As promised, here’s the full rundown on Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Maple Dijon Marinated Chicken. AKA Trader Joe’s Spatchcocked Sweet and Savory Chicken. And although its marinade includes not just dijon mustard itself, but also mustard seeds and dijon mustard powder, maple syrup is the overall flavor that wins out.
I like that TJ’s gave us a full chicken (versus just half) and spatchcocked it for relatively faster cooking. Most of the packages were between 3-4 lbs, averaging about $17+, so it’s not super cheap. But that’s just where meat prices seem to be. I picked the smallest one i could find, just in case I didn’t like it. :D
The wing tips always seem to burn, so I trimmed them. The directions advise 45-60 minutes roasting time, but this one was so small (under 3 lbs.) that I checked it at 30 minutes and let it go another 15 to get more browning on it. At that point it was over 165F, but I wasn’t too concerned about it being overcooked.
Based on how it smelled while roasting, I was sure it was going to be more mustardy than it actually turned out to be. I also basted it with the little bit of juices that accumulated in the pan, because the center of the breast closer to the legs wasn’t really getting any color. It may help to store the package facing down so that the breast is soaking in the marinade more evenly before you roast it.
For me, I could have gone for more mustard flavor, and even a little heat. A sprinkle of cayenne, or even just seasoned salt, wouldn’t be a bad idea before you roast it. If you eat the skin, you’ll probably notice more mustard (but not a lot). The meat itself really just takes on the sweetness of maple and not much else. It’s tasty, don’t get me wrong, but it needed a little more oomph.
We had it with roasted potatoes and a kale, arugula, roasted honeynut squash salad. I also added some blue cheese to mine. TJ’s cauliflower and butternut squash risotto would be a great side dish. Then just throw together a salad, and dinner will be done in the time it takes to roast the bird.
I think it’s actually a great candidate for topping a fall salad, or in chicken salad sandwiches. The maple sweetness comes through strong enough (even when it’s cold) that it’d be good with some salad greens, diced apple or dried cherries/cranberries, and pecans.
Would I buy it again? I don’t know. I wasn’t totally wowed by the flavor, but for the convenience of just plopping it onto a baking sheet and not having to cut out the backbone or marinate it ahead of time, it’ll be an attractive option for a lot of people.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s: