I love this recipe. It was so good, I almost posted it last night right after dinner.
A version of this recipe popped up on Pinterest yesterday and miraculously I happened to have all of the ingredients in my kitchen. I am a terrible meal planner unless it is a party or big event, so if I can make a real recipe without going to the grocery store, I consider it a minor victory.
After a little searching, it turns out that this is a recipe from the The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook
This is quick, easy, pretty healthy, and the sauce….oh my gosh…the sauce is nothing short of amazing.
Here’s what you need:
Chicken Thighs*, Dijon Mustard, Maple Syrup, White Wine Vinegar, Corn Starch, Rosemary, Salt & Pepper.
Click here for an Easy Chicken Dijon Shopping List
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
*I’m using 8 bone-in chicken thighs that I bought at the store and removed the skin at home. The original recipe calls for skinless, boneless thighs which I happen to think are one of the dumber things you can buy. Chicken thighs are not only one of the tastiest parts of the chicken, they are also one of the cheapest. With the bone – which makes the chicken taste AND cook better/juicier, they are about $1.20 a pound. They are very easy to skin with a sharp knife or even just using your fingers. Deboned and skinned at the store bumps them up to over $4 a pound. Ridiculous!
So, moral of the story…buy them with skin and bones and remove the skin at home. Trim away any big pieces of fat while you’re at it.
And YES, for this recipe you DO need to remove the skin. Otherwise it would be very greasy and ruin the awesome sauce.
Speaking of the sauce, in a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup of dijon mustard, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not the fake stuff), and 3 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
Whisk it to combine and you’re done.
Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lay the chicken thighs in the pan with the good, smooth side up. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and pour the sauce over the top.
Use tongs to turn each piece of chicken a couple of times so that it is well coated on all sides with the sauce. This also gives you a chance to put pepper on the bottom side of the chicken. Just be sure that when you are done turning and coating, the smooth side is once again facing up.
I love rosemary with baked chicken and I happen to have a huge rosemary plant so I tossed a couple of big sprigs right in the pan. You’ll also need 2 more rosemary sprigs for the garnish at the end. Strip the leaves off the extra sprigs, give them a fine chop, and set aside until the chicken is done.
Bake the chicken, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, turn the chicken in the sauce again but be sure to keep the same good side up so it will continue to brown.
After 45 minutes, the chicken will be tender and cooked through. If you are in doubt, use an instant read meat thermometer to double check. Your chicken is good to go at 165 degrees.
Remove the golden, juicy chicken thighs to a platter and immediately sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in the pan of sauce. Use a whisk to remove any lumps and thicken the sauce. It is important to do this right away as the cornstarch only works when the sauce is almost boiling.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the finely chopped fresh rosemary.
Technically, 8 thighs should serve 4 people. I served this with some sautéed green beans and glazed carrots. I’m not saying how many chicken thighs were eaten by only 2 people…
I’m always happy to find good, easy chicken recipes and this one is a definite winner. Make this SOON!
Here’s the recipe – Adapted from The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook
Note: I made a typo in the original printed recipe. This serves 4 people but can easily be doubled.
10 Responses
I need to read you before I shop. I bought a whole chicken yesterday And the mental debate was whole or thighs. Next time the thighs win because this looks like a winner.
This is funny. I made soup yesterday with the oddest assortment of chicken parts because I had part of a cut up roaster and a couple of extra thighs. I think you could make this with any chicken parts but the thighs were especially juicy and tender.
That’s what we call “Poulet à la moutarde”, in french 😉
We just love this !! 🙂
Oooh! Sounds so much better in French! Most things do….
THIS looks amazing. I hope to try it this weekend while we have guests here!
XOXO
We had this for dinner….everyone loved it. I should have doubled the recipe. Awesome!!!!!
XOXO
Have made chicken thighs several times lately. The recipes I used called for marinating the chicken for several hours in advance. I’m wondering if it would work for this one which sounds absolutely delicious. I’ve got several rosemary plants growing in pots outside, so I always lots of it on hand. Will definitely try your recipe in the very near future and perhaps experiment with marinating it first.
Here is the recipe I used (found at allrecipes.com):
Delectable Marinated Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (I substituted hoisin sauce)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper (What is it? Never heard of this and don’t have it.)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup canola oil (Didn’t use this. Thighs have enough of their own fat.)
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Directions:
1. Mix together Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, liquid smoke, and molasses in a resealable plastic bag until the molasses has dissolved. Add sesame seeds, brown sugar, paprika, garlic salt, garlic pepper, minced garlic, and canola oil; mix well. Coat chicken thighs with the marinade, seal, and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator, redistributing the chicken in the marinade occasionally.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat. (I baked them in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.)
3. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Grill on preheated grill until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), and is firm and opaque, about 12 minutes per side. Discard any remaining marinade.
Made it tonight — it was delicious and a big hit with the men in my house — and you were TOTALLY right about the sauce!
I kind of forgot about this recipe! Thanks for the reminder!!!