The sheer simplicity and deliciousness of this meal makes this sweet mustard baked chicken worth making over and over again!

I feel like I’ve been inundated with the best recipes lately. I mean, the best! Quick, simple meals that have seriously knocked my food-loving socks off.

I don’t know what I did to deserve this kind of recipe karma, but I’m soaking it up because heaven knows, a dry spell is probably coming. And man, I hate good recipe dry spells, don’t you?

Cooked chicken breasts covered in a mustard sauce in a white platter.

This extremely simple (probably one of the easiest baked chicken dishes in my repertoire) sweet mustard baked chicken is one of those recipes I mentioned above that’s made me weep with delight.

I’m not going to lie – I was a bit skeptical at the amount of mustard, afraid it would overwhelm everything, but I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome (I shouldn’t have been so worried knowing it came from Sally, a trusted food source, and the one who delivered big time on the chocolate quinoa cake and Big Fat Greek tacos of yesterweek).

Now, don’t get me wrong…there’s mustard here. And you can definitely taste it in the baked chicken. It is called sweet mustard chicken after all.

But the spicy, bold mustard is toned down perfectly thanks to the pure maple syrup and hint of brown sugar and complimented by the touch of vinegar.

Mustard covered chicken breast with a bite cut next to mashed potatoes and green beans on a white plate.

And can we talk about the fresh rosemary for a second? Oh my holy wonderful flavor of the universe. The fresh rosemary puts this dish into a whole new category of tastiness and I really, really, really encourage you to use it (don’t make me shout here!).

I served this with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans but it would be equally fantastic with a rice pilaf or simple vegetable side dish and a green salad. Lots of options.

For the sheer simplicity and deliciousness of this meal, we will be eating this very often and with great gusto.

Mustard-sauce covered chicken breast on a white plate next to a helping of mashed potatoes and green beans.

One Year Ago: The Best Broccoli Salad
Two Years Ago: BLT Pita Pockets
Three Years Ago: Creamy Banana Pudding Trifle

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Sweet Mustard Baked Chicken

4.54 stars (15 ratings)

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup spicy brown mustard
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh rosemary for garnish

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray.
  • In small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Set aside.
  • Arrange the chicken in the prepared baking dish with the chicken pieces not touching – just a little space between each. (If you are using 6 chicken breasts instead of 4, you may want to use a smaller 8X8-inch or similar-sized pan for 2 of the chicken pieces). Liberally salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast.
  • Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, lifting the chicken here and there to allow the sauce to spread underneath the chicken. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully spoon some of the sauce from the bottom of the pan onto each chicken breast. Cook for 8-12 minutes more until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken is cooked through (will register 165 on an instant read thermometer). Don’t overbake! Just get that chicken perfectly nice and juicy.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh rosemary. Serve immediately.

Notes

Mustard: the mustard flavor is going to shine here so use a brand that tastes good and that you like!
Slow Cooker: Sally from Good Dinner Mom reports you can make this in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on low. I haven’t tried it but sounds like a super fuss-free version (not that the original is that hard!).
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 245kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 531mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g

Recipe Source: from Sally at Good Dinner Mom