This Easy Balsamic Chicken is glazed with a tangy balsamic pan sauce infused with the flavors of honey, garlic and fresh rosemary. This rustic and comforting meal is ready in about 30 minutes!
If you love the bold flavor of balsamic vinegar, you need to try this easy recipe and my Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin.
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Table of contents
Easy Balsamic Chicken Recipe
This fast and easy recipe knocks it out of the park!
There is so much irresistible flavor in the balsamic pan sauce that there is no need to marinate the chicken in advance. Just a quick turn in a skillet on the stove followed by a short time in the oven results in super tender balsamic glazed chicken that my family devoured.
Very little prep, cooks quickly, BIG flavor, easy cleanup. All the good stuff! This is the type of meal I make on repeat.
I did not hold back with the amount of balsamic sauce. There’s enough to glaze the chicken while it finishes in the oven and plenty to spoon over the chicken and EVERYTHING else on your plate.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – I like this recipe best with boneless, skinless breasts. Chicken thighs would work too!
- Seasoning – Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, Italian seasoning
- Fat – Extra virgin olive oil and butter
- Garlic – Minced fresh garlic cloves or you have my permission to use the jarred minced garlic.
- Balsamic vinegar – You don’t need to spend a fortune to buy a good quality balsamic. To be authentic, it must be produced in Italy and you’ll be able to see this designation on the label. I always have a big bottle of Kirkland Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in my pantry. The price of this Italian balsamic alone makes it worth a trip to Costco.
- Honey – A little sweetness to balance the tartness of the balsamic vinegar.
- Mustard – I highly recommend using stone ground mustard – SO good in sauces. Dijon mustard also works well.
- Cornstarch slurry – The pan sauce is quickly thickened with a little cornstarch combined with water.
- Rosemary – There’s something about rosemary that makes it the perfect complement to the flavor of balsamic. If you’re not a fan, you can sub fresh thyme sprigs.
Prepping the Chicken
To ensure the chicken will cook quickly and at an even rate, it’s important that the pieces are no more than ¾-inch thick.
If your chicken pieces are thicker, place them on a cutting board and cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound them lightly to an even thickness. If they’re huge, you can slice them in half for serving size pieces.
Next, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
How to Make Easy Balsamic Chicken
- Brown the seasoned chicken in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. It should only take about 3 minutes per side (don’t cook it through). Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the chicken to a plate, and set it aside.
- Add the butter to the pan and return it to low heat. When melted, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, a minute or two.
- Add the water, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, and pepper and whisk until combined. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the water and whisk it into the sauce. Simmer for another minute or two, until thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Return the seared chicken and accumulated juices to the skillet and spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The balsamic pan sauce will thicken a bit as it rests.
Serving Suggestions
This Balsamic Chicken calls out for either potatoes, rice, or pasta that you should absolutely drizzle with the pan sauce. Add a simply cooked vegetable or salad and dinner is served. Here are some perfect choices to complete an easy chicken dinner.
- Parsley Potatoes (pictured in this post)
- Broccoli Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Almond Rice Pilaf
- Orzo with Peas and Parmesan
- Pesto Green Beans
- Lemon Parmesan Salad
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftover Balsamic Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat the chicken with some of the sauce drizzled over it in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat. The balsamic sauce will thicken as it chills but thin out again when heated. If necessary, add a splash of water to thin it to the desired consistency.
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Easy Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, (4 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard, or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 or 4 sprigs rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- If your chicken breasts are very thick, place them on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet until no more than ¾-inch thick. You can slice them in half, if needed, for serving size pieces.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. When very hot, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (don’t cook through). Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the chicken to a plate, and set it aside.
- Add the butter to the pan and return it to LOW heat. When melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, a minute or two. Add the water, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, and pepper and whisk until combined. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and whisk it into the sauce. Simmer for another minute or two, until thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Return the seared chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs over the top.
- Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F), about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving (sauce will continue to thicken).
- Serve chicken with the balsamic pan sauce drizzled over the top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
I found the sauce very vinegary..too sour. Had to add quite a bit more honey and a bit of salt. I did use a sweeter balsalmic, one with fig .
I’ve never tried this recipe with a flavored balsamic. That could be the issue. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
What a disappointment. No quantities, not even an oven temp. This is a recipe?
Hi Morgan. The instructions in the post are just a quick visual overview. The recipe card at the end of the post has the detailed instructions, including quantities and oven temperature.
I would encourage you to look just above where these comments are. You’ll find asection that has all the information that you think is missing.