Name: Balsamic Chicken Marinade
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional to offset the acidity from the vinegar); 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 clove garlic (minced (or more to taste)); 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; Salt + pepper (to taste); 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

ziploc bag with chicken breast marinading in balsamic marinade

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4.39 from 63 votes

Yield:

Ready In: 25 mins

This is my favorite Balsamic Chicken Marinade with the best flavor depth from olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and, of course, balsamic vinegar. It’s an essential recipe not only for summer, but all year long around here! Whenever I buy chicken breast in bulk, I freeze some of it right in the marinade for extra quick dinner prep.

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Recommended Equipment:

Ziploc Bags

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional to offset the acidity from the vinegar)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic (minced (or more to taste))
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt + pepper (to taste)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

Prep Time: 10 mins

Marinating Time: 15 mins

Ready In: 25 mins

Instructions

Make marinade: Place all marinade ingredients in a measuring jug and whisk very well.
Marinate chicken: Place chicken in a ziploc bag or small glass dish. Pour marinade on top, making sure all chicken pieces are covered all over. Seal dish or bag well and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.
Cook chicken: Remove chicken from marinade, discarding any excess. Cook chicken your preferred way.
Grill: Place chicken on a hot grill and grill 6-8 minutes on either sides, or until chicken is done.
Skillet: Heat oil in a skillet. Add chicken and cook around minutes on either side, or until chicken is done.
Oven: Place chicken in a baking dish and bake at 410°F for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is done.

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Nora’s Tips

use any chicken cut – boneless thighs or wings work especially great here, too
you can cut the chicken in strips or in pieces, or pound it, before marinating
freeze the freshly marinated chicken for up to 3 months – defrost in the fridge overnight before using
leftover chicken keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, add it to salads for easy lunches!
use about 2 pounds of chicken with this amount of marinade for best texture and flavor
If you want to avoid single-use plastic, you can also marinate the chicken in a glass or stainless steel container with a lid. Just make sure the chicken is covered in marinade! You may need to double the marinade depending on the size of your container.
You should always discard used marinade for food safety reasons, do not reuse it.
If you’re using defrosted chicken, it is recommended you do not re-freeze it.

HOW DO YOU FREEZE MARINATED CHICKEN?

Simply place the chicken in the marinade in a freezer-friendly bag or container that seals well, making sure the chicken is evenly coated.

Label your container with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months) and place in the freezer.

To defrost, place on a soup plate to catch any drips and thaw in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

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glass measuring jug with balsamic chicken marinade

pouring balsamic marinade over raw chicken breast in a ziplock bag

raw chicken breast in a ziptop bag with balsamic chicken marinade

tiptop bag with balsamic marinated chicken

My favorite ways to serve this:

plate with pasta and balsamic bruschetta chicken

We love this balsamic chicken so many ways! We mostly eat it during the summer from the grill, so my side dish ideas might reflect this a little 😉

Starchy Sides

Cooked pasta tossed in a little olive oil
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
No Knead Homemade French Bread

Vegetable Sides

Salad Sides

Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
Caprese Cherry Tomato Salad
Diced Tomatoes with Balsamic Vinaigrette

If you have another favorite side dish, let me know in the comments so I can try it out!

More recipes you’ll love:

Cooking on the grill is one of our favorite things to do for easy summer meals.

Grilled steak, salmon foil packets, Greek chicken kabobs… And most definitely anything balsamic chicken, just like our favorite Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken, Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken or Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken (can you tell I’m a fan?!)

But because you maybe don’t want to make a bruschetta topping or caprese anything every single time you want those delicious balsamic flavors… I thought I’d share the marinade recipe by itself for your dinner-making convenience 😉

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