I love sweet mustard recipes and if there’s ever a pair made for each other, it’s spicy brown mustard and maple. These Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs only need to marinate for a few hours (really, you can get away with 30 minutes if you’re super short on time) and the marinade keeps the chicken juicy and flavorful on the inside with a tangy, spicy, slightly-crunchy crust on the outside. Pretty much the perfect summer dinner.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Spicy brown mustard
- Yellow mustard
- Real maple syrup
- Grated onion
- Apple cider vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Fresh garlic
How to Make Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Trim any excess fat from your chicken thighs and place them in a large zip-top bag. Note that you don’t have to trim every little bit. Much of the fat will melt as the thighs cook, so we’re just trimming off any large fatty pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine some spicy brown mustard, yellow mustard, brown sugar, maple syrup, grated onion, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, and minced garlic.
- Pour half of this sauce over the chicken, squish it around, zip it up, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat your outdoor grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the bag and season lightly with kosher salt, then grill for 3-5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165°F for food safety. I like to let mine go a little longer, to 170°F or even 175°F, as the extra heat helps break down the connective tissue in the darker meat and results in a more tender and flavorful finished product.
- Drizzle the chicken with the reserved sauce before serving.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- No grill? These can also be made under the broiler in your oven or on a grill pan on the stovetop.
Frequently Asked Questions
If serving guests, I recommend cooking them fresh right before serving. You can put the chicken in the marinade ahead of time, but I wouldn’t exceed 24 hours. For meal prep, these are still great reheated, so feel free to cook them one day and enjoy for lunches for several days afterward.
Sure, just remember that breasts cook more quickly and you’ll want to pull them off the grill as soon as they reach 165°F to avoid dry chicken!
Sure. Bake at 400°F for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165°F for food safety, but preferably 170°F to 175°F for best flavor and texture.
Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- ⅓ cup spicy brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the trimmed chicken thighs in a large Ziploc bag.
- Combine brown mustard, brown sugar, maple syrup, yellow mustard, grated onion, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and black pepper in a small mixing bowl. Pour half of the mixture over the chicken thighs and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium heat. Remove the thighs from the bag and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Cook the thighs 3-5 minutes per side. Using a digital thermometer, cook chicken until it is a minimum temperature of 165°. However, you’ll want to aim for between 170-175° for improved flavor and texture. Drizzle with reserved sauce before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have time to marinate for the full 2 – 4 hours, 30 minutes will work in a pinch!
- Store finished chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- No grill? These can also be made under the broiler in your oven or on a grill pan on the stovetop.
Questions & Reviews
Since I don’t have spicy brown mustard, can I replace it with either Creole Mustard or course grain mustard?
Either would be fantastic–creole mustard is my all-time favorite!
I made these 2 nights ago & they were the BOMB!
Making these again for sure!
This was so good! I bought almost 3 lbs of chicken thighs because I feel like there is so much fat to be trimmed. My kids loved it! I’ll use more chicken next time so we have leftovers. I served with a green salad.
What side dishes would you pair with these?
I made them with a “roasted potato salad with a simple dijon dressing with bacon” from another blog. It came out amazing. I think I will partner it next time with a green too, so I can get in some healthier veggies with the potato side.
I’d like to know this too!
Thanks! Looks delish, I always appreciate a grilling recipe! I’ve been debating on whether I should turn on my oven to make cookies today too… it’s only 107 today!
This is just prefect for the 4Th! 🙂
Kate, these are so yummy! I made them last night and my 8-year old, orange chicken loving son proclaimed, “These are better than orange chicken!”. That is a miracle. Yum, thank you.
Oh, yay!!!! Tell him I’m so glad he’s a fan!! 🙂
This looks delicious! I would love to make it tomorrow, but I only have chicken tenderloins–would it work with those? Would the grill time change?
I haven’t cooked with tenderloins in a long time, so I can’t say for sure. I’d keep the marinating time about the same (and probably the cooking time, too, but really, however long you usually cook tenderloins.)
I wonder how they would hold up in the freezer. I would love to take these to the beach next week, but the marinade might not like being frozen.
I think it would actually do pretty well. It’s not oily at all, which is usually where you run into trouble.
This looks delicious! Since the thighs come in a sort of “roll” did you “unroll” them to grill them? I’ve never grilled them, just roasted them. I can’t wait to try this out!
Yep, if they’re rolled, just unroll them (mine are usually just tossed into the package) and toss them into the marinade, then when you grill them, make sure they’re not rolled or folded anywhere.