Balsamic Chicken and Veggies
This balsamic chicken couldn’t be any easier or delicious! It’s the perfect stress-free weeknight dinner that will instantly become a new favorite-it’s definitely one of mine! This balsamic chicken is made with easy-to-find, fresh, healthy ingredients of juicy chicken breasts, sweet potatoes, asparagus and cherry tomatoes all coated in an intoxicating sweet and savory balsamic sauce that cooks up in minutes! You can follow the balsamic chicken recipe as written or switch up the vegetables for whatever you have on hand such as green beans, bell peppers, or mushrooms, because at the end of the day, it’s all about the balsamic sauce!
Servings 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
Balsamic Sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried basil, salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- pinch -1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional for a kick
Chicken and Veggies
- 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped (may sub 1 tsp onion powder)*
- 1 lb fresh asparagus ends trimmed, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced (may sub 1 tsp garlic powder)*
Instructions
- Whisk the balsamic sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons and add to a bowl or freezer bag with the chopped chicken; set aside to marinate while you chop the veggies and steam the sweet potatoes (up to 30 minutes at room temp or 4 hours in the fridge). Reserve remaining sauce for later.
- Add chopped sweet potatoes to a microwave safe bowl with a lid. Add water it reaches ¼-inch up the sides. Cover and microwave for 5-7 minutes or until fork tender; drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken for 1 minute then add shallot and cook just until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink. Add the asparagus, and tomatoes and cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until asparagus are crisp-tender. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
- Add the sweet potatoes back to the skillet along with the remaining balsamic sauce (that didn’t touch the raw chicken). Cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Taste and add brown sugar for sweeter, balsamic or lemon juice for tangier. Dig in!
Notes
*If making garlic and/or onion powder substitutions, whisk them in with the rest of the balsamic sauce ingredients.
Tips SUCCESS
This balsamic chicken recipe is pretty straightforward, but here are a few tips to ensure success every time:- Don’t over-marinate chicken. The balsamic vinegar and lemon juice are highly acidic so you don’t want to marinate the balsamic chicken for too long or the acid can break down the chicken and make it mushy. Marinate only for four hours at most.
- Sear chicken, don’t cook through. Remember we are just searing the chicken initially with the shallots, it will finish cooking with the tomatoes, asparagus and sauce. You don’t want it cooked all the way through before you add the veggies or it will be dry!
- Buy thinner asparagus. If possible, purchase asparagus stalks that are on the thinner side. Thick asparagus is often woody and not as flavorful.
- Don’t over-cook sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave just until tender. If you microwave them for too long, they’ll become too soft and mash up in the skillet.
- Adjust to taste. Every bottle of balsamic vinegar is different so it is important to adjust to taste. If the balsamic chicken tastes too strong, it likely needs to be balanced by some sugar. Instead of honey, which is harder to incorporate into the cooked skillet, I suggest sprinkling the skillet with brown sugar. If the balsamic chicken is too sweet, then add some acid with lemon juice or fruity tang with balsamic vinegar.
How to Store and Reheat
- Storage: Store cooked balsamic chicken and veggies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Microwave: Heat for 1 minute then at 30 second intervals as needed.
- Stove: Reheat individual servings over medium heat, until warmed through.