Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade

At a glance

What stands out: Sweet and tangy, this honey mustard chicken marinade is not only a huge hit with everyone that tries it, but it’s also straightforward to mix and you probably have all the ingredients on hand.

How long it takes: 5 minutes with at least a couple of hours to marinate
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl
Servings: makes just under one cup of marinade, enough for 2 to 4 pounds of chicken

We developed this recipe a few weeks ago and we've already made it four or five times. Everyone that has tried it has absolutely loved it. Usually this Greek style chicken marinade is our go-to (we still love it) but this honey mustard chicken marinade is shaping up to be the marinade of the summer.

Last week, we had dinner guests on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and then again the following Saturday. We love hosting friends and family in our home and we've mastered the art of keeping things simple. Okay, truthfully, we get a little carried away in the food department, but it’s kinda our thing.

Despite getting carried away with food, we're not afraid to keep things simple and pull out the paper plates, especially if we’re grilling something like hotdogs and hamburgers. There isn’t much we like less than having to do a giant pile of dishes after the company is gone.

Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade

This honey mustard chicken marinade is simple as simple can be, just like using paper plates!

Everyone seems to love the honey mustard combination. The honey gives the marinade a sweet note but the sweetness is balanced by the savory mustard and garlic. Apple cider vinegar adds a light tartness. One of our most popular from-scratch dressings for salads is a honey mustard vinaigrette with the same flavors as this marinade. This baked honey mustard chicken is straightforward, too. We often make it for guests because you can just put it in the oven and forget about it.

Not fussy about marinating time. Some marinades are best if you let the chicken marinate overnight, but we've done this one as little as two hours before we grill the chicken and it still adds memorable flavor to the chicken. It coats the chicken pretty well so all that memorable flavor stays right on for you to enjoy.

What goes in

• Country-Style or Coarse Ground Dijon Mustard: You could use regular Dijon mustard if you were in a pinch. If you were in a pinch, or if you love it, use yellow mustard.
• Honey: The honey adds a lovely sweetness and it’s what makes this chicken so irresistible.
• Olive Oil: A little oil brings things together and helps add moisture to the chicken. Other types of oil can be substituted.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar adds a great tang, balances out the sweetness, and brightens up the flavors!
• Paprika: Not only adds a subtle flavor, but paprika also gives this marinade (and therefore, the chicken) a great color.
• Garlic Powder: Our mom is sensitive to garlic so we've actually made this marinade once without the garlic, and it still turns out great. Feel free to do whatever you like best, it is good both ways!
• Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Marinating Tips

How long should you marinate chicken? If you do a little Internet research, you’ll find lots of varying advice. The length of time depends on the type of marinade you’re using. If it’s an acidic based marinade (with vinegar or citrus juice), marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to 4 hours. If the marinade is made with buttermilk or yogurt, it can go longer, even overnight but not more than 24 hours.

Is it okay to reuse chicken marinade? You should never reuse chicken marinade once it’s been used on raw chicken. Any bacteria present in the chicken is transferred to the marinade and will continue to multiply as time goes by.
If you’d like to use the marinade for basting or as a sauce, boil it for at least five minutes to kill bacteria.

Make-Ahead & Storage Tips

The marinade can be prepped ahead and refrigerated for three to four days in a tightly covered container or jar. It will keep on the counter for a few hours as well.

Chicken can be marinated for up to four hours in the refrigerator. Put the chicken and the marinade in a resealable bag, and put the bag in a dish or pan to prevent it from leaking in your refrigerator. It can safely be marinated longer than 4 hours but the texture may deteriorate a bit. Chicken with skin on can tolerate longer marinating time.

Marinated chicken that’s been cooked or grilled will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for a couple of months.

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 4 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup country or coarse ground Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 to 4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)

Method

1. Mix mustard, honey, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small measuring cup or bowl.
2. Pour over chicken in a baking dish or a zip-top bag. Place in fridge and marinate for up to 4 hours. When ready to cook, remove chicken from marinade, letting excess marinade drip off. Cook the chicken using one of the methods below.
3. Grill: Grill chicken over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through(165°F internal temperature). Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of meat and exact grill temperature. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
4. Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
5. Air Fry: Preheat air fryer at 375°F for five minutes. Place chicken in air fryer in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is done (165°F internal temperature). Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Yield: Makes just under one cup of marinade, which is enough marinade for two to four pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts. If using marinade for larger amounts of chicken, we recommend increasing the salt to at least 1 ¼ teaspoons.

Chicken: If you prefer, other cuts of chicken can be used, including bone-in, skin-on chicken.

Nutrition: Nutrition information is calculated for the whole amount of marinade but no chicken. Since most of the marinade is discarded after marinating the chicken, the nutrition information is not accurate.