You can find endless recipes for dairy alternatives and classic copycats in our recipe section. But we also like to cover simple, easy, dairy-free meals that don’t require any fuss or specialty ingredients. This naturally dairy-free honey mustard chicken is a great example. It’s family-friendly, allergy-friendly, and budget-friendly, and it uses everyday pantry supplies for seasoning. Plus, you can prep it ahead!
Honey Mustard Chicken that’s Perfect for Easy, Everyone-Friendly Meals
We first shared this recipe many years ago. It’s a sample from The Garden of Eating, by Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz. I’ve made it myself, and love the ease and simplicity of it. Honey mustard is a favorite flavor in our home, and it pairs perfectly with an array of vegetables and starches. We enjoy it hot, with the serving suggestion below, but Rachel often serves it cold, with the paleo-friendly suggestion below.
- Enjoy it Hot: Serve this honey mustard chicken with rice or quinoa and steamed broccoli or grilled zucchini. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges for squeezing.
- Enjoy it Cold: Serve this honey mustard chicken over a bed of raw spinach, arugula, or spring greens, with minced scallions, parsley, red radishes, celery, fresh or sun-dried tomato slices, avocado, and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Special Diet Notes: Honey Mustard Chicken
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and paleo-friendly.
- 1½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup creamy white, yellow, or dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon finely grated or minced fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground red or black pepper
- Place the chicken in a single level in a glass baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, oil, honey, ginger, and pepper, until combined.
- Scrape the marinade over the chicken and spread to evenly coat.
- Cover the chicken and refrigerate it for 6 to 8 hours, all day, or overnight.
- Cook the chicken pieces on the grill or in lightly oiled, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, for about 3 minutes per side, or until firm, the meat is beige throughout, and the juices run clear when a test piece is cut in half. Marinate as it cooks with the marinade from the next step.
- Place any leftover marinade in a small pot. Add a dash of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer it for 4 minutes. Use this mixture to marinade the chicken as it cooks.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Herb Variation: Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, tarragon, dill, or basil to the marinade.
Chipotlé Variation: Replace the ginger with ½ teaspoon ground chipotlé powder. Omit the black pepper and garnish the final dish with minced cilantro before serving.