American-Style Chicken with Honey-Mustard Glaze Recipe
Juicy pieces of chicken baked in the oven in a sweet-and-salty honey and mustard glaze are a classic home-cooked dinner in many American households. This kind of chicken often lands on the table on weeknights, because the sauce is made in one bowl and the oven does the rest of the work. The flavor is reminiscent of roast chicken with a mild barbecue-style sauce, but without the smoky aroma and without needing a grill.
Chicken in a honey-mustard glaze is the essence of a home-cooked dinner from American suburbs – a simple sauce from a few ingredients that turns into a sticky, glossy coating as it bakes. The sweet-and-salty mix of honey, mustard, and soy sauce gives an effect similar to a mild barbecue sauce, but without the smoky aroma and without a grill. Thanks to baking at a high temperature, the skin becomes browned and lightly caramelized, while the meat underneath stays juicy.
Chef's tips
Before baking, pat the chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels – damp skin won’t brown as nicely and the glaze will slide off. Halfway through baking, make sure to brush the meat with the remaining sauce, because it’s that second layer that gives the appetizing, glossy finish. Be careful not to overbake the chicken – as soon as the juices run clear when pierced, take the tray out and give the meat a few minutes to rest so it doesn’t dry out.
How to serve
Most often it’s served with roasted potatoes or rice and a simple salad with vinaigrette – this combo works great as a quick midweek dinner. Sparkling water with lemon is a good drink pairing, and for a weekend meal, a light, semi-dry white wine also fits well. For a family gathering, you can arrange the chicken pieces on a large board, add a bowl of buttered corn and some lightly pickled cucumbers so everyone can help themselves to what they like.
Ingredients
- chicken leg - 1 kg
- honey - 4 tablespoons
- mustard - 3 tablespoons
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 3 cloves
- soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
- paprika - 1 teaspoon
- salt - 0.5 teaspoons
- black pepper - 0.5 teaspoons
- lemon - 0.5 pieces
- parsley finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Line a baking tray with baking paper or lightly grease it with oil.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it skin-side up on the tray, leaving small gaps between the pieces.
- In a bowl, mix the honey, mustard, oil, soy sauce, juice squeezed from half a lemon, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Peel the garlic and finely chop it or press it through a garlic press, add it to the bowl with the sauce, and mix thoroughly until you get a smooth glaze.
- Using a pastry brush or spoon, generously coat each piece of chicken with the glaze on both sides, leaving a little sauce in the bowl at the end.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Then take the chicken out, brush again with the remaining glaze, and return it to the oven.
- Bake for about another 15 minutes, until the skin is very glossy, lightly browned, and the juices running from the thickest part when pierced are clear.
- After baking, remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and let it rest for 5 minutes so the meat relaxes and stays juicier.
Storage
Kurczaka przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku. Do odgrzania najlepiej wstawić do piekarnika na 10–15 minut w 160°C, przykryte folią, aby nie wysuszyć mięsa. Po zamrożeniu rozmrażaj w lodówce przez noc.
