Balsamic Chicken Recipe

These cold winter days really make you yearn for warm comforting foods like this, isn’t it? Soups, salads, one-pot, or slow-cooked meals are the most popular these cold days in our home. For those of you who are not familiar with balsamic, it is an Italian vinegar made from white wine pressings. Back in the old days, it used to be an ideal gift and favor. It must be noted that Balsamic is vinegar but its own kind. You can read more about balsamic here

Why make this recipe?

The best part is you don’t have to bake it because it gets done in one pan over the stovetop and in barely 20 minutes It is very versatile – I am using chicken thighs today, but you can use almost any part of the chicken you have. Legs, thighs, breast, bone-in, or boneless. It all works! You may need to adjust cooking times but don’t worry I’ve got you covered below. We use mostly pantry staples which you probably always have on hand like balsamic, honey, garlic, and onions powders. Pro tip – Always keep garlic and onion powder in your pantry because a little goes a long way in adding flavor to many everyday dishes.For the purpose of the video, I am making the marinade in a separate bowl but you can absolutely just add these ingredients directly to your pan.

Ingredients and substitutes

Balsamic – As you can see the star of this dish is balsamic so please do not substitute the balsamic with regular vinegar. It’s not the same. Honey – Honey helps soften the sourness that comes from the fermented vinegar. By the end of the dish, you will see the tart vinegar has mellowed into something sweet and syrupy. You can also use maple syrup instead of honey. Flour – If you want to make this gluten-free – you can omit the flour and add cornstarch instead. Coating the chicken in flour gives the chicken that nice color when pan-fried and also helps thicken the sauceButter – You can omit the butter but I highly recommend it. It adds a nice rich and velvet-like creaminess to the sauce.

Step by step instructions

Thaw the chicken at least an hour before cooking. Pat dry with a clean paper towel.Pro tip – Frozen or wet chicken will result in too much liquid in the pan, plus it won’t caramelize and get a good color. It can also make a tough rubbery chicken so always thaw properlyGenerously season with salt and pepper then lightly dust with flour. Set asidePro tip – The flour helps thicken the sauce but make sure to dust off excess flour to prevent the sauce from becoming too starchy.

Heat a heavy-bottom saute pan on medium-high, then add the oil and butter. Pan-fry the chicken pieces on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side. Then lower the heat.Pro tip – Don’t make haste to turn the chicken, leaving it untouched will ensure it gets some good caramelizationCombine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Then, add it to the pan over the chicken along with the rosemary and thymePro tip – You can add all the marinade ingredients directly over the chicken. But combining it well in a bowl first will ensure the powders are well combined.

Cover the pan, and let the chicken cook for 8 minutes. Then, uncover and let cook another 8 to 10 minutes.Pro tip – Covering will ensure the chicken cooks through well, uncovering later will evaporate all the excess moisture.When done, the chicken should be cooked and the sauce should be thick and creamy.Pro tip – You can make a little gravy if you prefer to serve this chicken over rice. Just add a few tablespoons of water or stock at the end.

Finally, taste and adjust seasoning, adding a bit more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley.Pro tip – Note we only seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper. The sauce has stock and balsamic which often has salt in it. So taste first then adjust seasoning.Serve hot over rice, potatoes, buttered noodles, or pasta. Enjoy!

Tips for cooking this chicken

Frequently asked questions

What do you serve this chicken with?

I served this chicken with my stovetop melting potatoes (coming soon) but you can also serve it with some mashed potatoes, Hasselback potatoes, roasted potatoes, buttered noodles, or pasta. We love some garden salad on the side but avocado or tomato salad are wonderful too.