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These dijon maple chicken thighs have crispy golden skin, fall-off-the-bone meat, and a glossy maple-dijon sauce that begs to be spooned over everything on your plate. This recipe is ready fast and perfect for busy weeknight dinners or casual fall entertaining!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- The chicken thighs, dijon mustard, maple syrup combination creates this incredible taste sensation that’s both sophisticated and totally crave-worthy. Your family will think you spent hours on this, but you’ll know better!
- We’re searing the chicken skin-side down first to get that restaurant-quality crispy skin, then letting the oven do all the heavy lifting while the maple-dijon sauce bubbles away beneath. No babysitting required, and you get perfectly cooked, juicy chicken every single time.
- Serve it over our Creamy Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes for ultimate comfort food, pile it on fluffy Instant Pot Basmati Rice or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice to soak up all that gorgeous sauce, or go lighter with cauliflower mash. The sauce is so good you’ll want to spoon it over everythingโand honestly, you should.
- It looks and tastes fancy enough for company, especially fall entertaining, but it’s straightforward enough for a Tuesday night when you’re running on fumes. Plus, it comes together with minimal pots and pans, which means easier cleanupโalways a win in my book!
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- I’m calling this out specifically, but use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup (the bottle will say “pure maple syrup” or “100% maple syrup” on the label). Real maple syrup has depth and complexity that imitation syrup just can’t match. It’s not just about sweetnessโit’s about that warm, woodsy flavor that makes this sauce special!
- If you have time, take the chicken out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. It’s not essential, but it helps achieve a more even sear and more consistent cooking throughout.
- This is importantโyou’ll be moving the skillet from stovetop to oven, so make sure your pan can handle it. Cast iron is perfect for this recipe. If your skillet has a plastic handle, it’s not oven-safe, so use an oven-safe skillet.
- Let your skillet get properly hot before adding the chicken; set your stove to medium-high heat until the oil is shimmery and almost smoking. This initial blast of heat is what creates that gorgeous sear. Once you add the chicken, don’t touch itโleave it be so it can develop that yummy crust.
Recipe Variations
Use an Alternate Protein: You can use boneless, skinless thighs if that’s what you have on hand. Reduce the initial sear time to 4-5 minutes, and reduce the oven time to 12-15 minutes. The trade-off is you’ll lose that crispy skin, but the flavor will still be fantastic.
Swap the Herbs: Fresh thyme or sage would work here instead of rosemary. Use the same amount, about 3 to 4 small sprigs.
Add Some Heat: Stir ยฝ teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the sauce if you like things a bit spicy. The heat melds really nicely with the sweet-tangy sauce.
Serve with Roasted Vegetables: Toss brussels sprouts, baby carrots, or cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them on a separate baking sheet alongside the chicken. Everything finishes at about the same time, and viola!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but the cooking time will be different, and breasts tend to dry out more easily. If using breasts, reduce the oven time to 12-15 minutes and use a thermometer to ensure they reach 162ยฐF. Thighs are more forgiving and stay juicier, which is why they’re my first choice here.
The chicken is best when served fresh, but you can prep the sauce up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. You can also sear the chicken earlier in the day, then add the sauce and finish it in the oven when you’re ready to feed your hungry crew.
Solved! Sear the chicken in a regular skillet, then transfer everything to a baking dish before adding the sauce and finishing in the oven. You’ll still get great results, though you’ll have an extra dish to wash!
Make sure the chicken hits 175ยฐF to 180ยฐF internally for the best results. While 165ยฐF is the USDA minimum safe temperature, dark meat chicken thighs have more connective tissue that needs higher heat to break down into gelatin, making them incredibly tender and juicyโanywhere in the 175-190ยฐF range produces succulent meat, but don’t go past 200ยฐF or they’ll dry out.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- โโCreamy Marry Me Chicken With Orzo Skillet
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Ranch Chicken
- Mississippi Chicken Pot Roast
- Marry Me Chicken (In Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)
- BBQ Chicken Tacos
- Black Pepper Chicken
- Everything Bagel Chicken with Scallion Cream Cheese Sauce
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Chicken Florentine
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Chicken Thighs with Dijon Mustard and Maple Syrup
Equipment
- Large oven-safe skillet 10 to 12-inch, cast iron works beautifully
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- garlic press or knife for mincing
- instant read thermometer
- Tongs or spatula
Ingredients
For the Maple-Dijon Sauce
- โ cup Dijon mustard
- โ cup real maple syrup do not use pancake syrup
- 3 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ยผ cup chicken broth
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 shallot chopped
For the Chicken
- 1 tablespoon high-heat oil such as avocado or vegetable oil
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (or 6 if larger)
- Sea salt for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
- 3 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Adjust oven racks so skillet will sit in center of oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together โ cup Dijon mustard, โ cup maple syrup, 3 pressed or minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ยผ cup chicken broth, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยผ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 chopped shallot. Set aside.
- Pat chicken thighs completely dry on all sides with paper towels. Liberally season chicken with sea salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Heat large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl pan to distribute oil evenly across pan surface. Continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, place chicken thighs in skillet skin-side down. Sear chicken thighs 7 to 8 minutes or until skin is golden brown and releases easily from pan. If skin sticks to pan, continue searing until skin releases easily.
- Flip chicken thighs over. Pour maple-dijon mixture into pan around chicken, avoiding pouring directly onto crispy chicken skin. Nestle 3 fresh rosemary sprigs around chicken. Place skillet in preheated oven.
- Roast chicken thighs 15 to 17 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 175ยฐ to 180ยฐF. Note: Skillet will be very hot. Always use potholder when moving skillet or checking chicken temperature.
- Once temperature is reached, carefully remove skillet from oven using potholder. Transfer chicken thighs to serving plate and set aside.
- If desired, place skillet with sauce on burner and reduce over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until desired consistency is reached.
- After 5 minutes rest time for chicken thighs, serve over mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, risotto, couscous, pasta, or rice. Spoon plenty of sauce over chicken and sides.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Hit the spot especially after thanksgiving. New fave dish! Will make again and again!
We’re so happy they were a hit! Thanks for sharing, Ronnie! ๐
I’m really looking forward trying the recipe this week. All the ingredients are talking to me in a very good way.
But the internal temp for dark meat poultry is off. Should be 175ยบ minimum up to 180ยบ/185ยบ for the meat to break down sufficiently. Some even recommend 190ยบ. Meathead, Serious Eats, America’s Test Kitchen and many others have shown how much better it will be at a higher internal temp. The connective tissues won’t have enough time to break down at 165ยบ
You can totally cook the chicken thighs to whatever desired internal temperature you like! Be sure to let us know if you try it!
This was a delicious chicken dish and very easy. Will make it again.
We’re so glad they were a hit! Thanks for sharing, Becky!