Lemon and Mustard Chicken Thighs
I had thighs to use up so I went in search of a recipe. I found one that looked amazing at Inspired Taste and I couldn’t wait to make it. I adapted it a bit to use what I had on hand but kept it pretty close to the original recipe. It was easy to make, smelled amazing while it baked, and tasted wonderful. My husband couldn’t get enough of the sauce, my son gobbled up his chicken as soon as it hit his plate, and I loved it. My daughter, on the other hand, told me she is “totally over chicken”, so she wasn’t a huge fan but ate it anyway. I served this chicken with the Lemony Spinach with Feta and Pine Nuts and they paired nicely together.
How to Make Lemon and Mustard Chicken Thighs
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the rub for the chicken thighs by combining the whole grain mustard, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, oregano, basil, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl. Coat the chicken on both sides with the mustard rub. Season both sides of the chicken with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
In a measuring cup, combine the remaining lemon zest (2 teaspoons), lemon juice, and the chicken broth. Set aside.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large OVEN-SAFE skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken into the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until it has turned golden brown. Flip the chicken then add the minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice mixture and stir, making sure to scrape any of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Place the pan into the oven and bake 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the pan from the oven then transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with an aluminum foil tent. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
In a small bowl, use your fingers to mix the butter and flour together, making a dry, crumbly paste. Whisk the flour and butter into the sauce. The sauce will thicken slightly and look glossy. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Place the chicken and its juices back into the pan and coat with sauce. Serve. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon zest divided
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- Parsley garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Make the rub for the chicken thighs by combining the whole grain mustard, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, oregano, basil, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl. Coat the chicken on both sides with the mustard rub. Season both sides of the chicken with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- In a measuring cup, combine the remaining lemon zest (2 teaspoons), lemon juice, and the chicken broth. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large OVEN-SAFE skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken into the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until it has turned golden brown. Flip the chicken then add the minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice mixture and stir, making sure to scrape any of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Place the pan into the oven and bake 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the oven then transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with an aluminum foil tent. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
- In a small bowl, use your fingers to mix the butter and flour together, making a dry, crumbly paste. Whisk the flour and butter into the sauce. The sauce will thicken slightly and look glossy. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Place the chicken and its juices back into the pan and coat with sauce. Serve. Enjoy.
We both love lemon flavoured chicken with mustard so this sounds perfect. Thanks. Hope your weekend is a good one Diane
Me encanta la sencillez de esta receta. Sobre todo la salsa, debe estar muy rica!
Hi Pam,
Another great combination of flavours and array of ingredients.
I love chicken with mustard and your suggestion sounds and looks great!!
Cheers and hope you have a fantastic weekend,
Lia.
I love the flavor combinations here. Sounds perfect! I wish you a very happy weekend!!!
I too am a fan of tangy lemon chicken! This looks so appetizing, Pam.
lol… I have to laugh at what your daughter said… “I’m totally over chicken” lol Let’s hope she gets over that feeling soon 🙂
The chicken looks amazing.. and I’m always a sucker for the lemon and mustard flavor combo!!
I kind of want to drink that lemony sauce!
This sounds wonderful!
This would make a great chicken dinner, thanks for sharing!
I absolutely love mustardy chicken but I’ve never tried it with lemon. It looks delicious! I’m definitely adding this to my recipe list 🙂
Love some tang in chicken 🙂 … your dish look so delicious, When I make it I’ll serve pasta on the side. Amazing!
Is it possible that your daughter and my youngest fussbudget are conspiring? He told me last night that he doesn’t like chicken any more, and doesn’t want to eat it. The standoff went on until midnight, at which point my dearly beloved declared it a draw. I’ve made chicken with a honey-mustard sauce, but never with lemon-mustard. It sounds great! Glad your guys enjoyed it, at least.
That looks simply amazing Pam! I’m always looking for new chicken recipes and this sounds easy and delicious. 🙂
That sounds fabulous! I love using chicken thighs! SO full of flavor!! I make them in a recipe my Nana made. We call it Nana’s Chicken.
xo Kris
I’m becoming ever increasingly fond of lemony dishes and this sounds like a very good one. I really enjoy the comments you post from your kids.
I’ll take your daughter’s share Pam! This sounds and looks just wonderful to me!
Sounds like a delightful combination of spices with a Mediterranian flair!
Can imagine that the pairing with lemon spinach works very well.
Great blog. I love yours and Cooking With Mr. C. The two of you give me great ideas. Thanks so much. Caroline
I love that mustard!
We use it on hot dogs.
But this sauce of yours I could just sop it up with bread.
Nom nom!
I love the combination of ingredients for this chicken, the flavor must be wonderful.
These are getting added to my rotation STAT!!
I made this for dinner last night; it was excellent. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
That’s a skillet full of wow! Great dish, Pam. (BTW, your daughter is at risk of becoming vegetarian, get her a burger quick!)
So simple and yet so tasty!
Made this last night. It was hit! loved loved it. definitely a keeper.