This flavorful Honey Mustard Chicken with Couscous combines chicken thighs with the warming flavors of garlic, onion, honey and stoneground mustard to make a simple skillet meal.
This simple chicken recipe idea caught me by surprise. I don’t have as much experience cooking with chicken thighs, but it turns out they have much more flavor than their expensive alternative, the chicken breast. You can either purchase them de-boned, or take a few minutes to prep it yourself to save a few dollars. With just a quick sauté, this will be a winner weeknight dinner for you if you’re a honey mustard fan.
I hope you all know the magic of couscous by now? Couscous is a whole grain that just needs to be covered in boiling hot water and covered in order to cook. It’s a quick meal lifesaver, and makes this chicken dish one that you can get on the table in 30 minutes or less.
There are 2 lone tomatoes and some cucumber nestled into the couscous because I’ve been needing the bright flavor and crunch reminiscent of summer, but if you want to go a more seasonal route, you can use roasted sweet potatoes or carrots and some winter greens tossed into the mix.
- 1 pound raw chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of ground pepper
- ¾ cup dry couscous
- 2 roma tomatoes
- ½ of a large cucumber
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- If necessary, remove skin and bone(s) from the chicken thighs.
- Dice raw chicken into small pieces and set aside.
- Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, diced garlic and diced onion in a pan over medium heat and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add in diced chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until beginning to brown on the outside. Add in honey, mustard, 1 teaspoon of the apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper, and cook for another 6-7 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- In a separate bowl, combine ¾ cup of dry couscous with 1 cup of boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes, covered with a plate.
- Dice tomatoes and cucumber. Add them to the couscous along with ½ tablespoon olive oil and the remaining 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and give it all a good toss.
- Serve the chicken over the couscous.
While I have the photos plated with the chicken over the couscous, this dish is equally as delicious tossed together and served as a grain salad with chicken. Either way, it makes a great lunch for the next day if you want to double the recipe.
Let me know in the comments: Have you tried cooking with chicken thighs? Next, I want to try baking them with the bone left in. They’re also delicious in my Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup!
Marisa
Emily @ Zen and Spice says
love that you made your own honey mustard sauce for this dish– so much healthier than store bought!
Marisa says
Thanks Emily! It turned out easy and delicious – and you’re absolutely right, a bit healthier.
Emily @ Sinful Nutrition says
It’s ridiculous the amount of mustard I go through by myself. I put it on just as many things as peanut butter, chicken included! 🙂
Marisa says
Yessss – peanut butter and mustard are staples around here too!
Janelle @ Wholly Healthy says
This sounds delicious – I love honey mustard!
Marisa says
Thanks Janelle! Hope you get around to trying it.
Katie says
Most likely making this next week! Although I’m lazy, so I might keep the chicken on the bone. or go with the boring chicken breasts.
Marisa says
Yay! Awesome! Absolutely – I would recommend using chicken breasts for the recipe if you don’t want to debone them, or I have found them in the grocery store de-boned/skinless as well, just for a markup.
Anna says
Can you sub apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar?
Marisa says
Hi Anna – You absolutely can in this case!