Looking for a sweet and savory easy weeknight dinner for two? These Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with fresh rosemary and crispy chicken skin will not disappoint.


Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs - Dinner For Two

For the past few months, I haven’t been feeling very inspired, like I hit a wall and can’t get past it.

The most difficult part is I can’t pinpoint a reason why.

It’s easy to blame it on my job, but I love what I do. I take days off from work, so overworking isn’t an issue.

I’m not depressed. Maybe being cooped up inside with the cold and dreary weather finally got to me.

Every day that’s it warm enough outside, I’m anxious to get outside and go for a walk. When a cold day sneaks in, it kills me to stay inside.

Whatever the reason, everything is leaving me unmotivated. I look at my editorial calendar for the blog, and I struggle to come up with recipe ideas.

Sure I have a long list of ideas from over the years, but nothing is begging me to run to the kitchen and make it immediately.

When I make plans for the weekend, I can’t think of anything I want to do. My menu planning for dinner has tanked as I struggle to think of a single thing I want to eat; I’ve had too many cheat meals of frozen pizza and Chinese food.

When I write my grocery list, I struggle to add items to the list because I don’t know what I want to eat for dinner.

I’d like to think it’s a form of writer’s block (recipe block?) and it’ll pass soon.

It probably doesn’t help I’m dealing with taxes, filling out local township paperwork I didn’t know I needed, filing for an LLC, deciding on whether I should become an S-Corp, and renewing my driver’s license. I really need a break from adulting.

THEN Instagram – the one social media platform I actually enjoy using – decides to change their algorithm, and now nobody is seeing my photos.

Talk about discouraging because I poured a lot of time and energy into growing it, and I had a bit of a momentum going.

I’m starting to feel a little more hopeful for next month’s recipes, so maybe I’m finally climbing over that wall. This feeling does have to pass eventually, right?

I’ve been making my Maple Roasted Chicken Quarters a lot because 1 – it’s one of my favorite meals and 2 – when I don’t know what I want to eat, at least I know I can buy chicken and make crispy chicken skin.

As much as I love maple, I wanted to change it up and get me out of my dinner funk.

My original plan for the maple chicken was with chicken thighs, but at that time the butcher ran out. This time they had chicken thighs back in stock, so I picked up a few to make dinner.

I decided to use honey instead of maple, and what goes better with honey than mustard?

Add fresh rosemary on top, and now you have Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs as an easy and delicious chicken recipe for two.

Anything with crispy chicken skin is a winner in my book.


Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs - Dinner For Two

What is the difference between roasting and baking a chicken?

Roasting and baking may seem like one and the same. Put the chicken in the oven and let it cook. However, there is a difference between the two cooking methods.

Roasting is used to create a crispy, golden brown skin on the chicken. Sometimes the meat is basted for long cooking times, but you don’t need to baste chicken thighs since the cook time is relatively short.

This process requires a higher temperature of 400F (200C) or higher. Anything below 400F/200C is considered baking, not roasting.

You also need to roast your chicken uncovered. If you cover the chicken with foil, moisture is trapped and steams the food, resulting in flabby chicken skin.

Which cut of chicken should I use?

Typically for serving sizes, I do one large chicken quarter or two chicken thighs per person.

You can also make this recipe using chicken breast. However, I’m not a fan of light meat so I stick with thighs and legs.

As long as you know your preference between dark and light meat, you can customize it to your liking.


Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs - Dinner For Two

How To Make Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken Thighs

Before you start to cook, make sure you prep the chicken thighs properly. Pat them completely dry then rub both sides with salt.

Next, heat your oil in a large skillet until hot. It’s important to not rush this because if your oil isn’t hot, your chicken skin won’t brown and crisp up properly.

Add your chicken skin side down, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. If your skillet isn’t large enough, you may need to brown in batches.

Overcrowding the pan will result in steaming your skin rather than frying it, so make sure you give your chicken pieces room to fry.

Once the skin is brown, flip and cook the other side until brown. Then transfer your chicken to your baking pan, brush with honey mustard, then roast until done.

How long do you bake chicken thighs?

Baking time depends on how large the chicken thighs are. Typically you bake them for about 30-40 minutes.

The important thing is to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of at least 165F (74C) with clear juices running out when poked.

Which honey should I use for honey mustard?

Clover is the most common type of honey, but with all of the different varieties out there, as long as you like the honey you’re using, it’ll work in the honey mustard glaze.

I encourage you to buy honey from a local farm (or a store that carries a local brand) not only to support your local bee farmers but also because it’s guaranteed to be real, raw honey.

Sometimes honey at the big chain stores is pasteurized and ultra-filtered to the point where most if not all of the pollen is removed, and technically honey without pollen is not honey.


Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs - Dinner For Two

Which mustard should I use for honey mustard?

Not all mustards are created equal.

Dijon mustard works best for the honey glaze because its sharp and strong flavor balances nicely with the sweetness from the honey.

It also has more of a mustard-y bite compared to yellow mustard.

I know the last thing you want to do is buy yet another jar of mustard you may never use again, but trust me. You’ll be making this chicken dish over and over.

Not a fan of honey mustard? Check out my recipe for Mediterranean Chicken Thighs.

What To Serve With Roasted Chicken Thighs

Looking for an easy side dish to make while your thighs are roasting? Check out these side dish recipes:

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs (Dinner For Two)

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs (Dinner For Two)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Looking for a sweet and savory easy weeknight dinner for two? These Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with fresh rosemary and crispy chicken skin will not disappoint.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 large chicken thighs, patted dry and rubbed with salt (kosher preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons pure honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (kosher preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Have a small casserole dish or an 8x8 pan ready.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Once hot, add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and brown for 5 minutes.
  3. Flip and brown the other side for 5 minutes. If your skillet isn't large enough, you may need to do this in two batches. Add more oil if necessary.
  4. Meanwhile, whisk together honey, mustard, and salt. Brush the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of honey mustard.
  5. Once the chicken has finished browning, place chicken in the pan, skin side up. Brush evenly with honey mustard and sprinkle rosemary on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F/74C.

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