Crispy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
Crispy oven baked honey mustard chicken – chicken breasts smothered in honey mustard sauce, topped with panko bread crumbs, and baked in the oven until golden and crispy. An easy and tasty 30 minute chicken dinner the whole family will love.
I never had any major food cravings when I was pregnant. Which is weird, because I love food so much I assumed I would love it even more. It was nothing like in the movies, where the girl wakes up in the middle of the night and needs to have nachos RIGHT NOW.
But there was one…incident…
Early in my second trimester, after all my morning sickness was gone, I really wanted chicken nuggets. So after work, I went to the Wendy’s drive thru and ordered a 10 piece (yes, TEN piece) chicken nugget, french fries and honey mustard sauce. Wendy’s really does have the best chicken nuggets, and I love their honey mustard sauce.
I pulled over in the parking lot, and proceeded to eat the entire thing, in my car, all alone. And it was amazing.
Then I went home and cooked dinner 2 hours later, and ate all my dinner too. How it is possible that I only gained 15 pounds during my pregnancy is a mystery to me.
This crispy baked honey mustard chicken is my “fancy” version of those chicken nuggets and honey mustard sauce. Rather than risk being seen by someone I know eating chicken nugget after chicken nugget in the fast food parking lot, now I can make a grown up version of it at home.
The taste is amazing. Adults love this crispy baked honey mustard chicken, and kids really love it. It’s like a healthier, tastier, grown up chicken nugget!
I took a lot of inspiration from my crispy baked pesto chicken when creating this recipe. It couldn’t be more simple. You just smother the chicken breasts with a homemade honey mustard sauce, then top that with panko bread crumbs drizzled with olive oil, and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes. The prep is less than 5 minutes, so the whole recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. Such an easy weeknight dinner.
You can eat this crispy baked honey mustard chicken as is. But if you’re like me, and like feeling a bit child like, you can make a second batch of the homemade honey mustard sauce and serve it on the side to dip the chicken in. Delicious!
Crispy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- roughly 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees with the oven rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the dijon mustard, honey and mayonnaise. Set aside.
- Using a meat mallet (or a metal soup ladle), lightly pound the chicken until it is an even thickness. (This will make the chicken cook evenly, and help the sauce and panko topping adhere without falling off.)
- Put the chicken on the parchment lined baking sheet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and top with the honey mustard sauce. Then top with enough panko bread crumbs to cover the top of the chicken. Drizzle the panko bread crumbs with olive oil (to help them get brown and crispy in the oven).
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. If the bread crumbs didn't get golden brown enough, you can turn the oven on broil and let it toast the topping for about 1-2 minutes. Really watch it so the chicken doesn't get burnt!
- Let rest for 2 minutes, then serve warm.
- Also, not necessary, but I often double the honey mustard sauce so I can serve it on the side along with the baked chicken as a dipping sauce. So good!
I use this meat thermometer and *love* it! Now I never have to worry about my meat being over or under cooked. Highly recommend!
More Chicken Recipes
Crispy Baked Pesto Chicken Parmesan
Creamy Mustard Chicken Skillet
Rosemary Mustard Skillet Roasted Chicken
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21 Comments on “Crispy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken”
Made it and tasted good with mashed cauliflower
Yum! So glad you liked it!
Sounds wonderful but one question. Do you only coat one side of the chicken?
Yes! I just do the coating on the top. You could do both sides if preferred!
Excellent recipe! Great flavor. My husband and I really enjoy this. I make it once a week. Many thanks for this simple and delicious recipe :)
Love to hear this! Thanks, Jessica!
My whole family loved it! We were surprised at how juicy the chicken turned out to be – chicken breasts are always tricky for me but this recipe didn’t disappoint! And, a bonus, SO easy!
I’m so happy to hear that Ilona! You just made my day!
Thank you, this is one of the easiest meals I’ve ever made and it’s so delicious! I’m glad I made 2 batches because everyone wanted seconds! This is going to be a regular dish in my home especially on days when I’m tired or busy and need a quick tasty meal.
Wendy’s chicken nuggets were always my favorite too! I love your fancy version! I love that it’s baked in the oven too. And, did I mention that I’m a huge honey mustard fan? Gotta try this one!
Thanks Keri! So good! Just use gluten free panko and you and Kyle will have the best dinner. Even better than Wendy’s, ha! Hugs friend!
Honey mustard is the BEST! I like a few chicken nuggets with my honey mustard sauce. *wink*. This chicken is seriously SO up my alley! I love how crispy it looks for being oven-baked! Need.
Haha, I like your style : )
LOL! Laughing at the thought of you chowing on chicken nuggies in the car and hoping no one sees you. :-P I haven’t really had any weird cravings either, though I did get Taco Bell a few times during my first trimester when I had that OMG-I’m-so-hungover-and-need-junkfood feeling nonstop… and I can’t even remember the last time I had eaten Taco Bell before that! Anywho, this chicken looks amazing! I love honey mustard so this is right up my alley!
Oh, it was quite the glamorous moment. So glad no one I knew saw me! Oooh, yes, taco bell bean and cheese burritos were one of the few things I could handle my first trimester.
Oh I just love honey mustard chicken! It is SO good! How can something so darn simple be so tasty?!
Beyond tasty! Just the best, right?
I sometimes get a craving for McDonalds chicken nuggets and I loooove dipping them in honey mustard sauce! This chicken is totally something I need to add to our dinner menu, plus it’s probably much better for me than those chicken nuggets haha ;)
Did you know you can get a 20 piece chicken nugget at McDonalds for $5!? How gross is that. Shawn had a roommate who would get 2 orders of them, and eat 40 nuggets. Made me want to PUKE! Haha!
I do get a craving for chicken nuggets every now and then, but it’s the McDonald’s kind for me! :) This chicken looks incredible, Natalie! I love the honey mustard flavor and how easy this is to prepare. Sounds like a perfect dinner!
Yes, McDonald’s aren’t bad either. Actually, all nuggets are good. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad one. Thanks Gayle!