Chicken, Recipes, Vegetables

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cider, Mustard and Honey Marinade

Ronit Penso Tasty Eats

One of my favorite ways of marinating chicken is using hard apple cider (check HERE for a recipe), and I was planning to do that again. However, this time I wanted to add another layer of flavor to the cider marinade.
As I’m also very fond of the combination of honey and mustard, I figured they can all work well together. So I mixed the cider with a fairly large amount of mustard, and added a bit of mustard powder and mustard seeds to enhance the flavor even more. This gave the chicken a distinctive mustard flavor and a subtle heat. The honey in the marinade added a nice sweetish contrast to the mustard’s heat and the cider’s acidity, along with wonderful floral aroma. Once roasted, the honey caramelized and the skin got an appetizing, deep golden-brown color.
The dish is very quick and easy to assemble, and can be kept in the marinade for up to a day in advance. Roasting it just before serving results a moist chicken meat, crispy skin and a concentrated tasty mustard sauce. Try it and enjoy.

Makes: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours, and up to overnight
Roasting time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
4 (1.5 lbs (680 grams)) chicken thighs, bone in, skin on (preferably air-chilled)
1½ cups hard apple cider
1/3 cup smooth Dijon mustard
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 Tbs salt
¼ cup honey
½ tsp freshly ground four peppers mix
1 medium shallot, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1. Pat-dry the chicken with paper towels and set aside. Mix the cider, mustard, mustard powder and mustard seeds in a small bowl, and pour into a roasting pan, lined with foil and baking paper. Add the salt, honey and pepper, and mix again. Roll the chicken thighs in the marinade and scatter the shallots over. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight, turning the chicken occasionally.

2. When ready to roast, uncover the pan and bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
3. Roast for about 50 minutes, turning the chicken twice, until the skin is dark and crispy. Serve warm, with the sauce.

Serving suggestion:
Peel and slice a bunch of colorful carrots. Place in a flat container, separated by color (to prevent the purple ones from bleeding over the rest). Add a bit of hard cider, a splash of white wine vinegar, salt and honey. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes.

41 thoughts on “Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cider, Mustard and Honey Marinade”

  2. Great inspiration with the mustard! We just opened a new bottle of plain yellow mustard from Thrive, but I haven’t used it for actual cooking yet. I can see where experimentation will need to take place, following your lead with the extra ground and mustard seeds.

    NOLA Boy says he can actually taste this new-to-us mustard on his cheeseburgers, and that it is very pleasing. His sense of taste is much diminished, so this is really saying something.

    Last night, I did pre-roasted boneless thigh/leg pieces with a mild curry mushroom velouté that spread nicely on the thighs and the cauliflower. Trinidad seasoning (salt, garlic, lemon, cloves, and ginger) is a frequent addition as it brings a unique ambience without announcing itself too strongly. It was perfect in the sauce, and I added a bit more directly onto the cauliflower at table.

    To add to this “White Night” meal, I sautéed until lightly browned some already-roasted potato slices with sliced onions, chives, and the ever-present Extra Sharp Cheddar. Penzey’s Ozark seasoning added a bit of fun to the spuds, and at table I sprinkled smoked paprika and French Thyme on everything on my plate. The curry turned out to be very, very mild, so I got brave and added some Tandoori to mine.

    The overall visual effect of this entire meal was pretty bland, but the flavors sang a different tune.

    See how you inspire me? ;-> I’ve learned so much in the last few years from reading your blog!

    Virtual hugs,

Judie

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  5. Living alone and ‘always’ in a hurry I often use chicken thighs, both bone-in and -out. Usually cooking Asian fusion the marinades are most likely to begin with the inevitable honey-soy and progress from there 🙂 ! But being a total mustard freak I cannot wait to try your recipe ! Have not had hard cider in the house for ages tho’ used to be quite fond of it whilst on business in Germany . . . so it will be a glass for the marinade and one for the cook methinks . . . shall report back !!

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  17. The chicken looks so tasty and has a beautiful golden color. I know a friend who loves mustard, planning to invite him for dinner someday. I am sure he is gonna love this dish. Bookmarking the dish

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  18. Ronit, you chicken sounds delicious. If anyone were to ask what my favorite condiment is, it is Dijon mustard…I even have it with my fries. This sounds like a great meal and will certainly be on the table when I can order some hard cider. (Gone are the days when I could go down to our cellar for a bottle when we made our own at our New Hampshire orchard).

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    1. Thank you Karen, I’m glad you liked the recipe, and glad to know I’m not the only one who eats fries with mustard! 🙂
      The cider gives such wonderful flavor to the chicken. No doubt it would have been even better, using your homemade cider. 🙂

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