Who’s craving some paleo honey mustard chicken thighs? These tangy, mustardy, and sweet chicken thighs are the brainchild of my pals Juli Bauer and George Bryant!
Unless you’ve been living underground (like a good cave-person should!), you know that Juli Bauer and George Bryant just released one of the most highly anticipated cookbooks of the summer, The Paleo Kitchen. And if you know about this extraordinary book, then I’m sure you’ve already scooped up a copy—and helped it debut on the New York Times best sellers list!
It’s difficult for me to be objective about The Paleo Kitchen because I’m pals with George and Juli. In person, they’re exactly how you picture them from their respective blogs: Juli is smart, sassy, and funny, and George is savvy, passionate, and loyal. Together, their Wonder Twin powers activate like nobody’s business, and you can see this in their exceptional cookbook. Its pages are packed with tantalizing recipes, luscious food photography, and a whole mess ’o useful cooking tips. I love their light-hearted, devil-may-care approach to Paleo, showing folks that anyone can be fit and happy without going to extremes.
While George and Juli are renowned for their Paleo treats (and yes, those are pancakes on the cover of their book), don’t be fooled into thinking that The Paleo Kitchen is nothing but desserts and grain-free baked goods. Inside, you’ll discover a healthy balance of savory and sweet dishes for every occasion. In fact, one of my favorite recipes turns out to be one of the easiest main courses in the book: Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs. I love that can throw this dish together on a busy weeknight with items that are already sitting in my kitchen. Besides: who doesn’t love honey mustard chicken, for cryin’ out loud?
When I told George and Juli how much I wanted to share this super-simple recipe with you, they generously gave me the green light. Ready to get cooking?
Time to make Paleo Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or melted fat of choice)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons raw organic honey, melted
Here’s what you do:
Preheat your oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle.
Combine the lemon juice…
…olive oil, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl…
…and stir to combine.
Add the chicken thighs…
…and coat the chicken in the marinade.
Season the thighs with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken thighs skin side down on an elevated rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
Roast the chicken in the hot oven for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, combine the garlic…
…thyme…
…mustard, and honey in a small bowl and mix well.
Take the chicken out of the oven and brush the honey mustard on both sides of the chicken.
Flip the chicken skin-side up and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the thighs are cooked through and the skin is nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and brush on extra honey mustard if desired.
That’s it! Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.
These babies disappeared almost as soon as I set the platter down on the dining room table. Next time, I’m definitely doubling the recipe to make sure I’ll have enough leftovers to bring to work!
What are you waiting for? Stop wasting time on the web and go grab a copy of The Paleo Kitchen right now!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!
The Paleo Kitchen's Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ingredients
- Juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or melted fat of choice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons raw organic honey melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle.
- Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs and coat the chicken in the marinade. Season the thighs with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs skin side down on an elevated rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast the chicken in the hot oven for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the garlic, thyme, mustard, and honey in a small bowl and mix well.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and brush the honey mustard on both sides of the chicken.
- Flip the chicken skin-side up and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the thighs are cooked through and the skin is nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and brush on extra honey mustard if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If I don’t have an oven rack will this recipe die
Nope! The skin may not get as browned, but it will still taste great!
Can I use this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thigh?
Yep! The cooking time would be shorter!
Was I supposed to marinade the chicken overnight in the lemon sauce? It was kind of bland.