Description

Yum Yum Chicken is a flavorful baked chicken thigh dish coated in a tangy and sweet sauce made from Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar. This easy-to-make recipe combines the richness of juicy chicken thighs with a caramelized sauce that’s thickened to perfection and garnished with fresh rosemary, delivering a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and aromatic flavors in under an hour.

Ingredients

Scale

Sauce and Coating

½ cup (125 g) Dijon mustard (preferably Grey Poupon)
¼ cup (59 ml) pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken

2 pounds (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (most fat trimmed and discarded)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (for garnish)

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Line an 8×8-inch oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil to make cleanup easier and prevent sticking.
Mix the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully combined. Taste and adjust the sauce as desired.
Coat the Chicken: Place the chicken thighs into the prepared pan. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, turning the thighs to coat evenly on all sides.
Bake the Chicken: Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 40 minutes, allowing the sauce to caramelize and the chicken to cook through.
Rest and Prepare the Sauce: Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving plate, but keep the pan with the cooking liquid.
Thicken the Sauce: Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the hot liquid remaining in the pan. The heat will help thicken the sauce. Add more cornstarch if needed to reach desired thickness.
Garnish and Serve: Drizzle the thickened sauce over the chicken and finish by sprinkling fresh rosemary on top before serving.

Notes

Adjust the amount of rice wine vinegar to control the tanginess of the sauce—use seasoned vinegar for a milder taste or unseasoned for a stronger tang.
Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs makes for juicy flavorful meat and easier cooking.
Line the baking pan with tin foil to help with easy cleanup and prevent the sauce from sticking.
If the sauce does not thicken sufficiently, add cornstarch gradually while whisking over low heat.
Fresh rosemary adds a fragrant garnish but can be omitted if unavailable.