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You have to try this yum yum chicken. Tender, juicy chicken thighs are smothered in a savory-sweet sauce starring Dijon mustard and real maple syrup. It’s so good that you’ll want to lick the plate when you’re done.
Hmmm let’s talk about this chicken for a minute. It has 100% become my go-to easy chicken dinner. Each succulent, juicy bite of tender chicken is dripping with a smooth, velvety, maple-Dijon sauce that is just loaded with flavor. The sweetness of the maple syrup combined with the savory, tangy nature of the dijon and a hint of acid from the rice vinegar is just an unbeatable combination. The flavors mix with the juices released from the chicken as it bakes, creating a masterpiece. Yum yum good!
This recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep time and is sure to please the whole family (unless they hate mustard haha). Change up your chicken routine tonight with this saucy, flavorful entree.
Why You’ll Love This Yum Yum Chicken Recipe
Ok. I’m going to be honest with you. You need to stop what you are doing right now and make this yum yum chicken. You will not be sorry. Here’s why.
- So easy. Whisk together a few ingredients, smother chicken in the mixture, cover, and bake. That’s pretty much it aside from whisking in a bit of cornstarch at the end to thicken the sauce. This is a foolproof chicken recipe that anyone can make.
- Simple ingredients. Aside from basic salt and pepper, this chicken dish only requires 6 easy-to-find ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen.
- The yum[miest] sauce. Sweet, savory, and tangy all at the same time, the silky smooth maple-dijon sauce that smothers the chicken is unbeatable.
What Is Yum Yum Chicken?
The term “yum yum chicken” typically refers to a chicken smothered in a savory-sweet sauce and baked to perfection. There are lots of different variations when it comes to the sauce. Some have mayo, some involve the umami flavor of soy sauce, and the list goes on. Generally, though, the sauce has both sweet and savory elements to it. This maple dijon version is my favorite.
Recipe Ingredients
You won’t need anything fancy to make this delicious maple chicken. Here’s a list of ingredients for you. You’ll find exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs – Cut away and discard most of the fat. You can use bone-in chicken thighs instead. The cooking time will be the same. You can also choose to use boneless chicken breasts but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time to 25-30 minutes.
- Dijon mustard – Do not try to use a different kind of mustard here.
- Pure maple syrup – Please don’t use the fake stuff.
- Rice wine vinegar – You can use seasoned or unseasoned rice wine vinegar (also known as rice vinegar) here. Also, feel free to use regular white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar if that’s all you have on hand.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Cornstarch
- Fresh rosemary
How to Make This Chicken Dijon Recipe
Here’s a quick overview of how to make yum yum chicken. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 450 °F and line an 8×8″ baking pan with 2 layers of tin foil.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Assemble. Place the chicken in the prepared pan and cover it with sauce. Turn to coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Bake. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Rest. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate.
- Thicken the sauce. Whisk the cornstarch into the liquid in the pan.
- Serve. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with rosemary.
Tips for Success
Time to study up on what you can do to make the best yum yum chicken. Here are some expert tips and tricks for you.
- Use the right pan. If you use anything bigger than an 8×8-inch pan, the sauce will spread out over a larger surface area. This will cause the sauce to cook off, ending you with dry chicken and little to no sauce.
- Use 2 layers of foil. Double layering the foil insulates the sauce and the chicken, keeping it from burning in the high temperature.
- Do not discard the cooking liquid. It can be tempting to toss the baking dish into the sink to be washed after plating the chicken. Don’t do it. You need the cooking liquid to make the sauce.
- On cornstarch. It is important to whisk the cornstarch into the cooking liquid immediately after plating the chicken while the liquid is still piping hot. Otherwise, the cornstarch won’t work its thickening magic.
What to Serve with Maple Chicken
This chicken dish plays so well with a side or two. Here are some ideas to get you inspired.
- Crusty bread. Tear a hunk out of your favorite loaf (I have been loving this Garlic Bread Recipe) and use it to soak up all of that yummy sauce. This Rosemary Olive Oil Bread would be great too.
- Potatoes. These starchy root veggies are the perfect complement to this saucy dish. Serve yum yum chicken with these Parmesan Garlic Ranch Smashed Potatoes or my Butter Parsley Potatoes.
- Roasted veggies. The rich savory quality that roasting brings out in vegetables is the perfect accompaniment to this irresistible entree. Try my Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Parmesan Carrots, Crazy Roasted Cauliflower, or these Garlic Roasted Green Beans.
- Salad. Add a little greenery to the mix with this Nutty Spinach and Quinoa Salad or my Lightened Up Kale Caesar Salad.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator. Allow the chicken to cool completely before sealing in an airtight container with the sauce. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Once the chicken has cooled, seal it in a freezer-safe airtight container with the sauce and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the chicken to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
On the hunt for more delicious, satisfying, wonderfully simple chicken recipes? Here are a few of my other favorites.
- Chicken Francese
- Mississippi Chicken
- Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Moo Shu Chicken
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
- Garlic Butter Chicken
Yum Yum Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 g) Dijon mustard , (no substitutes, PLEASE read notes below)
- ¼ cup (59 ml) pure maple syrup, (no substitutes. No Aunt Jemima, fake maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds (907 g) boneless skinless, chicken thighs, (most of the fat cut and discarded)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Line a 8×8" oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil.
- In small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.1/2 cup (125 g) Dijon mustard , 1/4 cup (59 ml) pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated.2 pounds (907 g) boneless skinless, chicken thighs
- Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid.
- Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You'll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it's still not thickening after 1 tablespoon, you can add a little more.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Sprinkle rosemary on top before serving.2 teaspoon fresh rosemary
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
This was delicious, I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and took your advice and cooked it for 25 minutes. Served it with rice and sugar snap peas. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!! Vicky
I’m glad you enjoyed another recipe, Vicky!!
I made this for dinner tonight and all three of us gave it five out of five stars. Absolutely superb! My only regret is that after buying fresh rosemary, stripping it from the stalk, and cutting up the leaves to release more flavor, I forgot to sprinkle it on top of the chicken. It was so delicious anyway, but I’ll bet the rosemary would make it even better. I’ll be saving this recipe! Thank you.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this, Cassandra!
Just made this last night…HOLY YUM is right!!! Thanks for this, Julie!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kelly!!
I love mustard. Whole grain, Dijon, and I’m obsessed with vinegar so this dish was definitely an immediate priority (it’s baking now). After whisking sauce I tasted it before pouring it over the chicken and my goodness was it mustardy with a heavy dose of pepper. I did use fresh ground pepper but always go easy and add later. I’m hoping when it bakes for 40 minutes, a little more of the sweetness comes through. But even with a taste test shocker my mouth watered and I can’t wait to eat!!!!
I hope you enjoyed this, Lindsay!
After baking the sauce was much more mild. The cooking process definitely helped. I made this for me and my boyfriend. He said it was the best chicken dish he’s ever had!!!! And that is definitely the best cooking compliment I’ve ever received. And it was so easy I almost felt guilty for taking pleasure in his compliment.
Will be making again and again and again. And for those on the fence mustard people, do not go by taste testing the sauce. Cooking it made all of the difference….Huge hit!!!
Great to hear, Lindsay!
I am going to make this tomorrow night for my daughter’s Birthday. It looks so yummy!
I hope your daughter had a very happy birthday and that all enjoyed this dish!
My daughter’s Birthday dinner was wonderful thanks to your great recipe! I doubled the sauce because I love extra sauce. This was so easy to make and can’t wait to pass it on. Bought fresh Rosemary and this gave it such a nice flavor.
So happy to hear this, Betty!
Do you think this would work with steak? Let me know what you think about that :) looks delish!
Hi Jackie, I’ve never tried it with steak and to be honest, I don’t think the flavors would go very well together.
DELICIOUS!! Made it exactly as the recipe said and it was perfect! Whole family loved it including my picky eaters!! Great recipe – Thanks!!
So glad it pleased the entire family, Trish!
Hi Julie!
I am soo glad I stumbled on your website, you have beautiful pictures of your food! I made this dish yesterday and after it came out of the oven, I thought it tasted way too mustard-y (even like peanut butter) and I was worried. But I put it in the fridge and had it for lunch today and boy was it delicious! It didn’t taste too mustard-y at all. It was so juicy and the sauce was so nice and thick. I was wondering if you used chicken breast in your picture, or how did you make your chicken thighs look so flat? mine almost looks ugly and I am worried about serving it to people :) But it tastes delicious! also I didn’t buy any rosemary to garnish because fresh herbs can be expensive :( Can I use the seasoning stuff?
Thank you!
Hi Kim! Glad you ended up liking it. My chicken thighs were boneless and skinless chicken thighs that I got in a large quantity from Costco. Not sure if that makes a difference. Did you get bone-in? You can use the seasoning stuff or just omit the rosemary completely.
I am so embarrassed! I used the bone-in chicken thighs! No wonder it didn’t look as good as yours :P it still tasted amazing! I will buy boneless next time and be able to serve it! I also used a round 8″ baking dish instead of an 8×8 and it still turned out amazing! But I will go out and buy the 8×8 square pan so it will look as amazing as yours! Also I bought some fresh rosemary! So excited. I love your blog!
Made this last night for dinner.. very good! I misread and cooked the chicken almost all the way before putting it in the oven, but reduced the cooking time to 20 minutes and it was perfect. Only complaint that I have is the chalkiness from the cornstarch. Will just omit the cornstarch next time. Paired this with steamed veggies and long-grain wild rice. Thanks!!
Hi Jen! I’m glad you enjoyed this. You could also try arrowroot powder if you don’t want to use cornstarch!
Hi. Just one quick question, as I’m a little confused. I just found your Holy Yum Chicken recipe and can’t wait to try it; but several people have commented that it’s only for two…yet, just under the recipe title, it says: “Servings: four”. So I’m just wondering: is it two or four servings? Wondering if I should double it…Thanks.
Hi Deb! It really depends on how much you and your family eats and what you serve with it. For 1 1/2 – 2 pounds of chicken thighs, my husband and I were able to eat all of this between the two of us with a small serving of rice on the side (it was seriously so addicting!), but if you’re making this for four people, and if you don’t have much to serve on the side (like roasted potatoes and veggies), then I would definitely double it.
I cooked 3 pounds of chicken, and it fed my family which consists of myself, my growing son, and my husband, and I had leftovers. I would say that the recipe with the recommended amount of chicken would feed 2 with maybe some left over for lunch the next day?