Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs

Published Oct. 26, 2023

Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times.Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Total Time
40 to 50 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
35 to 45 minutes
Rating
4(1,966)
Comments
Read comments

A modern take on a retro classic, these bread crumb-coated chicken thighs, helped out by a generous dose of melted butter, get especially crisp as they roast. To keep the crumbs from falling off, the chicken thighs are first coated with a piquant mix of mustard and Worcestershire sauce spiked with garlic, lemon zest and red-pepper flakes. This both seasons the meat and keeps it juicy. Using panko gives the golden chicken skin a light and feathery crunch, but regular bread crumbs would also work. If you’d rather use white meat, whole bone-in, skin-on breasts are the best bet here; boneless breasts tend to dry out in the time needed for the crumb coating to crisp and brown.

Featured in: Mom’s Favorite Chicken Dinner Gets a Makeover

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 3pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or use a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
  • ¾teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), more for sprinkling
  • ¼cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted
  • cups panko bread crumbs (or use regular bread crumbs)
  • ¼cup Dijon mustard
  • 2garlic cloves, grated
  • tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

643 calories; 48 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 39 grams protein; 565 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle chicken thighs lightly with salt.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, panko and ¼ teaspoon salt until the panko is well coated.

  3. Step 3

    In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, garlic, thyme, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, red-pepper flakes, black pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

  4. Step 4

    Lightly brush the thighs all over with the Dijon mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet, skin sides up. Top evenly with the panko mixture and drizzle lightly with oil.

  5. Step 5

    Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the panko topping is golden brown. If you want more color on the thighs, broil on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely. Serve with lemon wedges.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,966 user ratings
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Comments

In my experience when you leave the skin on while baking bread crumb chicken, it all falls off with the first bight. Also, if cooked right on a sheet pan, the bottom will be greasy and wet. Take off the skin, salt and pepper liberally and then slather on the mustard mix and the panko. cook the pieces on a rack set in the sheet pan and you will have great results.

I like all of Melissa Clark's recipes, so I suggest modifications with trepidation. But here you go: I make a Dijon chicken much like this, but marinate the chicken thighs in Greek yogurt for a few hours before applying the herby mustard coating and panko. Worcestershire sounds like a great tweak. Thanks Melissa (and Mom)!

I have been making a similar recipe for years and I highly recommend mixing some freshly grated parmesan cheese and a teaspoon of smoked paprika in with the crumbs. This is a great way to cook thighs!!

Easy recipe with good results. I cooked two thighs - 10.4 ounces - so I reduced everything accordingly. Otherwise, followed the recipe as written. I'll make this again.

Very tasty and a hit with adults and kids. The recipe yielded about 20 percent too much panko batter so you could cut the panko accordingly.

I made this exactly as written and it was so delicious. I would give it five minutes longer in the oven as I like thighs almost falling off the bone. A great addition and will use this summer for a dinner on the patio.

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