Chicken: boneless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness or chicken thighs. Olive oil: use quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Balsamic vinegar: use quality balsamic vinegar for the best flavor. More details on how to choose balsamic vinegar to follow. Lemon juice: freshly squeezed is best but you can use bottled. Honey: mild clover honey to balance the tangy balsamic and lemon juice. Dijon mustard: I promise it won’t make your balsamic chicken taste like mustard! It adds a depth of tanginess. Seasonings: dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes inject the marinade with a rainbow of flavor.
How Much Balsamic Chicken will this Make?
This recipe will marinate 1 pound (16 oz.) of chicken, however, it is easy to scale up or down to suite your needs. 4 oz. of chicken is the recommended single serving portion of chicken, but this varies depending on the individual and what sides are being served. I would say 6-8 ounces is closer to realistic.
Swap citrus. Swap the lemon juice for lime juice or orange juice. Swap seasonings. Mix up the flavor profile and swap the Italian seasonings for Cajun seasonings, Fajita seasonings, or Asian inspired seasonings such as Chinese 5 Spice, ginger and garlic. Make it spicy. Add additional red pepper flakes or swap the red pepper flakes for some cayenne or chipotle chili powder.
There are 5 types of balsamic vinegar:
Traditional balsamic: the most expensive, not necessary for marinades Condimento balsamico: second most expensive, also not necessary for marinades Balsamic Vinegar of Modena I.G.P.: less expensive, perfect for marinades Non I.G.P balsamic: can be close to I.G.P. quality but not guaranteed Imitation balsamic: the least expensive, to be avoided
In short, the highest quality vinegars are not necessary for marinades and should be reserved for finishing dishes. Less expensive but still quality Balsamic Vinegar of Modena I.G.P. is what you want to use in marinades and salad dressings. Read on if you’re interested in more about the different types of vinegar or skip to the next section (I find it fascinating!).
Pound chicken to an even thickness. Place chicken breasts in-between two pieces of plastic wrap or I like to place my chicken in a large freezer size bag. Pound the chicken to an even thickness using the flat side of a meat mallet, rolling pin or side of a can. Make marinade. Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and seasonings together in a large plastic bag. Add chicken, push out excess air and turn to coat. Marinate chicken. Marinate chicken at room temperature for 30 minutes if you’re short on time or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Use food safe containers. I prefer food-safe sealable plastic bags such as freezer Ziploc bags. They really allow the marinade to envelop the chicken vs. a dish in which the marinade might not cover all of it. Sealable bags are also great for easy cleanup – just toss them! You may also use food grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers and cover with plastic wrap if they don’t have a lid. Squeeze out excess air. When using a plastic bag, make sure to squeeze out excess air before sealing then roll up the bag so the chicken is nice and snug. Flip chicken occasionally. If you marinate the chicken in a shallow dish, make sure to flip it over occasionally so it marinates evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator. Always marinate chicken for a prolonged period of time covered in the refrigerator and not at room temperature to avoid food-born illness. Only remove it from the fridge to the counter 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill to help bring it to room temperature so it cooks evenly. Don’t reuse marinade. Never reuse a marinade even for basting unless you boil it first to destroy any harmful bacteria. If you want to use the marinade for basting, drizzling or dipping, it is best to reserve a portion before you add the chicken. PRO TIP: You can also reserve a couple tablespoons of marinade (not contaminated) to drizzle on veggies before grilling or cooking like I do in my chicken fajita recipe and many kabob recipes to make them uber flavorful without any extra work!
Pound chicken to an even thickness. Pound the thickest part of the chicken so it’s even with the thinnest part to ensure the chicken cooks evenly. You don’t want one side to be cooked perfectly and the other side to be raw or overcooked/dry. Tenderize chicken. Pounding the chicken also tenderizes it as well. If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use the side of a can or rolling pin. Marinate Chicken. You can get away with marinating the balsamic chicken for as little as 60 minutes if it is pounded thin, but the longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will become. I recommend at least 4 hours but closer to 12 hours is ideal. Reserve marinade. If you only have 60 minutes to marinate your chicken, reserve ¼ cup of marinade before adding the chicken and store separately. Brush the reserved marinade over the cooked chicken to make the flavor pop. Don’t over-marinate chicken. On the other hand, you don’t want to marinate the chicken longer than 12 hours because the acid (balsamic vinegar and lemon juice) can actually constrict the protein fibers and make your balsamic chicken tough and chewy. Bring chicken to room temperature before cooking. Transfer the marinating chicken to your kitchen counter 30 minutes before grilling. Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly and quickly which translates into juicier chicken because there is less time for moisture to be released while cooking. Clean grill. You should clean your grill grates before and after grilling with a wire grill brush to remove any residue. This will help create beautiful grill marks and help prevent the chicken from sticking. Use a hot grill. Heat up the grill with the lid closed cranked to the maximum temperature so it can achieve temperature more quickly; plan on 10-15 minutes. Once the grill is hot, you can adjust the temperature. Don’t add the chicken until the grill reaches temperature or you won’t get those beautiful grill marks. Flip only once using tongs. After you add the chicken breasts to the grill, don’t touch them for a full 5 minutes. You need enough time for the chicken to sear and then they will naturally release from the grill. Once you can easily move the chicken, then you can flip it over using tongs. Don’t overcook! Cook chicken breasts just to 165 degrees F. Chicken breasts are a lean protein and therefore can dry out if overcooked. Use a meat thermometer to eliminate all of the guess work to achieve succulent, juicy chicken every time. Let chicken rest. Let the cooked balsamic chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. This gives the juices that have pushed to the outside of the meat time to redistribute throughout the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.
Balsamic chicken salad: slice up the chicken and add it to your favorite greens and veggies with a drizzle of balsamic dressing. You can also use it in this caprese salad recipe with tomatoes, mozzarella, avocados, asparagus and bacon. Balsamic chicken pasta salad: chop up the chicken and add it to cooked medium pasta dressed with pesto mixed with a little olive oil. Add any of your favorite fixings such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, pine nuts, etc. Balsamic chicken sandwiches: make a caprese chicken sandwich by smothering bread with pesto and layering with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and balsamic chicken. Add any additional toppings your belly desires such as avocado, bacon, sprouts, etc., etc. Balsamic chicken panini: is constructed the same as the aforementioned chicken sandwich but the outsides of the bread are brushed with olive oil then pressed in a panini press. If you don’t have a panini press, you can cook it like a grilled cheese in a skillet with melted butter instead. Balsamic chicken wraps: slather a tortilla or flatbread with pesto then pile with lettuce/mixed greens, sliced tomato, sliced mozzarella, and chicken. You can also get creative and add cucumbers, avocado, basil and bacon. Balsamic chicken pasta: thinly slice chicken and add to your favorite meatless pastas such as Cacio e Pepe, healthy Alfredo, margherita pasta, roasted red pepper pasta, mushroom spaghetti or mushroom orzo. You can also create your own pasta by tossing freshly cooked pasta with tomatoes (or any of your favorite veggies) cooked with plenty of garlic in butter and olive oil along with freshly grated Parmesan.
What goes with Balsamic Vinegar Chicken
This marinated balsamic chicken pairs well with pretty much everything from salad to pasta salad, to potatoes rice to fruit. In the summer months, we keep it as simple as balsamic chicken with grilled corn, watermelon and green salad. In the winter, I love it with garlic butter mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Here are a few of our favorite accompanying sides:
Potatoes: Mashed Potatoes, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Red Potatoes, Pesto Mashed Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes or Hashbrown Casserole. Salad. Wedge Salad, Strawberry Broccoli Salad, Strawberry Salad, Spinach Berry Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad and Green Bean Salad. Fruit. Grilled Pineapple, Creamy Grape Salad, Summer Fruit Salad, Perfect Fruit Salad, Tropical Fruit Salad or Berry Salad in Honey Mascarpone. Bread. Corn Bread, Garlic Bread, Breadsticks, Dinner Rolls or Hawaiian Rolls. Veggies: Roasted Carrots, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Butternut Squash or Sautéed Brussels sprouts,
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