Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Published Oct. 26, 2023

Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs Recipe (1)

Total Time
40 to 50 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
35 to 45 minutes
Rating
4(1,511)
Notes
Read community notes

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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Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

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

  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.

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1,511

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Zips

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.

Greg

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)!

Auralee

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!!

Harriet

I agree with Julie from Sonoma that this is a riff on Laurie Colwin's baked chicken. I've made my own version of it for years. But this recipe changes what I think is the key to Colwin's recipe: the long low-temperature bake. If you bake chicken thighs low and slow (I start at 275F and gradually increase to 325 over 90 minutes), the meat comes out luscious and juicy, and the skin crisps beautifully if you baste with the juices every half hour. Try it.

Jen W

We made this exactly as instructed as per the recipe and … wowza! We paired the chicken with a kale Cesar salad (from the artisan bag in the Whole Foods fridge) and a medley of different sweet potatoes we roasted underneath the chicken. We tossed the sweet potatoes in the leftover ingredients from the main dish— the juice of the lemon we zested for the recipe, as well as the fresh thyme. We added olive oil, orange zest and fresh squeezed orange juice, red pepper, black paper, and kosher salt.

Steve

I use cast iron griddles instead of sheet pans. I find that cleaning a cast iron griddle is much easier than cleaning a sheet pan and the griddle heats more evenly and keeps food warm for longer.

William Wroblicka

If your family likes breasts then just use breasts in this recipe. There's nothing about it that absolutely requires thighs. If you don't overcook the breasts they won't be dry. Just temp them from time to time with an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, they're done!

John

Really delicious. Recommend serving with white rice. The excess Panko crust that falls off the chicken in the plate is delicious when used as a mix-in with the rice.Also, don’t skip the lemon juice squeezed on the top. It adds a brightness to the chicken which is wonderful.

Allison

I have been doing similar variations of this for many years: different types of mustard (spicy brown, yellow, honey, etc.), and combining it sometimes with mayonnaise, sometimes with chili garlic sauce. In addition, I add a little complementary spice to the Panko to boost the flavor. As for browning, I start the pieces skin side down for about half the cooking time.

Andree

A variation of this is a staple in our house. To cut fat remove the skin and slather on Dijon mustard. Roll the chicken in a mixture of breadcrumbs or pinko with some thyme and tarragon or herbs of your choice and some grated Parmesan cheese.

Donna

Just cooked this recipe’s near identical twin a few days ago. It was delicious, especially with apple chutney and an arugula salad.

Julie, Sonoma

Sometimes you just gotta eat the fat! This is quite good. Credit to Laurie Colwin in her "Home Cooking" book, 1988, for the first iteration of this that I tried. This version is higher end, a few more tasty ingredients, but anytime you put Dijon on chicken, top it with buttery goodness and bake it, it's going to be a winner. Eat that crispy skin! Toss some root vegies on that sheet pan and you have dinner.

RES

Yes. Olive oil is an excellent substitute for butter in this dish.

jordan

Had bacon I needed to cook, I took two cooked slices and crumbled into the crumb mix. Great addition IMO. Served with roasted brussels and pickled shallots, spätlese riesling

Richard

What do you normally substitute for butter?

xtraspice

Cooked as directed. Finished off with a drizzle of honey mustard under the broiler. Delicious!

John

Delicious. However, the recipe is really just a rehash of Julia Child's Deviled Chicken. I absolutely love it. Julia makes it with a whole chicken.

Kim D

A new family favorite. Followed the recipe exactly except made it with boneless, skinless thighs. Delicious!

Betsy

Against all advice and encouragement, my husband is just not a fan of thighs. Sigh. So I made this by cutting breasts into chunks - maybe 1x2” or 2x2” - dumped the chunks into the bowl with the mustard mixture and stirred to coat, then rolled each piece in the panko. Baked about 12-14 minutes and wow - the most perfect chicken nuggets. Delicious!

breadmama

This was great - used boneless skinless as that’s what I had on hand. Took down cooking time to 20-25 mins, and didn’t need all of the panko mixture (also didn’t use all of the butter, just enough to hydrate the panko). Definitely a fan of the tip to use a rack on a roasting pan (added some potatoes underneath plus the rest of the panko mixture, delish).Pro tip: add a half slice of swiss cheese to each thigh a couple minutes towards the end! Melty goodness!

Aleta

This was superb. The only changes I made were using garlic powder in the bread crumb coating because I had just run out of garlic cloves, and I did not have fresh thyme. The bread crumb coating did have a tendency to slide off while eating, but it did not detract in the least from the enjoyment of the meal. Served alongside Alexa Weibel's carrot risotto with chile crisp and the combo went together wonderfully.

dhwsmith

In my oven the bottoms get browner than the tops so I put the thighs skin-side down and the skin comes out very brown and crisp.

MHL

My grandmother added a hefty dose of parmesan & some finely chopped French's onion rings to the bread crumbs. We couldn't get to the table fast enough when this was coming out if the oven!

rfroode

Followed recipe exactly ..Flavor is very good, the crumb topping is also great The skin on thighs was limp and I weird under that topping. Will do skinless thighs next time , maybe skinless and boneless Cook time was adequate

PraeB

Didn’t have any bread crumbs to speak of so I used cornmeal. Only needed 1/4 of a cup. Results:

xtraspice

This was delicious and easy. Followed recipe other than I slathered the mustard sauce all over the chicken and rolled it in the panko patting the crumbs to stick baked at 425 for 40 mins. Crispy coating that stayed on the chicken.

Bryan

This is kind of a fancy version of Shake and Bake, and it’s quite good! I had about half a container of fresh oregano left over from another recipe, so I used that in place of the fresh thyme. Worked out great!

Bree LaFin

Tried it as written the first time. Completely agree with the top comment about removing the skin, be sure to keep the bones. Sincerely disagree about using a baking rack. Since you aren't breading the underside you want it nice and moist with a crispy top. Recommend marinating in fermented dairy that needs using the night before (I usually have leftover buttermilk or plain yogurt in the fridge, both do wonders for tenderizing!), then wipe off and otherwise follow the recipe.

Susie

Truly a quick weeknight prep with pantry items for a super tasty meal! For 6 thighs (3 lbs), 1 cup panko/3 T olive oil was plenty/quicker/healthier. For the mustard mixture, fresh thyme is a must, cut back the red pepper flakes to 1/4 t (unless you want the heat to overtake the other flavors), and skip adding salt. Half skin on, half skin off--all cooked perfectly at 45 mins with browned crispy tops. This goes in the rotation!

Colette

I halved the recipe, used boneless skinless thighs and substituted a squirt of sriracha for the red pepper flakes. I made it a sheet pan dinner by cooking the chicken in the middle of a parchment paper-lined pan for about 20 minutes, then adding a chopped sweet potato and red pepper, tossed with a tablespoon of olive oil in the same bowl I used to mix the mustard combination. Cooked for another 20-30 minutes. Everything was delicious, and the chicken is great cold, too.

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Crispy Mustard Chicken With Bread Crumbs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to getting crispy chicken? ›

Use high heat: Whether you're baking or pan-frying, using high heat helps to crisp up the chicken skin quickly. It promotes browning and creates a crispy texture. Preheat the cooking surface: If you're pan-frying chicken, ensure that the pan is properly preheated before adding the chicken.

Why put mustard on chicken before cooking? ›

It acts as a glue for spices

In this case, mustard is the perfect binder for spices to adhere to chicken or any meat for that matter. The tanginess tends to dilute during the cooking process, allowing the condiment to do its job without overpowering.

Why do you put breadcrumbs on chicken? ›

There's nothing quite as good as a breaded chicken cutlet, served hot and crisp on, well, anything at all. Crispy chicken tenders, or baked breaded chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Milanese, or Chicken Piccata—they all rely on a coating of breadcrumbs for their mouthwatering, crunchy texture.

What makes breadcrumbs stick to chicken without egg? ›

Editor: One option is just dipping the fish or chicken breast in melted butter before rolling it in the spices or coating, like we did in this Blackened Chicken recipe. You could also try milk or yogurt. For heavier coatings (like panko or breadcrumbs), you might dust the fish with flour first.

How do Chinese get their chicken so crispy? ›

The chicken is then air-dried for 10 to 12 hours before being flash-fried, then oil-poached. The skin gets its signature crispiness from 10 to 12 minutes of basting with scalding hot oil right before serving.

What ingredient makes chicken skin crispy? ›

That trick is a sprinkling of baking powder, and it'll get you the crispiest, crackliest bites of fatty, salty skin imaginable, whether you're cooking just one thigh, a plate of wings, or an entire bird.

Do you put mustard before or after seasoning? ›

Mustard is a common ingredient in barbecue cooking, and it's commonly “slathered” onto pork butt or ribs before the application of rub. Most people report that they cannot taste the mustard after cooking, so why use it in the first place? One reason is that mustard acts like glue to hold the rub on the meat.

What mustard does to meat? ›

The mustard actually works to tenderize the meat and you will notice little more than a thin crust of it over the surface of the meat. In fact, mustard can help to produce the crust that is so sought after in traditional barbecue.

What does marinating meat in mustard do? ›

I've found that the vinegar component in Dijon mustard is intense enough to work as an excellent marinade for steaks—it tenderizes the proteins, which is great for tougher cuts, and imbues the meat with a nice tanginess.

Why doesn't my bread crumbs stick to chicken? ›

Meat is not properly dry

Most home cooks often struggle with getting the breading part right because they do not let their meat dry properly. If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying.

Why are my breadcrumbs not crispy? ›

The secret to browning the crumbs on chicken, or any dish topped with breadcrumbs, is making sure the bread you're making the breadcrumbs from is a little dry. A loaf that is several days old will have lost a little moisture. Blitz the crumbs in a food processor then toss through a little oil.

Why do my bread crumbs fall off the chicken? ›

You Don't Start Dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial; make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy and thus will not adhere properly to the chicken.

What can I use to bind breadcrumbs to chicken? ›

Dip the flour-coated chicken into a bowl of beaten eggs. (If you prefer, you can also use buttermilk or add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or a few drops of hot sauce to the mixture for a little kick.) You want the eggs to coat the flour thoroughly.

Can you use mayo instead of eggs for breading? ›

There are more than a few reasons why mayo makes sense as a substitute for egg wash. Since they both share the same main ingredient (eggs), they function in very similar ways. Much like egg wash acts as a binding agent to help seasonings and breadcrumbs stick to meat, creamy mayonnaise also manages to do the same.

What is the secret to keeping fried chicken crispy? ›

Proper cooling sets the crust and ensures that the chicken will have done all its carryover cooking. I like to cool any leftover chicken completely and then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs condensation and keeps that chicken crisp for midnight snacking.

What's the secret to good fried chicken? ›

The secret to succulent fried chicken starts with a marinade or brine, which keeps the chicken at its peak juiciness. Fried chicken traditionalists generally choose a buttermilk marinade while others swear by a brine, which is a mixture of sugar, salt and sometimes spices dissolved into water.

Is baking powder or soda better for crispy chicken? ›

It may sounds unappealing, but coating chicken wings in seasoned baking powder is what makes the skin super crispy. You won't taste it in the end results, so long as you use aluminium-free. To be clear, make sure you use baking powder, NOT baking soda, because there is a big difference!

Why isn't my chicken coming out crispy? ›

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

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