Easy Balsamic Chicken Recipe

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Packed with flavor, this one pan Honey Balsamic Chicken recipe is super simple, easy to make, and perfect for quick dinners and meal prep!

honey balsamic chicken on a plate with salad

You will love this Honey Balsamic Chicken

If you love an easy dinner that requires minimal effort, this honey balsamic marinated chicken takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and even less time to cook. You’ll be feeding the family in no time at all.

This chicken dinner is truly more than just another chicken recipe. This easy chicken dinner recipe is juicy, tender, sweet, and savory! Honey balsamic chicken breast tenders are like nothing you’ve had before and can be served with easy air fryer vegetables, grains, or over salad.

Looking for more one pan chicken recipes? Try this Sesame Ginger Chicken or Creamy Mushroom Chicken next!

Easy Balsamic Chicken

Chicken is one of my favorite meats to cook because of the endless options for preparing it. It’s like a blank canvas for you to do whatever you please. There’s always something new and different to try.

Chicken is the perfect meat for marinades and many savory recipes. It pairs well with most sides; making it the perfect addition to any meal.

For this chicken recipe, I used chicken tenders. However, chicken breast can also work if you don’t have tenders handy or are looking for more meat.

I recommend cutting small slits in the top of the chicken breast to allow the marinade to penetrate deeper.

Tip!

Stick with using chicken tenders if you’re trying to make your honey balsamic chicken as easily as possible. They cook much faster than chicken breasts and can also absorb marinades much faster.

Honey Balsamic Chicken Recipe ingredients

  • Chicken: to make this an easy meal, I opted to use chicken breast tenders for this recipe. No bones, no skin, no fuss, and less mess.
  • Wet ingredients: for this delicious marinade you’ll need honey, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard.
  • Herbs and spices: for that delicious punch of flavor, you’ll want to grab your garlic, salt, and pepper for your marinade.

*For a detailed list of ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.

chicken marinating in a ziploc bag

How to make Honey Balsamic Chicken

1. Prepare the marinade. Place the dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a glass jar and shake or stir until fully combined.

2. Marinate the chicken. Add half the marinade and the chicken tenders to a large Ziploc bag. Shake to fully coat the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 10 hours.

3. Cook the chicken. Heat a griddled cast iron pan on medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until chicken is browned and internal temperature has reached 165ยฐ F.

4. Serve. Remove the chicken from the pan and serve hot.

How long to marinate this Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Marinading chicken is an essential step to great flavor! I recommend trying to give your chicken a 5-6 hour marinade for the best flavor and texture.

If you don’t have 5-6 hours, you can do a “quick chicken marinade.” A quick marinade is ideally 1 hour. However, you can marinate for as little as 10 minutes to give your chicken a delicious coating.

What to eat with this Easy Balsamic Chicken

The great thing about this savory honey balsamic chicken recipe is that it pairs perfectly with almost anything. Whether it be salads, veggies, or plain old rice.

Some of my favorite pairings with this recipe are veggies like broccolini or asparagus. However, you can also try pairing this honey balsamic chicken with Avocado Risotto.

Double the marinade recipe and store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid to use as a salad dressing!

strawberry caprese chicken salad in a large white bowl with dressing to the side

How to store this Honey Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Store your cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Honey Balsamic Chicken Marinade FAQs

What Happens if you Marinate Chicken Too Long?

While the rule for marinating any dish is usually the longer the better, there is such a thing as marinating for too long. With chicken, if it’s marinated for too long not only can it become soft and mushy, but it can also make you sick. Try not to let your chicken marinate for longer than 24 hours.

Is balsamic glaze the same as balsamic vinegar?

Balsamic glaze is a thick, syrupy reduction of balsamic vinegar that has been simmered over low heat and reduced to concentrate its flavors and sweetness. It may contain added sweeteners, like sugar or honey, which makes it much sweeter and thicker compared to balsamic vinegar.

How do you get marinade to stick to chicken?

Gently piercing the chicken with a fork as it marinates allows the flavors to penetrate and enhance the chicken’s taste.

Does chicken marinate faster in fridge or room temp?

Chicken should always be marinated in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of bacteria.

honey balsamic chicken on a white plate next to two forks

More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try

Chicken Dinner Recipes

Delicious Side Dishes

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5 from 7 votes

Honey Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Packed with flavor, this one pan Honey Balsamic Chicken recipe is super simple, easy to make, and perfect for quick dinners and meal prep!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinate Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 358
Author: Jordan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a glass jar and shake or stir until fully combined.
  • Add half the marinade and the chicken tenders to a large ziploc bag. Shake to fully coat the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 10 hours.
  • Heat a griddled cast iron pan on medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until chicken is browned and internal temperature has reached 165ยฐ F.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and serve hot.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!

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5 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. Diane Dickerman says:

    Can I cook the chicken in my air fryer? Thank you.

    1. Definitely! I’d do these at 375 for about 12-15 minutes.

  2. Why do we mix up double the marinade that we use?

    1. You only need half to marinate the chicken but the other half can be used if you’re making a salad or stored for later!

  3. 5 stars
    This balsamic chicken is so delicious and so easy to prepare. It goes perfectly with such a wide range of other foods. It’s the perfect meal for the whole family. Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    So much flavour for so little effort!! My kind of recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Jeannette says:

    5 stars
    I just love how iI can put everything in a bag and leave it to marinate. Even better that the longer I leave it, the deeper the flavours! Superb dinner recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    One of my favourite flavour combinations and so good on chicken.