Healthy Honey Mustard Chicken with Green Beans

If you ask me, honey mustard chicken is one of those perfect weeknight meals.

This classic dish brings together tender chicken and crisp green beans in a sauce that’s both sweet and tangy. The honey adds just enough sweetness while the mustard gives it that nice kick that keeps you coming back for more.

I love how the chicken gets a nice golden color as it cooks in the pan, and the green beans stay fresh and snappy. The sauce is simple – just a few ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

It’s the kind of no-fuss meal that makes everyone at the table happy, perfect for those busy evenings when you want something good without too much work.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

Dark meat chicken parts like thighs and drumsticks are perfect for this recipe since they stay juicy and tender during cooking. While you could substitute chicken breasts, the dark meat naturally has more flavor and won’t dry out as easily when baked. The skin-on, bone-in versions will give you the best results since the skin helps lock in moisture and the bones add extra flavor – but skinless pieces will still work if that’s your preference. Just look for pieces that are similar in size so they cook evenly, and make sure they’re fresh with a pink color and no strong odors. If you’re buying from the meat counter, don’t be shy about asking when the chicken was packaged.

Options for Substitutions

This simple honey mustard chicken recipe can be adapted with several easy swaps:

• Honey: If you’re out of honey, maple syrup works great as a substitute. You can also use agave nectar, though you might want to use a bit less since it’s sweeter than honey.
• Whole-grain mustard: No whole-grain mustard? Double up on the Dijon instead. You could also use regular yellow mustard, though the flavor will be slightly different.
• Chicken thighs and drumsticks: While dark meat is great for this recipe, you can use chicken breasts instead. Just keep in mind they cook faster, so reduce cooking time by about 5-7 minutes to avoid drying them out.
• Green beans: Fresh green beans can be swapped with frozen ones (no need to thaw). You could also use asparagus, broccoli florets, or sugar snap peas – just adjust cooking time depending on the vegetable you choose.
• Dijon mustard: If you’re out of Dijon, you can use regular yellow mustard mixed with a tiny splash of white wine vinegar to mimic that tangy Dijon taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest challenge when cooking honey mustard chicken is preventing the honey from burning – the natural sugars can quickly go from perfectly caramelized to burnt if your heat is too high, so keep your temperature at medium and watch the chicken closely. Getting crispy chicken skin requires patting the pieces completely dry with paper towels before cooking, and making sure not to overcrowd the pan, which can lead to steaming instead of browning. For perfectly cooked green beans that stay bright and crisp-tender, don’t add them too early – they only need about 8-10 minutes of cooking time, and overcooking will make them mushy and dull. A helpful tip is to test the chicken’s doneness with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part (avoiding the bone) – it should read 165°F for food safety while keeping the meat juicy.

What to Serve With Honey Mustard Chicken?

Since this dish already comes with green beans, you’ll want some tasty carbs to round out your meal. Rice is my go-to choice – whether it’s plain white rice, brown rice, or even wild rice, it’s perfect for soaking up all that delicious honey mustard sauce. For something a bit different, try roasted baby potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes, which pair really nicely with the sweet and tangy chicken. If you’re keeping things casual, warm dinner rolls or crusty French bread work great for mopping up any extra sauce on your plate. And since the flavors aren’t too complex, a simple side salad with light vinaigrette would fit right in too.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Place your leftover honey mustard chicken and green beans in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to 4 days. The flavors actually get even better after a day as the chicken soaks up more of that honey mustard goodness!

Freeze: This dish is perfect for freezing! Store the chicken and green beans separately in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Just keep in mind that the green beans might be a bit softer when thawed, but the chicken will maintain its taste and texture really well.

Reheat: To warm up your leftovers, place them in the oven at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also use the microwave for quick reheating – just cover and heat in 1-minute intervals, stirring the green beans halfway through. Add a splash of water to the green beans to help them steam and stay tender.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	20-30 minutes
Total Time	130-180 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 900-1100
• Protein: 70-80 g
• Fat: 40-50 g
• Carbohydrates: 60-70 g

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1/4 cup honey (raw honey adds richer flavor)
• 3 tbsp whole-grain mustard (I use French’s)
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard (smooth variety for silky texture)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (freshly ground preferred)

For the chicken and green beans:

• 0.75 lb fresh green beans (trimmed and halved)
• 1 to 1.5 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks (skin-on for crispier edges)

Step 1: Prepare the Honey Mustard Marinade

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together the honey, whole-grain mustard, and Dijon mustard until smooth and well combined.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

This creates a balanced, tangy-sweet marinade that will coat the chicken beautifully.

I like to taste the marinade before marinating—it should have a pleasant balance of sweet and savory, with the mustard providing complexity rather than overwhelming heat.

Step 2: Marinate the Chicken

• 1 to 1.5 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks
• honey mustard marinade from Step 1

Place the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a resealable bag or shallow dish.

Pour the honey mustard marinade from Step 1 over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are well coated.

Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight if time allows.

This extended marinating time allows the flavors to penetrate the meat and helps keep it moist during cooking.

Step 3: Grill the Chicken Until Golden and Cooked Through

• marinated chicken from Step 2

Heat your grill to medium-high heat (around 375-400°F).

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so it cooks evenly.

Place the chicken skin-side down on the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes without moving it, allowing the skin to crisp and develop color.

Flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

I reserve about 2-3 tablespoons of the remaining marinade in the bag for the green beans—this ensures you have enough sauce to coat them while the chicken finishes cooking.

Step 4: Cook the Green Beans with Reserved Marinade

• 0.75 lb fresh green beans
• reserved marinade from Step 3

While the chicken is in its final few minutes of cooking, toss the trimmed and halved green beans with the reserved marinade from Step 3.

Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Add the green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until they’re tender-crisp and lightly charred in spots.

The residual heat from the grill combined with the cooking time ensures the beans are cooked through but still have a pleasant crunch.

Step 5: Rest and Serve

• cooked chicken from Step 3
• cooked green beans from Step 4

Transfer the grilled chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before plating.

This brief rest allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat moist and tender when you take your first bite.

Arrange the rested chicken and glazed green beans on serving plates, and spoon any remaining pan juices from the green beans over everything for extra flavor.