Fire up the grill, this tangy chicken that’s been marinated in mustard and fresh herbs is going to be your new BBQ recipe go to. With instructions on how to make it for everything from the boneless skinless breast to the crispy thighs, you can’t go wrong with this mustard and herb grilled chicken recipe! I promise you will be licking your fingers by the time it’s on your plate.
So this recipe came about in the same way that many of my recipes do. With half of a good idea and the other half of whatever else I have in my fridge. My original plan was to show you all how to deconstruct a whole chicken and then how to grill all of the pieces. It was a great idea in theory. It was really going to be the totally doing it all yourself method of cooking. The only thing I didn’t do was raise and butcher the chicken myself.
But like most plans, it didn’t quite work out that way. Turns out I’m really good at carving the legs and wings off of a chicken. But I’m not so hot at carving the breast portion. I tried. I really did. With my poor, sweet husband silently watching and photographing the whole ordeal. After about 10 minutes of unsuccessfully attempting to dislodge the breast cutlets from the breastbone, I gave up trying to do it in any way that was pretty and just cut them up.
At this point, I could have still shared a post with you guys about how to deconstruct a chicken and you wouldn’t have known that it took me a ridiculous about of time and effort. But I think it’s really important that I only share the recipes and concepts with you that I am 110% certain of. How can I help you be successful in the kitchen if I don’t even know what I’m talking about? So I’m back to working on my knife skills and I am going to master the art of cutting up a whole chicken. So look forward to that in the coming months! Until then I will keep practicing!
But back to the chicken recipe at hand. I knew that since I blew it on the teaching you guys how to cut up a chicken I had to blow this recipe out of the park. And not to toot my horn, but it totally does. It was sweet and tangy and so flavorful I just wanted to pour this marinade on absolutely everything.
I used fresh herbs to create the recipe because I’ve got them all growing on my porch and they really pack a punch taste wise. But I will also include the measurements for using dried if you can’t get your hands on fresh or if you just don’t want to mess with it! As Ina Garten always says, store bought is fine.
You may also be reading this recipe in the winter or don’t have a grill. I’m sure baking it would work just fine. I haven’t done it myself yet so I don’t have specific instructions. I will update this and let you all know how once I have tested it myself so we can all eat this delicious chicken year round.
Tips for making this mustard and herb grilled chicken:
- This marinade involves orange juice which is acidic. Because of this, it’s important that you don’t let the chicken marinade beyond 24 hours. At that point, the acidic in the juice will begin to break down the proteins and it will lead to a tough chewy chicken. I would recommend marinading for a couple of hours, but even 20 minutes would be just fine!
- Shake off the excess marinade before placing the chicken on the grill. Flare-ups are inevitable no matter how fabulous your grill is. But make sure your chicken isn’t dripping everywhere when you put it on the grill to help lessen the occurrences.
- Only flip once or twice. I am firmly in the less is more camp when it comes to grilling. The more you open the grill the more hot air you let out. Try to avoid checking and flipping the meat every two minutes. It’s hard I know!


Mustard and Herb Grilled Chicken
Tangy, juicy chicken marinaded in a blend of fresh herbs and mustard made crispy and golden over a hot grill. The perfect BBQ recipe for your next cookout!
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Chicken Your choice of cut
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Orange Juice or juice from half an orange
- 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Tbsp Fresh Oregano Or 1/4 Tsp Dried
- 1/4 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Or 1/4 Tsp Dried
- 1/4 Tbsp Fresh Parsley Or 1/4 Tsp Dried
- 1/4 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary Or 1/4 Tsp Dried
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
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Whisk together in the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Oil, mustard, orange juice, paprika, oregano, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper.
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Place chicken either in a bowl or a plastic bag and pour marinade over chicken. Be sure that all of the pieces are evenly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
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When ready to cook chicken bring it out on the counter and let it continue to sit for about 20 minutes so it won't be as cold. This will help the meat get a better sear on the grill.
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On a hot grill set on medium heat place the chicken directly on the grill after shaking off the excess marinade. Grill until cooked through turn once half way through the cooking time.
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Boneless Skinless Breast: Grill for about 6-7 minutes each side until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
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Chicken Wings: Grill for about 10 minutes on each side until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
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Chicken Quarters: Grill for 10 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. After 20 minutes lower temperature to medium and continue to cook until internal temperature is 170 degrees or the juices run clear from the thigh joint.
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Breast and wings can be served immediately. Allow the quarters to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot!
Recipe Notes
While it isn't necessary I highly recommend a food thermometer when cooking any kind of meat. It will help you not overcook or undercook the chicken. If not using a thermometer you can tell that it is done when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.
As always, great recipe! Also, thank you for not sharing something you haven’t mastered yet. That is not something all bloggers respect and I think that was awesome of you! Keeps me coming back to you! I know I can count on a great recipe!
Ahh thank you Lauren! That means a lot!
OH. EM. GEEE!!! This right here will be in my skillet very very soon! Pinning it for later! 😀
Kendra B.
http://www.helga-marie.com
It’s seriously so good!
I am loving the flavor of this chicken! Absolute perfection!
Thank you Jessica!
All these herbs with the mustard sound so DELICIOUS!!
It was! I’m not sure why I don’t just do that for everything!
Deboning a chicken definitely takes practice! I sometimes still struggle with removing the leg quarters neatly even though I am a chef and have been doing it for 10+ years haha!
That totally makes me feel better Denisse! They make it look so easy on the YouTube videos and it is definitely not like that in real life lol!
I once took a cooking class that was entirely devoted to deconstructing a chicken and it was the hardest class I’ve ever been in. While I know where I’m supposed to cut, I think I just don’t have the upper body strength to actually do it… or I just don’t want to hear bones crunching, so I make my husband do it. ha!
Mustard and fresh herbs on grilled chicken sounds delicious, and it screams to be enjoyed with some grilled green beans! Yum.
What a cool class! And boy it does take some upper body strength! I would make my husband do it but he’s pretty grossed out by a raw chicken so I can’t get him to do it.
And grilled green beans is the perfect idea! I have some in the fridge right now. Thanks for giving me my dinner idea!
OK, I seriously need to make this! Love the flavor combinations! I am so pinning this for later and now my stomach is gurgling. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Sherri! Don’t forget to share pictures when you try it out!
This looks PERFECT for a summer cookout! I love that you used up all the fresh herbs from your porch. I have a courtyard full of rosemary, now I just need to grow the rest of these herbs 🙂 Yum!
Rosemary is my favorite because it is so hardy!
Keep practicing, it get’s easier, I promise. The end result is all that matters anyway and this recipe sounds perfect and looks amazing.
Thank you for the encouragement Wendy! And that’s so true! As long as it tastes good that’s all that matters right?
Yum! This is so good!!! I had it with a healthy slaw on the side, and it was a delicious and healthy dinner. Seriously such a good chicken recipe. Thank you!