Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe (Free of Dairy, Gluten, Nuts, and Soy)

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.

Dairy-Free Honey Mustard Chicken

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

6 mins

Total time

16 mins

This recipe is adapted from The Garden of Eating. Please note that the Prep time is hands-on time only. This is a great prep-ahead dish since the chicken needs some time to marinate.

Author: Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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.

Notes

Oven Broiled Cooking Option: Preheat your broiler (about 8 to 10 minutes), and move the oven rack so that the meat will be about 5 to 6 inches away from the element. Spread the meat out in a broiler pan or over a wire rack in a roasting pan, to allow the juices to drip while cooking. Give it a good basting of that thick marinade, and broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken begins to brown. Flip the chicken and marinade it again. Return it to the oven and broil until the chicken begins to brown and the meat is cooked through, roughly another 5 to 7 minutes.

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.