Flavorful Honey Mustard Chicken and Rice Bake

Looking for a dinner that practically makes itself? This honey mustard chicken and rice bake is one of those meals I keep coming back to. After a busy day running errands and helping with homework, the last thing I want is to spend hours in the kitchen. That’s why I love how everything goes into one dish – the chicken, the rice, and all those good flavors just hanging out together.

The best part? While it’s in the oven, I can help the kids with their science projects or catch up on emails without worrying about stirring pots or timing different dishes. Sometimes I’ll prep it during my Sunday cooking session and pop it in the oven on Monday night. The honey mustard sauce is mild enough for picky eaters but still has enough flavor to make grown-ups happy. Trust me, this one’s going to become your new weeknight favorite.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this baked dish, boneless skinless chicken breasts are your best bet, though you could swap in boneless thighs if you prefer darker meat. When shopping, look for breasts that are similar in size and thickness – this helps them cook evenly and at the same rate. If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, you might want to butterfly them or pound them to an even thickness of about 1-inch. Fresh chicken is great, but if you’re using frozen, make sure it’s completely thawed in the refrigerator before cooking and pat it dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty adaptable and you can make several swaps based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Chicken breasts: You can easily swap chicken breasts for boneless chicken thighs – they’ll actually stay a bit juicier! Just note that thighs might need an extra 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
• White rice: White rice works best here, but you can use jasmine or basmati rice as a 1:1 replacement. Brown rice isn’t recommended as it needs different liquid ratios and cooking times.
• Whole-grain Dijon mustard: Regular Dijon mustard works fine here. If you’re in a pinch, you can use yellow mustard mixed with a bit of honey, though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
• Chicken stock: Out of chicken stock? Vegetable stock or even water with a chicken bouillon cube will do the trick. Just make sure to keep the same liquid amount.
• Honey: You can replace honey with maple syrup or agave nectar in equal amounts. Brown sugar works too – just use about 1.5 tablespoons instead of 2.
• Garlic powder: Fresh minced garlic works great – use 2-3 cloves instead of the powder. You can also use 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic as a substitute.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when making honey mustard chicken and rice in one pan is getting both components to cook evenly – using chicken breasts that are too thick can leave you with undercooked meat and overcooked rice, so try to choose pieces of similar thickness or pound them to an even size. A common error is lifting the lid during cooking, which releases the steam needed for perfectly fluffy rice, so resist the urge to peek and keep the cover on for the entire cooking time. The honey in this recipe can burn quickly if your oven temperature is too high, so stick to 375°F (190°C) and place the baking dish in the middle rack of your oven. For the best results, let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes after baking – this allows the rice to absorb any remaining liquid and the chicken to retain its juices when you cut into it.

What to Serve With Honey Mustard Chicken and Rice?

Since this dish already includes protein and grains, I like to add some veggies to round out the meal. Roasted broccoli or green beans work really well with the honey mustard flavors – just toss them with olive oil and pop them in the oven while the chicken bakes. A simple side salad with mixed greens and a light vinaigrette is another easy option that adds freshness to the plate. If you want to keep things super simple, you can steam some frozen peas or carrots and stir them right into the rice when it’s done cooking.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This honey mustard chicken and rice bake is perfect for leftovers! Pop it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors actually get even better as they meld together, making this dish great for meal prep.

Freeze: Want to save some for later? This dish freezes really well. Just place it in a freezer-safe container and it’ll keep for up to 3 months. I like to portion it out into individual servings before freezing – it makes grabbing a quick lunch or dinner super easy!

Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy your leftovers, warm them up in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. If the rice seems a bit dry, just add a splash of chicken broth or water. For larger portions, you can reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, covered with foil to keep the moisture in.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	35-40 minutes
Total Time	45-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1300
• Protein: 100-110 g
• Fat: 20-25 g
• Carbohydrates: 150-160 g

Ingredients

For the chicken and rice base:

• 2 tbsp honey (for sweet-savory balance)
• 2 tsp garlic powder (freshly ground preferred for more flavor)
• 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 6-8 oz each)
• 2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup white rice (long-grain)
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the basting sauce:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard

For seasoning:

• pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Dish

Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Having everything prepped and the oven warming while you work on the next steps ensures you won’t have any delays when you’re ready to bake.

Step 2: Build the Honey Mustard Broth Base

• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard, and garlic powder until well combined.

I like to whisk this vigorously for about 30 seconds to emulsify the honey and mustard into the broth—this helps distribute the flavors more evenly throughout the rice as it cooks.

Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Layer the Rice and Broth in the Baking Dish

• 1 cup white rice
• honey mustard broth mixture from Step 2

Pour the uncooked white rice into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly across the bottom.

Pour the honey mustard broth mixture from Step 2 over the rice and stir well to ensure all the rice grains are coated and submerged.

This even distribution is key to preventing dry spots and ensuring the rice cooks evenly.

Step 4: Sear and Position the Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then arrange them on top of the rice in a single layer.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.

I recommend patting the chicken dry first because it helps it brown better during the initial bake phase, which develops more flavor.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam and help the chicken and rice cook together.

Step 5: First Bake Phase (Covered)

Place the covered baking dish in the preheated 375°F oven and bake for 25 minutes.

During this time, the steam trapped under the foil will cook the rice partially and poach the chicken gently.

The chicken won’t brown much yet, but it will continue cooking in the next phase.

Step 6: Finish Cooking and Glaze the Chicken

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard

Carefully remove the foil from the baking dish and give the rice a gentle stir to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.

Brush or spoon an additional 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of whole-grain Dijon mustard (or a mixture of both) directly onto the top of each chicken breast.

Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the rice is tender, the liquid is mostly absorbed, and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

The uncovered phase allows the chicken to brown and the glaze to caramelize slightly.

Step 7: Rest and Serve

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes—this allows the chicken to relax and stay juicy when you slice it.

Slice the chicken breasts into strips and serve over the honey mustard rice, spooning any remaining pan juices over the top.

The residual heat will keep everything warm while you plate.