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Roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs are started and finished in the same skillet! This simple recipe requires minimal hands-on time, only uses a few pantry staples, and is both low-carb and gluten free!

The honey mustard Chicken Thighs are seared in a cast iron skillet for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. Searing the chicken skin at a high temperature, retains the juices and nicely browns the skin. After that, they go straight into the oven. Half way through cook time they are brushed with a sweet & savory Honey Dijon sauce. Then back into the oven they go to finish cooking.

These mustard glazed chicken thighs would be great served alongside my Creamy Mashed Potatoes or my Caesar Salad & Cornbread Croutons!

Starting your chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet and finishing them in the oven, is a fool-proof cooking method. I have roasted bone-in chicken thighs countless times like this. They always turn out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!

Looking for more chicken recipes? Try my Mediterranean Style Creamy Chicken Salad, Pretzel Crusted Buffalo Chicken Tenders, and my Grilled Chicken Marinade!

Ingredients

  • Chicken thighs, bone-in & skin-on – You definitely need to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. You cannot substitute boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
  • Course salt, ground black pepper & garlic powder – These will be used to season your chicken thighs before frying them in the cast iron skillet.
  • Olive oil – Olive oil is used to lightly oil the cast iron skillet. Less is more! The chicken thighs will produce a lot of oil while cooking.
  • Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard originates from France and is a pale yellow color with hints of brown. It is made with spicy brown and black mustard seeds and does not contain as much vinegar as traditional yellow mustard does. Dijon mustard has a smooth and creamy texture, is slightly spicy and has a little bit of tang. I would not substitute yellow mustard for Dijon mustard in this recipe.
  • Honey – Honey is used in this chicken thigh recipe to balance out the spice and tang in the Dijon mustard. Honey adds a hint of sweetness and will glaze the chicken thighs. I would not substitute maple syrup or any granulated sweeteners for honey in this recipe.
  • Minced garlic – I used minced garlic straight from a jar. This is one of my favorite time-saving hacks. If you don’t have a jar of minced garlic, go ahead and press some garlic through a garlic press or use a chopping knife to finely mince a clove of garlic.
  • Salt – More salt is needed in this recipe to add to the Honey Dijon sauce that will be brushed on the chicken thighs halfway through cooking time. I used regular table salt, not course salt.

Equipment Needed

  • Cast Iron Skillet – I personally use Lodge Cast Iron. The larger the skillet the better for this recipe. My cast iron skillet is 12 inches across. Even with a 12 inch skillet, I still need to crisp the chicken thighs in this recipe in two separate batches.

How to make

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Open the package of chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with course salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder.

Raw chicken thighs seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set on top of parchment paper.

Step 2: Lightly oil the cast iron skillet with olive oil. Heat the oiled cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side down. Do not overcrowd the pan. You may have to brown your chicken in two batches. Brown the chicken skin over medium to medium/low heat for about 7 minutes. You will know the chicken is ready when the skin easily releases from the pan and has turned golden brown. You will only sear the skin side of the chicken.

Chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet, skin side down.

Step 3: After about 7 minutes, flip the chicken thighs over and transfer your skillet into the oven. All of your chicken thighs should fit into your skillet after you have browned the skin. The chicken thighs shrink slightly during browning and they can be crowded into the pan once they are ready to go into the oven.

Chicken thighs in the cast iron skillet, flipped after the skin has finished searing. The skin is now golden brown.

Step 4: Set a timer for 10 minutes. While the chicken is cooking in the oven, make the honey Dijon sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic and salt.

Honey Dijon sauce for the chicken thighs, mixed in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Step 5: After the chicken thighs have cooked for 10 minutes, brush the honey Dijon sauce onto the the crispy chicken skin. Return the chicken thighs to the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes. The chicken thighs will cook in the oven for 20 minutes total.

Step 6: Remove the roasted Dijon chicken thighs from the oven. Using a meat thermometer, make sure the chicken thighs have an internal temperature of at least 165° Fahrenheit.

Close up shot of the Roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs with Crispy Skin.
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Image shows Baked Dijon Chicken Thighs on a grey plate. The plate is sitting on top of a metal cooling rack. Also pictured is steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes in the upper left corner. Next to the plate of chicken thighs are two small white bowls of Dijon mustard and honey. The honey has a silver serving spoon.

Roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs with Crispy Skin

★★★★★

5 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Katie
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

Roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs start off seared in a cast iron skillet to crisp up the skin, then get brushed with a sweet & savory Honey Dijon sauce, and finished off in the oven.  These chicken thighs will be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Thighs

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/2 teaspoon course salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Honey Dijon Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit.  
  2. Remove the chicken thighs from the package and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken thighs with the course salt, garlic powder and pepper. 
  3. Lightly oil a cast iron skillet with the 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken thighs to the cast iron skillet skin side down. 
  4. Sear the chicken skin for about 7 minutes over medium to medium/low heat.  Do not overcrowd the pan. You may have to sear all of your chicken thighs in two separate batches.  The chicken is ready when the skin easily releases from the pan and has turned golden brown.  You will only be searing the skin side of the chicken.  
  5. After all of the chicken thighs have been seared, flip the chicken over so that the skin side is now up.  Return all pieces of chicken back to the cast iron pan. They should now all fit into the cast iron pan and can be crowded in.  Place the cast iron skillet into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes. 
  6. While the chicken thighs are roasting, mix the honey Dijon sauce.  Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic and salt. 
  7. After 10 minutes, brush the tops of the chicken thighs (skin side) with the honey Dijon sauce. Return the skillet to the oven and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes. 
  8. Remove the skillet from the oven. Check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs using a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to at least 165° Fahrenheit.  Let cool before serving.  Enjoy!

Notes

  • Chicken should be cooked to 165° Fahrenheit. The best way to check the internal temperature is to use a meat thermometer. 
  • When searing the chicken skin, the chicken will produce A LOT of fat.  Be very careful.  The grease will be hot and sizzling and can easily burn your skin.  I recommend using a splatter screen if you have one.  I also wear oven mitts when flipping the chicken to protect my hands and forearms.
  • This is a gluten free recipe as long as all of your seasonings and Dijon mustard are gluten free.
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: searing, roasting
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: roasted Dijon chicken thighs, baked Dijon chicken thighs, honey Dijon chicken thighs, chicken thighs with crispy skin

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is chicken the cheapest meat?

The price of meat can fluctuate based on demand. In general, chicken is a cheaper cut of meat, but often times ground beef and certain cuts of pork can be very inexpensive too. Usually boneless, skinless chicken breast is the most expensive cut of chicken and chicken thighs, wings, drumsticks and legs are more budget-friendly.

Does chicken cook while resting?

The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise a small amount while resting. Resting also allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat, resulting in juicier chicken. Regardless of rest time, make sure your chicken is at least 165° F before consuming.

What makes cooked chicken rubbery?

The most common cause is overcooking. When chicken is cooked for a long period of time at high heat, the fibers in the meat lose moisture and elasticity, making it hard to chew.

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