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Balsamic Vinegar Marinade for Chicken (Balsamic Chicken)

This balsamic chicken marinade elevates chicken to a whole new level of YUM! It’s seeping with complex savory, tangy, slightly sweet, herbilicious notes. The marinade is made with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, Italian herbs and seasonings that inject the chicken with loads of effortless flavor. And the best part of this balsamic chicken marinade? It does ALL THE work! Come dinner time, just cook the chicken (grill, oven and stove methods included) and serve with your favorite sides like mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus or in salads, wraps, pasta, or sandwiches.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings
Author [email protected]

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a freezer bag or glass bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 12 hours (the longer the better).
  • When ready to cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator and let rest 15-30 minutes before cooking.

TO GRILL CHICKEN:

  • Preheat grill to 400 degrees, clean and grease grates.
  • Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should reach 165 degrees F.) Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
  • Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.

TO BAKE CHICKEN IN THE OVEN:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Drain chicken from marinade and add to prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 16-18 minutes (depending on thickness), or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. (Baking is for chicken approximately 1/2-inch thick, increase cooking time as needed for thicker chicken)

Notes

CAN I USE OTHER CUTS OF CHICKEN?

Absolutely!  This balsamic chicken marinade will work with any cut of chicken including chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, chicken drumsticks, chicken legs or chicken wings.  You will just need to adjust the cooking times if you swap out the cut of chicken, so keep that meat thermometer handy!  

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT LEFTOVERS

  • Storage: store cooked balsamic chicken in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
  • Microwave: chop up or slice the chicken so it reheats more evenly then transfer a small portion to a microwave safe dish.  Heat for one minute then at 30 second intervals as needed. 
  • Oven:  transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish.  Cover with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or just until warmed through.

HOW TO FREEZE

You can freeze the uncooked balsamic chicken in the marinade or after it's cooked.
  • Freeze chicken in marinade: add the chicken to the marinade ingredients in a freezer safe bag, squeeze out excess air and freeze for up to 3 months.  When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator.
  • Freeze chicken:   after you have cooked the chicken, let it cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.

HOW TO MAKE AHEAD 

  • Marinade:  whisk the marinade together in an airtight container up to 5 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator WITHOUT the chicken.
  • Chicken: cooked balsamic chicken makes fantastic meal prep or leftovers if not initially overcooked.  If you are making the chicken specifically to reheat later then consider slightly under-cooking it because it will cook a little more when reheated.