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An easy balsamic chicken recipe that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. The balsamic marinade doubles as the sauce and makes the chicken extra juicy and delicious.
Chicken dinners are the best, am I right? Grab a few key ingredients and you’re good to make many easy chicken recipes! I’m always up for an easy chicken dinner and that’s why you can find many of them here! From sheet pan honey balsamic chicken and caprese chicken served with balsamic glaze to garlic chicken, it’s not hard to find a simple but tasty dinner recipe! This succulent balsamic chicken recipe is a family favorite and oh-so-easy to make. Check out the step by step tutorial (literally 3 steps) and give it a try!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy: As easy as marinate and dump in the pan! This balsamic glazed chicken recipe is perfect for new cooks and those who are looking for a simple yet delicious weeknight dinner.
- Marinade doubles as sauce: Unlike baked Greek chicken or gyro where you need to remove the excess marinade from the chicken, this recipe calls for the chicken to cook in the marinade.
- Flavors: This is the most flavorful balsamic chicken marinade you’ll ever try. Just like our pomegranate chicken, this dish has a balanced flavor of sour and sweet. The honey balances the flavors and the thyme adds a nice earthy touch to the balsamic glaze.
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Chicken thighs: I like to go with boneless skinless chicken thighs for recipes like this. They stay juicy and it’s almost impossible to mess up cooking them. Depending on your appetite, 1 or 2 pieces should be enough per person. You can use bone-in skin-off chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast, but keep in mind that the cooking time will vary.
- Balsamic glaze: Note that we aren’t using balsamic vinegar for this recipe. You can find balsamic glaze in many supermarkets close to balsamic vinegar, or you can make it at home using my homemade balsamic glaze recipe. If buying balsamic glaze from a supermarket, please make sure it’s made with balsamic vinegar of Modena for the best flavor and quality.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works best in this recipe.
- Herbs: I use dried oregano and fresh thyme in for this balsamic chicken marinade. The fresh thyme is optional and you can leave it out or use fresh rosemary instead.
- Garlic: I love the combination of garlic and balsamic glaze, so I used 8 cloves. You can use less if you’d like a more subtle garlic flavor.
- Honey: To balance the flavors, use a little bit of honey. It’s best to use mild honey so the flavors don’t overpower.
- Dijon mustard: This adds a lot of flavor to the chicken and is a must! It compliments the balsamic flavor very well.
- Onions and tomatoes: I cook the chicken on a bed of sliced onions and cherry tomatoes. The vegetables absorb the flavors of the balsamic marinade as well.
How To Make Balsamic Chicken
- Place the chicken in a bowl and add the olive oil, balsamic glaze, dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Using a pair of tongs, move the chicken pieces around and make sure they’re all well coated with the marinade. Cover and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to cook the balsamic chicken thighs, grab a cast iron skillet, or a large skillet of your choice and layer the bottom of it with sliced onions and cherry tomatoes. There is no need for any oil. Place the marinated chicken on the onions and tomatoes and pour the marinade all over the chicken.
- Cover with a lid and turn the heat on to medium high. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes, flipping the chicken once or twice, until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is thickened.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious balsamic glazed chicken with a caprese salad or a fresh Mediterranean salad. You can also serve it with Mediterranean roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes as well as butternut squash.
If you’re looking for more starchy side dishes, try our favorite lemon rice, dill rice, spaghetti aglio e olio, pesto pasta, or simple brown rice.
Storage and Freezing
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the balsamic chicken in a pan and add 2 tablespoons water. Cover and turn the heat to medium. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes for the chicken to reheat.
To freeze uncooked marinated balsamic chicken, place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw them in the fridge overnight and then proceed with the recipe.
As for freezing cooked balsamic chicken, place the chicken in a container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw and reheat in the microwave or let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in a pan.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the chicken in a cast iron skillet on the onions and tomatoes then bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
You can use boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe. Keep in mind that the chicken breast might cook faster so keep a close eye to avoid dry chicken.
Technically you can cook this balsamic chicken without marinating. However, if you have the time, I recommend marinating the chicken for 30 minutes up to 8 hours in the fridge.
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Easy Balsamic Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 8 pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic glaze
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- 8 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tsp oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, optional
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and top with the olive oil, balsamic glaze, dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Move the chicken around using a pair of tongs to make sure it's all well coated. If time permits, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes up to 8 hours in the fridge,
- When you're ready to cook, arrange the sliced onions and tomatoes in a pan (I used a large cast iron) and then arrange the chicken in a single layer on top of the vegetables. Pour the marinade all over the chicken, cover and turn the heat on to medium high.
- Cook for 35 to 45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. Serve with your favorite side dish.
Video
Notes
- Serve this delicious balsamic glazed chicken with a caprese salad or a fresh Mediterranean salad. You can also serve it with Mediterranean roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes as well as butternut squash.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with 2 tablespoons water over medium heat for 15 minutes.
- You can freeze uncooked balsamic marinated chicken in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw them in the fridge overnight and proceed from step 2 of the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The combination of balsamic, Dijon, and garlic was perfection. Great recipe.
This is a perfect meal after a busy day. Quick and easy to make and so tasty!
This balsamic chicken looks so delicious! I love balsamic glazes so I can’t wait to try this.
Easy, delicious, perfect. The depth of flavor was unreal!
This quickly became a favorite at my house! SO good!
I made this balsamic chicken for dinner last night and MAN was it good! So flavorful and perfect with some arugula and cherry tomatoes!
Really delicious! That balsamic glaze really kicks up the flavor a lot and I love it!
I gave this recipe 5 stars because it really was an easy, fast and delicious recipe. I loved how simple the ingredients were but the flavours were great. Would make this many times again.
I love how balsamic vinegar compliments chicken. So delicious with pasta too!