This dish is a crowd pleaser, inspired by apple picking and cool fall nights. Chicken thighs with crispy golden skin are nestled between apples and onions and bathed in a sweet and tangy honey mustard sauce with a hint of fresh thyme. The chicken is served over quinoa or rice to soak up all of that delicious honey mustard gravy.

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions

Category

Category name

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (about 2-2 ½ lbs.)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 large onions, sliced into 1-inch wedges
  • 3 apples, cored and sliced into 1-inch wedges (any good ‘cooking’ apples such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Cortland, or Honey Crisp)
  • 10 sprigs of thyme, tied together with kitchen string
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¾ cup honey
  • ½ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup grainy mustard
  • Additional thyme, for garnish
  • Rice or quinoa, for serving

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or oven proof skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs and season liberally on both sides with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Place the seasoned thighs, skin-side down, in the skillet and let cook until the skin is browned and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes on the other side.  Remove from pan and set aside, reserving pan drippings. Note, the chicken will not be cooked through.
  4. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften. Add the apples and thyme bundle to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes, still stirring. Add the wine and deglaze, scraping up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Cook to reduce the wine, about 3 minutes.
  5. In a small bowl, combine the honey and both mustards and whisk until smooth.
  6. Place the chicken thighs back in the pan, nestled in among the onions and apples, skin side up. Pour the honey mustard sauce evenly over the thighs.  Bake for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and a luxurious sauce has formed. Remove the thyme bundle and discard. Serve over rice or quinoa to absorb the delicious sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme and DEVOUR!