Skillet Garlic Dijon Chicken with onions is juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor from a tangy marinade of Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, and fresh parsley. With only a few simple ingredients, it makes for a quick, one-pan dinner you can prep in minutes.
Busy cooks, say hello to another no-fuss, comforting, skillet chicken recipe! When I need a weeknight dinner that’s big on flavor but low-effort, Garlic Dijon Chicken is one of my go-to dishes.
A whisk-together marinade of garlic, Dijon mustard, and spices packs a punch. The prep is simple, but the result is tender, tangy chicken. The sauce and a layer of onion roasted on top keep the meat juicy and full of flavor. Because it only needs a quick trip in the oven, it’s a recipe that fits into even the busiest evenings.
Serve it with a simple kale salad and some crusty no-knead olive bread, and you have a satisfying meal. This Garlic Dijon Chicken is also a great recipe to make ahead for meal prep!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Garlic Dijon Chicken
This recipe uses fresh, simple ingredients, many of which you probably already have in your kitchen. Each one brings something to the dish, creating a balance of comforting and bright flavors. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken thighs: It’s no secret that I love chicken thighs! They’re great in this recipe because the rich flavor of the dark meat stands up well to the tangy sauce. You can use chicken breasts for a leaner option, if you like.
- Salt and pepper: I season the chicken thighs ahead so they can sit while I make the sauce. This step gives the kosher salt and the flavor of the black pepper a chance to permeate the meat.
- Onion: Sweet and juicy roasted onion adds texture and bulk to this skillet dinner.
- Dijon mustard: France’s famous mustard is made with a base of white wine and has a smooth, creamy texture. It adds bold, tangy flavor that gives complexity to the sauce.
- Honey: Just a little bit of honey balances the sharpness of the mustard. I love our Greek Honey, which has a slightly herbal flavor (more on this below) in this recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil helps the marinade coat the chicken evenly and adds some welcome richness.
- Garlic brings a bold, aromatic flavor that permeates the chicken as it marinates. Adding it to the sauce helps its flavor carry through the dish without it burning in the oven.
- Spices: A blend of ground coriander, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper echoes the warm, horseradishy heat of the mustard.
- Fresh parsley: A scattering of fresh parsley leaves at the end adds welcome color and freshness.
Ingredient Spotlight
When bees forage citrus blossoms, clover, or lavender fields, the flowers impart beautiful floral flavors to their honey. On the Greek island of Crete, which has more bee hives per acre than any other country in Europe, the bees forage the mountainous terrain, feasting on nectar from the flowers of wild thyme, oregano, and other plants growing in the rocky hillsides.
The resulting amber-colored Greek honey has a subtle herbal flavor that’s incredibly unique. I love using it in savory recipes, like this garlic dijon chicken, but it’s also lovely in Greek Honey Cake or drizzled over Greek yogurt.
- TRY IT: Find this special Greek honey at our shop or give this glorious Italian citrus honey a try.
How to Make Garlic Dijon Chicken
This dish is quick to prep, making it ideal for busy nights. Simply mix the marinade, coat the chicken, and bake. Here’s the breakdown, step by step.
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Season the chicken. Take 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs out of the fridge. Pat them dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside for a few minutes while you make the sauce.
- Make the honey garlic Dijon sauce. In a large bowl, combine 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt. Mix.
- Coat chicken in the sauce. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time to the bowl with the sauce and use tongs to coat each one in the sauce mixture. Once coated, transfer the chicken to a large lightly-oiled cast iron skillet (or baking sheet). Scrape any remaining Dijon sauce left in the bowl on top. Add 1 chopped yellow onion on top.
- Bake the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until chicken thighs are fully cooked through (internal temperature should register 165°F), about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley.
How to Get Ahead
If you want to make this meal even quicker, you can prep the elements ahead of time.
- Mix the Marinade: Mix up the marinade and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The olive oil and honey in the mixture will both thicken at colder temperatures, so make sure to remove it from the fridge and let it come back to room temperature, stirring to recombine everything, before adding it to the chicken.
- Chicken Prep: Marinate the chicken, a day in advance for deeper flavor, then just add it to the skillet with the onion and bake it when you’re ready to eat.
What to Serve with Garlic Dijon Chicken
This garlic Dijon Chicken is a versatile dish you can pair up with your favorite sides. To keep things fast, I often serve it with a simple salad. Keep the French flavors in play by adding French Lentil Salad with colorful peppers and cucumbers. Start cooking the lentils before prepping the chicken and they’ll be done at about the same time!
For something even faster, try colorful Balela salad or my lazy 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad. Want something warm? Add Greek potatoes or Italian Oven Roasted Vegetables or these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dates and Almonds. Start these in the oven first so they’re ready when the chicken is ready!
How to Store Garlic Dijon Chicken
Store leftover Garlic Dijon Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
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Garlic Dijon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped
For Garlic Dijon Sauce
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Season the chicken. Take chicken out of the fridge. Pat dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside for a few minutes while you make the sauce.
- Make the Garlic Dijon sauce. In a large bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, garlic, spices, and salt. Mix.
- Coat chicken in the sauce. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time to the bowl with the sauce and use tongs to coat each one in the sauce mixture. Once coated, transfer the chicken to a large lightly-oiled cast iron skillet (or baking sheet). Scrape any remaining Dijon sauce left in the bowl on top. Add the onions.
- Bake the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until chicken thighs are fully cooked through (internal temperature should register 165°F), about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley.
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Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, coriander and paprika used in this recipe.
- Keep in mind: Garlic Dijon chicken bakes quickly, so it’s a good idea to prepare sides first.
- Storage: Store leftover Garlic Dijon Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner
125 Easy Mediterranean Diet-Inspired Recipes to Eat Well and Live Joyfully from New York Times Bestselling Author Suzy Karadsheh
I made this for dinner and everyone loved it! My father especially liked the onions on top. And since he only eats chicken, I am always looking for new ways to prepare it. This will definitely be on rotation in the future. Thanks for sharing!
This was super quick to come together and the flavors it yielded were pleasantly delicious. No marinating and the flavor penetrated the chicken. I used bone-in skin in thighs and wow! Baked for 45 minutes. We loved this dish and can’t wait to share the recipe.
Do you think it would work with bone in skin on?
Absolutely! You may just need to cook it a bit longer.
Can this be made in a crock pot
Hi, Annette! It probably can with some adjustments. We’ve never tested this ourselves, though. If you decide to give it a try, please stop back and share your thoughts! We’d love to know how it worked out!
I have chicken breasts in the sauce, which I doubled. I plan on baking it right in the marinade. Anyone done this before? Marinating for several hours.
Hi, Debi. You can totally do that. It’s important to ensure the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F before serving, though, to be sure both the chicken and marinade are safe to consume.
Easy, garlicky, mild spicy, delicious. My husband said this recipe was a “do again” and I will. This recipe had a sweet, spicy flavor. I did not add more salt as I thought the dejon mustard was salty enough.
Will this recipe work with chicken breasts?
Absolutely, Jean! This can be cooked with chicken breasts at the same temperature. It’s hard to advise on a specific time adjustment as all ovens vary. Just make sure they reach and internal temperature of 165 degrees F before serving.
Love this recipe. Great flavor
Cook skin side down to brown?
Hi, Joanne. We actually recommend skinless chicken thighs here.
I have made this 4 times in the past month! Everyone loves it!!!! It’s easy!!!!
Wonderful flavors! The cook time listed is way too short. Mine was 45 min. The recipe is great though. As she said, MAKE IT.
Great and very easy
This is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had and I have been cooking for 50 years. I used skinned, bone in thighs and cooked for about 50 minutes. I love how the very flavorful sauce stayed in place! Magical!
Hi, Catherine! I’m Summer and I work here at The Mediterranean Dish. I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know.
Amazing flavor! Doubled the sauce (tripled the mustard ratio), used half for a marinade for the chicken and saved the other half for a sauce. Made the Italian Roasted Vegetables as a side dish for the chicken and used the sauce on the veggies. Turned out so tasty. Broiled the veggies and the chicken to get that little extra char. This recipe is definitely going on the keepers bookmarks.
My first thought was to brown the chicken for more flavor but then I decided to follow the recipe. I did toss the onions in the left over sauce before added them to the chicken. I liked the texture of the meat with the sauce. I’m glad I didn’t brown the meat. I plan to try other of your recipes. Thank you.
Love this recipe! I make it every week & I add alittle heavy cream right before it’s done in the oven and it’s delicious! This time I added potatoes in another pan with the same mixture & the potatoes came out so good!
Love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Sam!