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Yield: 6
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.
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.
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
Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
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My favorite ways to serve this:
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 😉
Linda
Do you think this marinade would work for pork as well?
Nora Rusev
Linda, I would absolutely think so! What a great idea actually, I need to try that.
Nean
This made good chicken I used the marinade with home made stir fried rice. It was great. I also added red pepper flakes to it. If you like it spice try it with them
Ann
I was looking at your recipe and you referred to lemon juice and soy sauce, but I do not see that listed in the ingredients.
Nora Rusev
Ann, uhm, yes. Good catch 😅 I wrote that and was actually thinking about my steak marinade. I guess that’s what I get for working too late at night 🙈 thank you so much for bringing it to my attention, fixed it right away.
Ann
Duh…I thought I saw lemon juice and soy sauce listed in the instructions, but not in the list of ingredients. I must be seeing things.
Nora Rusev
Happens to the best of us 😉
Sara
I am giving you 5 stars for the idea of freezing the chicken breasts in the marinade. Wow! My husband comes home with tons of chicken breasts and puts them in baggies in the freezer. See why this made me excited? You are saving a step by having the marinade made and when he gets home with the groceries I can throw the breasts in the marinade. Easy, quick and exciting. [Don’t even ask. I don’t load the cart right, I take way too long to shop etc. so he is extremely happy to do the job of shopping for groceries himself. I just give him the list and off he goes, plus he is gone all day and I get the day alone to cook or clean. It’s my day off 😉 Works for us!]
Nora
Glad you find it helpful, Sara. And my husband is in charge of the grocery shopping, too! So handy 😉