Maple Dijon Grilled Chicken (Print Page)

Juicy chicken glazed with sweet maple and tangy Dijon, grilled to golden perfection for any occasion.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Marinade

02 - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
03 - 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined and smooth.
02 - Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring each piece is evenly coated. Seal or cover tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill grates to prevent the chicken from sticking during cooking.
04 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Discard the remaining marinade. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the surface is golden with defined grill marks.
05 - Transfer the grilled chicken to a plate or cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The marinade doubles as a glaze if you set a little aside before it touches raw chicken, which means deep layered flavor with zero extra effort.
  • It genuinely works for a Tuesday night dinner or a weekend cookout with friends without changing a single thing.
02 -
  • Discard every drop of used marinade because it has been sitting with raw chicken and is not safe to baste with unless you boil it hard for several minutes.
  • If you want that extra glaze effect, pull out a couple tablespoons of marinade before the chicken goes in and keep it in a small dish in the fridge.
03 -
  • Score the chicken breasts lightly with a knife before marinating so the flavor penetrates deeper without drying out the surface.
  • The sweet spot for marinating is four hours because shorter barely develops flavor and longer than eight starts making the texture oddly mushy.

Return