The name of this recipe says it all! In about 10 minutes you can prepare an easy baked chicken recipe that is moist, tender, and seasoned with fresh herbs and a delicious maple-Dijon pan sauce! It’s a simple and healthy dinner for your busiest evenings.
Halloween candy overload?! Before we roll straight into the decadence of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, let’s get back-to-basics with a simple and delicious dinner recipe that is not only nutritious, but your kids (and your husband) will actually EAT it!
Let’s be honest: sometimes it can be tricky to come up with new and different meal ideas that are both healthy and kid-friendly.
After all, most children think that the definition of “fine dining” includes mac & cheese, hot dogs, and pizza.
Not that there’s anything wrong with those options…(heck, they all make frequent appearances in my kitchen), BUT it’s also nice to round out your dinnertime fare with some more grown-up recipes…and that’s exactly what I have for you today!
The bold flavors of fresh herbs and a rich maple-Dijon pan sauce make this baked chicken recipe fancy enough to serve to guests; however, the tender and juicy chicken requires only a few minutes of preparation time…so it’s also a great option for busy weeknights.
Just pour the sauce onto your chicken,
tuck some fresh herbs alongside, and it’s ready for the oven!
How long does it take to bake chicken breast?
It depends on the thickness of your chicken and on the temperature of the oven. I like to bake this dish in a hot oven, so I set it for 425 degrees F.
Since I’m always in a hurry, I prefer to use small, thin chicken breasts here. When baking a 5-ounce piece of meat, the chicken is usually done in about 25-30 minutes.
If you’re using larger chicken breasts, they will typically need about 35-40 minutes (or maybe even 45 minutes) to cook through. Feel free to cut your thick chicken breasts in half to speed up the baking time!
If you want to be really exact, there’s no better way to test for doneness than by using a meat thermometer. The chicken is finished when your thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
How to Make No Work Baked Chicken in 4 Easy Steps
- In a bowl, whisk together maple syrup, mustard, and soy sauce.
Place chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour sauce over chicken and toss to make sure that each piece of chicken is well coated. Place sprigs of fresh herbs in the dish (tucked alongside the chicken).
Bake then remove herbs from dish and discard. Be sure to spoon plenty of the delicious pan sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional herbs, if desired, before serving!
How should I serve the Baked Chicken?
- Try making a simple green salad and serving the chicken with a side of crusty French bread. Dip that bread in the extra pan sauce!
- Love pasta or rice? Slice the chicken and serve it over pasta or rice that has been buttered and tossed with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Spoon the extra sauce over the chicken and pasta.
- Keep it light! You can slice the baked chicken and serve it on top of salad greens, over sautéed spinach, or with cauliflower rice.
- Pair it with this easy-yet-decadent Southern cornbread dressing for a total comfort food meal!
You pick — no matter when or how you serve it, this easy dinner is sure to please a crowd!
More Delicious Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
- Hawaiin Chicken (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot)
- Root Beer Barbecue Chicken
- Dump & Bake Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- Baked Chicken Legs
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
“No Work” Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a bowl, whisk together maple syrup, mustard, and soy sauce.
- Place chicken in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray (I used an 11 x 7-inch baking dish, but any similar size is fine). Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour sauce over chicken and toss to make sure that each piece of chicken is well coated. Place sprigs of fresh herbs in the dish (tucked alongside the chicken).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Remove herbs from dish and discard. Be sure to spoon plenty of the delicious pan sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional herbs, if desired, before serving!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in November, 2015. The photos were updated in June, 2018.
Could this be made ahead for a large crowd?My son is getting married and I am doing the cooking for reception. Could i place the chicken and sauce in ziplocs for two days ,remove from frig to room temp and finally place in chafers on the day of event? Advice please?
Hi, Tina! I’m so glad that you might serve this dish at your son’s reception. What an honor!
Yes — you can prepare this chicken in advance, as you described. That should work fine! As with any new recipe, I would give it a try in your own kitchen on a smaller scale (using this same prep-ahead process), just to make sure that you’re happy with the end result before feeding it to the crowd. It will give you a chance to adjust any seasoning or make any slight changes, if necessary, before serving the big batch. 🙂
Enjoy, and congrats to your son!
Tina, did you try this for a crowd? How did it work out? Is the heat from the chafers enough to reheat the chicken? I’m looking for a make-ahead chicken recipe ahead as well, so would appreciate your tips. Thanks!
What kind of maple syrup did you use?
Hi, Karolina! I usually use an organic maple syrup that I buy at Costco, but any variety will work! Enjoy!
Hi Blair –
Have you made this a head of time and reheated? I am looking for a chicken dish to feed a crowd for a party and the venue allows us to reheat, but not actually cook.
Also – have you tried this in either a slow cooker or roaster oven?
Thank you for your help!
Hi, Sarah! I haven’t, but I think reheating the chicken would work fine. You obviously just want to make sure that you don’t overcook the meat and dry it out. Just enough to warm through and you should be good to go!
As far as the slow cooker goes, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it because the slow cooker adds a lot of liquid to the sauce (thanks to the condensation in the pot that drips back down into the sauce). You’ll end up with a pretty watery sauce. Instead, I prefer baking the chicken uncovered, which gives the sauce a chance to thicken up really nicely.
Enjoy!
This turned out amazing. My son is a fussy eater, but he absolutely loved it. Thank you for sharing this very easy and tasty recipe
Thanks, Mohna! That’s high praise when even the fussy eater enjoys it. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to come back here and let me know!
The cooking times in this recipe are much too long. Advice to anyone reading this, 425 is high for chicken. Do not wait 30-40 minutes to check temperature!
Check after 15, then every 5, unless youre chicken breasts are very large. i would still check it after 15 to know progress.
Sauce was tasty though.
Just made this recipe and I have to say that my two kids and husband ate it up. They loved it and let me tell you how difficult it is to get 100% approval on a dinner dish. This was a super easy dish to pull together. I used chicken thighs, and it was delicious. Great recipe!
That’s amazing! I’m so glad that you found a winner. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This is so delicious!! I’m making it for the group of us going up north.. I don’t have fresh Rosemary or Thyme but I’ve found the dried works well too. Thank you for such a wonderful dish that has quickly become a favorite! <3
Wonderful, Maggie! I’m so glad that you’ve found an easy recipe that you enjoy. Thanks for letting me know!
Sounds great! You have a lot of good ideas. I am elderly and have to try and feed my family, I am cooked out. Thank-you.
You’re so welcome, Carol. I’m glad to know that these simple recipes might help you get a meal on the table. 🙂
There is a similar recipe called honey mustard curry chicken for the IP that is just great! Where yours uses maple syrup, the HMC sauce calls for honey, Dijon mustard, curry powder, and salt plus water. Just pour over chicken and cook in the IP. It is WONDERFUL served over rice. I’m sure this recipe must be as good. I’ll try it soon!
Thanks for the tip, Kay! I bet the addition of curry is delicious. 🙂
Do you use real maple syrup or the maple flavored syrup?
Hi, Linda! You’ll want to use real maple syrup here.