Honey and Mustard Roast Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

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Few meals are better than a perfectly roasted whole chicken. When done correctly, the chicken is moist, flavorful, and like nothing else. Our favorite way to roast chicken is a with a honey and mustard sauce and with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts.

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While it may seem simple enough, whole roasted birds can prove to be quite tricky for most. Just think of all the thanksgiving's turkey you have had that were either too dry or had little to no flavor! There is a reason why after my three-year culinary apprenticeship a whole roasted chicken was the final entree course for my final exam (which I passed, I might add).

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Ingredients for Honey and Mustard Roast Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

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In addition to wanting the most perfectly juicy chicken, you absolutely want it be packed with flavor, and that's part of what makes this honey and mustard Roast chicken so delicious!

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I love to use strongly-flavored herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary to stuff inside the chicken while roasting. This technique is great because the herbs essentially steam inside the chicken and as they cook and release all of their flavor and oils while helping to keep the chicken moist from the evaporated liquid within. The result is a beautiful herbaceous-flavored chicken underneath the skin. This honey and mustard chicken is seasoned with the following:

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• Salt
• Black pepper
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• A honey and mustard sauce

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It's all in the Honey and Mustard Sauce!

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While the herbs, salt and pepper add some flavor, the roasted chicken gets most of its flavor from the honey and mustard sauce. With a base of dijon mustard and whole grain mustard, we balance it with a bit of honey plus a few additional ingredients such as tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, paprika and coriander.

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The best way to think of this dish and the sauce it to think of traditional French cooking meets Chick-fil-A's Special Sauce. The sauce adds a subtle complexity to the dish and gives it all of the homey, comfort tastes.

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Preparing the chicken

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1. ‍You first season the chicken with salt and pepper before we add in the sauce. The key here is to let it sit for at least 30 minutes, which will allow the salt to penetrate into chicken and will make for an overall more flavorful chicken.
2. ‍You'll then want to then brush the chicken with the honey and mustard sauce but only using about half of it (you'll use the rest of it later one).
3. ‍Place four springs of thyme inside the chicken and then smear the remaining rosemary and thyme into the skin.

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Tips for baking the chicken

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The key to the perfect roasted chicken is all about heat control and timing!

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• The perfect temperature: I always like to start by roasting my chicken at 350-375 F for about 30-45 minutes to jumpstart the browning process and once the chicken becomes a nice golden-brown, I turn the heat down to between 250-300 F, letting it continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches about 155-160 F.
• The cooking time: From there, the chicken will continue cooking to reach 165 F after being pulled out of the oven due to the residual heat. It is important not to be afraid to adjust the heat when need be. If you find that the chicken is not browning enough, turn up the heat. Every oven is different and cooks differently. The key is to find that sweet spot between the time and temperature.
• The resting time: The other big step that is often skipped when roasting whole birds or meats, is the resting time. Allowing the meat time to rest is very important after cooking because when the meat is cooking, the heat causes all the juices to migrate towards the center of the roast to get away from the hot temperatures. During this time, the juices are free flowing and need time to cool down and redistribute after being cooked. It is always good to allow the roast to sit for at least 20 minutes after cooking, at room temperature, before cutting.

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A quick note on the Brussels sprouts

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We paired this honey and mustard roasted chicken with brussels sprouts given that it's so easy to just throw them in the same pan and they end up soaking up all of the juices and absorbing that flavor.

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You'll want to add the brussels sprouts only in the last 30-45 minutes of the chicken roasting as to not burn them.

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You could also pair this with sweet potatoes (we highly recommend it!) and similarly to the brussels sprouts, throw them in with the chicken. The sweet potatoes would be added in after the first 30 minutes are up and you would follow the same steps as you would for this Whole Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

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This is one of our favorite to make!

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Cheers and eat well!