Description
Yum Yum Chicken is a flavorful baked chicken dish featuring tender boneless skinless chicken thighs coated in a tangy-sweet sauce made from Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar. The dish is baked to perfection and finished with a thickened sauce and fresh rosemary garnish, making it a simple yet elegant meal perfect for weeknights or special occasions.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (no substitutes, PLEASE read notes below)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (no substitutes. No Aunt Jemima, fake maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (most of the fat cut and discarded)
Finishing
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 450°F (232°C) and line an 8x8 inch oven-proof pan with two layers of tin foil to prepare for cooking and easy clean-up.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined and smooth.
- Coat the chicken: Place the chicken thighs in the prepared foil-lined pan and pour the sauce mixture over them. Turn the chicken to make sure every piece is thoroughly coated with the sauce.
- Bake the chicken: Bake the chicken uncovered in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through.
- Rest the chicken: Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before transferring the thighs to a serving plate. Be careful not to discard the liquid remaining in the pan.
- Thicken the sauce: Immediately whisk the tablespoon of cornstarch into the hot liquid in the pan to thicken it into a delicious sauce. If the sauce isn’t thick enough after one tablespoon, add a bit more cornstarch until the desired consistency is reached.
- Garnish and serve: Drizzle the thickened sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with fresh rosemary for aroma and visual appeal before serving.
Notes
- Use only Dijon mustard as specified; substitutions may alter the flavor significantly.
- Ensure to use pure maple syrup—commercial pancake syrups do not give the same depth of flavor.
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken after adding cornstarch once, add more gradually as needed.
- Removing excess fat from chicken thighs helps reduce greasiness and improves the texture of the final dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
