so they cook quickly and evenly. You can buy them thin-sliced or cut larger breasts in half horizontally.
- Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup for the best flavor, rather than “pancake syrup”.
- Stone-ground mustard: Its coarse texture and savory bite balance the sweetness of the maple syrup. Choose one you enjoy the flavor of, since it comes through in the sauce.
- Fresh thyme: Adds an herby note that balances the sweet and tangy sauce.
- Garlic: Slice the cloves thinly instead of mincing them. The slices stay more prominent in the sauce and are especially good spooned over the chicken.
- Chicken broth and apple cider vinegar: Low-sodium broth lets you control the seasoning, while a splash of vinegar brightens the sauce.
How to Make Maple Mustard Chicken
- Sear the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear it in olive oil. Transfer it to a plate.
- Start the sauce: Add the broth, maple syrup, thyme, and garlic to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits as the mixture cooks.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the apple cider vinegar and stone-ground mustard.
- Bake: Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon the sauce over it, and bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F. Spoon the sauce and garlic over the chicken before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon the sauce and sliced garlic over the chicken and you’re ready to serve. I love to serve this saucy chicken with Almond Rice Pilaf (pictured in this post) and simply cooked or roasted vegetables.
More easy sides to round out this meal:
- Creamy Orzo and Mushrooms
- Parsley Potatoes
- Easy Parmesan Noodles
- Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
- Sautéed Broccolini
Storage Tips
Store leftover chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat or in the microwave, spooning the sauce over the chicken to keep it moist.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, about ½ inch thick
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F.
- Add the olive oil to a large oven-safe skillet and heat over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the broth, maple syrup, thyme, and garlic to the skillet. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vinegar and mustard and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over it.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part. Spoon the sauce and garlic over the chicken before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
This post was originally published on April 17, 2018. It has been updated with new text and images.
I just love these flavors! So delicious and simple! Thanks for sharing!
Maple and mustard is one of my favorite flavor combos so this is a must try for me! I also love how the sauce simmers with they thyme – I bet it is so flavorful yum!
This looks delicious! Love the flavor combo in this- the sweet with the tangy mustard. 🙂
I love mustard, thyme and maple syrup together with chicken. It looks amazing!
I love simple recipes like this that use good quality ingredients and really just focus on flavor instead of fuss! I have everything on hand for this recipe, and just need to pick up some fresh chicken! I love that! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks, Valerie!
I am not sure if I had tried maple syrup and mustard sauce. It sounds so delicious! I am sure your family enjoyed this dish! Sounds like you had a busy weekend. I feel like my summer is busier than regular days. I guess my kids are having summer “break” and that’s not including me. =P
I always came home from vacation totally exhausted when we had little ones! I hope you get some time to relax while you are away, Nami 🙂
Now I know this is something EVERYONE in my fam will eat. That is key these days. As much as I want BBQ fare every day, reality is that’s just not going to happen. This is such a great family friendly weeknight chicken dish.
This chicken dish looks wonderful! Definitely comforting!
I, too, didn`t want to go back to work after the 4th weekend. Haha! This would have definitely helped! Also, loving all the other chicken recipes.
I had a Monday like that too! I love mustard with chicken – looks yummy!
Thanks, Beckie! It took a couple of days but I’m back in the swing of things now 🙂 Hope you are too!