The Classic Sweet and Tangy Sauce Turned Marinade!
Honey mustard sauce is a nostalgic classic that always reminds us of being a kid (it’s one of my favorite flavors to make for my niece and nephew!).
It’s hard to resist the charm of its sweet and tangy goodness, especially when all you need is 10 minutes and 6 easy-to-find ingredients to whip it up but the true beauty of this marinade is found in its balance of flavors.
This recipe blends sharp Dijon mustard, sour apple cider vinegar, and sweet honey to build an irresistible not-too-tangy and not-too-sweet marinade. Aromatic garlic, smoky paprika, and a kick of cayenne pepper add a little extra “ooh what’s that?!” kind of taste.
As an added bonus, once marinated and cooked over high heat, the sugars in the honey create a perfect sticky, golden, and caramel-ly coating but your keep the proteins will remain nice and juicy!
Use this simple homemade marinade to infuse a chicken breast with tons of flavor, slather it over grilled pork chops or tenderloin, spice up some shrimp, or give grilled veggies a little something special. Honey mustard is always a good idea!
Want more marinades for grilling season? Got you covered! Check out PWWB’s 15 Go-To Grilling Marinades.
Key Ingredients
One of the things I love most about this honey and mustard marinade is that everything you need to make it is probably already in your pantry.
It’s a great go-to marinade, especially if you’re doing some last-minute meal planning!
You will need…
- Honey – Of course! It wouldn’t be honey mustard without it. Since this is such a simple marinade, we recommend using good-quality stuff here. We like using locally farmed honey whenever we can. It’s super fresh and the natural sugars are simply unbeatable.
- Dijon mustard – Quality matters for this key ingredient too! Dijon mustards are not all created equally. A good Dijon should boast a bold mustard flavor balanced with a little tang of white wine vinegar. My favorite Dijon mustard is Sir Kensington’s.
- Olive oil and apple cider vinegar – Both help smooth the bold Dijon flavor and sweet honey to create the perfect balance of flavors. They’re the key to a not-too-tangy and not-too-sweet marinade!
- Garlic – A few cloves of fresh garlic give the honey mustard marinade an irresistible aromatic flavor.
- Smoked paprika – For a hint of smokiness and vibrant color.
- Cayenne pepper – Just a bit adds a kick of heat! You’ll find this secret ingredient in a lot of honey mustard sauce recipes too, but it’s optional if you don’t like the spice.
Can I Make It Vegan?
While honey is a key element of a homemade honey mustard marinade, you can easily substitute it to keep this recipe vegan. Just stick to something sweet! Try making a vegan honey mustard marinade with pure maple syrup or agave nectar instead. Both will give you the same balance of flavor and caramelly cook on the grill.
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Sir Kensington’s Dijon Mustard
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DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Buy Now → How to Make Honey Mustard Marinade
With your ingredients good to go, you’re less than 10 minutes away from having a big batch of honey mustard marinade.
It’s so simple to whip up!
To make this simple grilling marinade, add all ingredients to a medium bowl, whisk to combine, and add your protein or veggies of choice. That’s it!
Suggested Marinating Time: Because this honey dijon mustard marinade is pretty low in acidity, the length of time you marinate will depend mostly on how much you want the flavor of the marinade to sink into whatever you’re marinating.
Having tested this honey mustard marinade recipe on a variety of different proteins with a variety of different marinating times, here’s what we suggest:
- Chicken and pork – at least 12 hours and 24+ hours for maximum flavor.
- Seafood – at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours for maximum flavor.
- Veggies – at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours for maximum flavor.
Meal Prep
Despite the suggested marinating times for this all-purpose marinade recipe, you can still get ahead on your dinner by prepping the marinade in advance. Prep the marinade as directed and store it in a jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to start marinating, simply pour the marinade over whatever meat or veggies you’re using it on – it couldn’t be easier!
Serving Suggestions
There are tons of epic ways to use this homemade honey mustard marinade. Its classic tangy sweet flavor pairs well with just about anything and is a real showstopper on the high heat of the grill.
No matter what you marinate in this honey mustard sauce, every grilled item needs a few delicious sides! Try serving your honey mustard proteins with grilled veggies or broccoli salad or double down on the tangy flavors and make our favorite mixed greens salad!
A few favorite pairings to try…
- Boneless skinless chicken. Use as a honey mustard chicken marinade for a classic dish! Chicken breasts and thighs take to this mustardy marinade really well. Grill ’em up whole, or skewer them up for kebabs. It’s goodness either way!
- Whole chicken. Or, grill up the chicken whole! A whole grilled honey mustard chicken is so quintessentially summer. YUM.
- Pork. The only thing that’s more classic than honey mustard chicken is honey mustard pork. Use your marinade on pork chops, or go ahead and grill up an entire pork tenderloin (my fave!).
- Seafood. This marinade works really well as a honey mustard salmon marinade or is the perfect way to take grilled shrimp to the next level!
- Veggies! Literally any and all of ’em. Bell peppers, onions, potatoes, or cauliflower. The marinade would also be awesome on tofu steaks!
No Grill? Use Your Stovetop or Oven!
If you don’t have access to a grill, this honey mustard marinade also works well with many other cooking methods – stovetop, skillet meals, sheet pan meals, etc. Tip! ⇢ To create a similar caramelized grill effect, use a grill pan on the stovetop or finish baked meat under the broiler for a little char.
I cannot wait for you to try this easy Honey Mustard Marinade recipe! Its sweet and tangy goodness will make it one of your go-to summer grilling marinades. A classic for a reason!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE seeing your PWWB creations!
Print Seriously Simple Honey Mustard Marinade (for Chicken, Pork, Salmon, and more!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups marinade 1x
- Category: Sauces & Condiments
- Method: No-Cook, Grilling & Smoking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Turn the familiar flavors of iconic dipping sauce into a crave-worthy grilling staple with this Honey Mustard Marinade recipe! Ready in 10 minutes with just 6 ingredients, this easy honey mustard marinade is sweet & tangy with the tiniest kick of heat. Use it to infuse chicken or pork with tons of flavor or char up the freshest summer veggies. A grilling season must-have, loaded with nostalgia.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds meat or veggies of choice
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- optional: up to ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix the honey mustard marinade: Add the honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper (as desired) to a medium bowl or jar. Whisk or shake to combine. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Marinate: Pour the honey mustard marinade over your meat or veggies of choice. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to overnight.
- Grill as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Suggested marinade time: After testing this honey mustard marinade with a variety of different marinade times, we found a 12-hour marinade period to be ideal. The flavor of the marinade really sinks into the meat without affecting the meat’s texture.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: If you’d like to marinate something later in the week, I suggest making the marinade in advance, whenever you’re meal prepping for the week. Store it in a jar or an airtight container for up to 5 days – the flavors meld together even more as the marinade sits. At least 12 hours before you’re ready to hit the grill, simply pour the marinade over whatever meat or veggies you’re using it on – easy peasy!
- Freezing Instructions: Feel free to whip up a batch of honey mustard marinade and freeze it in the jar you make it in. Just make sure to leave at least ½ inch of headroom for it to expand. You can also soak chicken, pork, or seafood in the honey mustard marinade, then pop it in the freezer after the marinating time is over. When ready to use, simply defrost for a flavor-packed weeknight dinner on the fly!
- Easy vegan substitution: If you’d like to make a vegan version of this honey mustard marinade, simply swap the honey for an equal amount of pure maple syrup or agave nectar. The marinade will be awesome on veggies, cauliflower steaks, or even grilled tofu!
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Eat Love Eat
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