Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders
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The most juicy, tender chicken with the easiest marinade. Dijon, honey, olive oil, rosemary, lemon. THE BEST EVER.
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With just a simple honey mustard marinade, this should only take 10 minutes to prep. And you’ll be so surprised as to how epic these chicken tenders are. They get marinated for 2-8 hours, then thrown on the grill, then finished off with the rest of the glaze, yielding that perfectly oh-so-sticky glaze. Serve with a salad, crusty bread, and all the wine before winter hits. It’s going to come fast!
why i love this recipe
- Time-saving recipe. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Marinate the chicken 2 hours in advance or overnight. Your future self will be thanking you.
- Sweet and sticky glaze. The chicken tenders will come out juicy, tender and flavorful every single time with the most epic (and super easy) honey mustard glaze.
- Versatile and flexible. This recipe will work with any part of the chicken – breast, thighs or tenderloins – whether it’s on the grill, on the stovetop or in the oven (more on that below).
tips and tricks for success
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor. These can also be baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes (reaching an internal temperature of 165°F), brushing with the reserved marinade during the last few minutes of cook time.
- Use chicken breasts. If tenderloins are not readily available at your local supermarket, chicken breasts can be used instead, cut into large strips about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage or basil) are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
what to serve with chicken tenders
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders: Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken tenderloins (or chicken tenders) are long narrow strips of meat that can be found attached loosely underneath the breast against the rib bones. Chicken tenderloins are far more lean and tender than chicken breasts.
If chicken tenderloins are not readily available, you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cutting them into thin large strips, about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick.
Absolutely! You can substitute thyme (dried or fresh!) or any other herb of your choosing. And because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated overnight and placed in the fridge.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coarse ground Dijon mustard
- ½ shallot, diced
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together Dijon, shallot, honey, olive oil, rosemary, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside 1/2 of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and Dijon mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, up to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Brush chicken with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 8 minutes.
- Brush with reserved Dijon mixture, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
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This was AMAZING! I had a bunch of fresh rosemary that I wanted to use and it was perfect for this recipe. The marinade was our favorite yet ( I left it overnight) and made the chicken so tender and flavorful. This will definitely be added into our rotation! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Loved it -must like Rosemary to really enjoy this recipe
Delicious! This will go into our dinner rotation. The whole family loved it.
My kids and I simply loved it , thank you ❤️
Could you freeze the chicken in the marinade to use later? Has anyone done this?
Going to try this weekend!
Absolutely delicious! Extremely flavorful and easy to make. The chicken tenders were marinated for 6 hours. Thank you for the great recipe.
Is there a substitute for rosemary (I really dislike the taste and smell of it). Perhaps Italian seasoning? Or can I omit altogether? I love anything with dijon on it.
So good! My family loved it.
Can it be made ahead and frozen?
I have been looking for a marinade that isn’t salty and light flavor. The chicken tenders were delicious and cooked on the grill. I marinated for 2 1/2 hours and it was enough time to get the flavor. I’d make again for sure.
Excellent! I made this recipe using chicken thighs and it was a hit! A welcome change from the chicken I usually make (bbq or teriyaki). Thank you!
Fantastic!! Best chicken I’ve ever made on the grill!! I used 2 tsp of dried Rosemary because I didn’t have any fresh on hand.
Has anyone subbed dried rosemary for fresh? I’m wondering how much dried to use. Thanks!
Best chicken marinade I have ever tried! Love it!
Looks good. But can the chicken be cooked in an air fryer? Or maybe cooked in the oven? Thanks. SueD
I have a Lodge stovetop reversible grill that I use when I don’t feel like firing up the BBQ.
Very easy to prepare and alive with flavor!
Delicious! Can these be made with breasts instead of tenderloins?
The ingredients looked great. I would love to make it except that I live in a condo where outdoor grilling is prohibited. Could you modify the directions to allow cooking indoors, either with an oven or Forman Grill?
Caitlin H says yes! “This was really tasty. I don’t have a grill, so I baked at 425 for 15 minutes, then brushed with the reserved marinade and baked one more minute.”
Made this tonight exactly as posted – so delicious! I feel like a lot of chicken start to seem similar but NOT this one. Very different and unique flavors that tasted amazing. Not overpowering with mustard, just enough. The rosemary added an awesome flavor. Thanks for all your amazing recipes!!
The best tasting chicken!