Agave-Dijon Chicken

World's best chicken? You be the judge.

When I see the words “world’s best” anything, I’m instantly skeptical but also intrigued. So, as soon as I saw The World’s Best Chicken on Pinterest, I knew I would have to check it out.

The original recipe definitely looked tasty, but I like using agave in place of honey and I’ve been on an apple cider vinegar kick lately, so I made a few swaps. The cooking time/temp seemed a little long/high to me too, so I adjusted those a little. Here’s the modified recipe I came up with.

Agave-Dijon Chicken
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (organic preferred)
Spritz extra-virgin olive oil spray
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup honey Dijon mustard
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Dash dried rosemary  (for garnish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse chicken breast fillets and pat dry. Spritz 8x8 glass baking dish with olive oil spray and place chicken breasts side by side. Season liberally with black pepper. In a small bowl, combine mustard, agave nectar, and apple cider vinegar.  Pour mustard mixture over chicken breasts making sure to coat them as well as you can to seal in moisture. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Plate chicken and add a dash of dried rosemary to make it “pretty.”

Serving Idea:
Use the excess cooking liquid to drizzle over brown rice or veggies if desired. (It is absolutely delicious with steamed broccoli.)

Results:
So, I’m sure you’re all dying to know if it really was “The World’s Best Chicken.” I’m not sure I’d go that far, but in all fairness, I did stray from the original recipe a bit. Still, it was pretty darn good.

The first word out of the hubby’s mouth was “interesting,” which could have gone either way, but we both agreed there were a lot of different but intriguing flavors going on and the end result was really tasty. It reminded me a little of Unbelievably Simple Honey-Mustard Chicken, but this one’s a little healthier since you don’t use the butter, and the other spices give it a different kick.

I served this with steamed broccoli and Trader Joe’s Mushroom & Herb Risotto and it was a well-rounded, pretty healthy, and overall yummy meal.

The original recipe called for baking the chicken at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. Mine was done—almost too done—after 30 minutes at 400. So, unless your oven cooks on the very cool side (or you are cooking monster chicken breasts), check it after baking for 25 minutes at 400.

Until next time,
Ryann