Description

Yum Yum Chicken is a flavorful baked chicken dish featuring tender boneless skinless chicken thighs coated in a tangy and sweet sauce made from Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, and rice vinegar. This easy-to-make recipe yields moist, succulent chicken finished with a thickened pan sauce and fresh rosemary garnish, perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

For the Chicken and Sauce:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard (no substitutes, PLEASE read notes below)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (no substitutes. No Aunt Jemima, fake maple syrup)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (most of the fat cut and discarded)

For Thickening and Garnish:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (for garnish)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Prepare an 8×8-inch oven-proof pan by lining it with two layers of tin foil to catch drippings and make cleanup easy.
Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper until fully combined to create the tangy-sweet sauce that will coat the chicken.
Coat the Chicken: Place the trimmed boneless skinless chicken thighs into the foil-lined pan. Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken, then turn the thighs around gently in the sauce to ensure every piece is well coated.
Bake the Chicken: Put the pan, uncovered, into the preheated oven and bake the chicken for 40 minutes. This will cook the chicken thoroughly and allow the sauce to infuse into the meat.
Rest the Chicken: Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest in the pan for 5 minutes. After resting, carefully transfer the chicken pieces to a serving plate, but do not discard the liquid remaining in the pan.
Thicken the Sauce: While the liquid is still hot, immediately whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch directly into the pan juices. This will thicken the sauce nicely. If the sauce doesn’t thicken after stirring in 1 tablespoon, add a little more cornstarch until the desired consistency is achieved.
Garnish and Serve: Drizzle the thickened sauce over the plated chicken thighs and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top as a fragrant garnish before serving.

Notes

Use only Dijon mustard; substituting with yellow mustard or other types will alter the flavor significantly.
Pure maple syrup is essential for authentic sweetness and flavor; avoid pancake syrups or artificial maple-flavored syrups.
Fresh rosemary adds a bright, aromatic finish but can be omitted if unavailable.
Cutting excess fat from chicken thighs helps reduce greasiness and keeps the dish lighter.
Adding cornstarch to the hot pan liquid immediately is key to achieving a smooth, thick sauce.