Easy Balsamic Chicken
For a simple weeknight dinner with amazing flavor, make this easy Balsamic Chicken recipe! Mix up a quick balsamic vinegar marinade for the breasts, let it sit for a while in the fridge, then pan sear until it's golden outside and perfectly juicy inside. This meal is a family favorite, and it's healthy too!
2025 Update: This post has been updated to include new how-to photos and to simplify the instructions with helpful cooking tips. This recipe used to call for peach balsamic vinegar, and we've adjusted it to use regular balsamic which is easier to find. We hope you love it as much as we still do!
Learning to cook chicken in a skillet was one of the biggest confidence boosters for my cooking.
We used to eat chicken like, a lot, as in we had chicken in some form 3-4 times a week. But we usually defaulted to baked chicken.
I like baked chicken, but if it's just seasoned with spices, I find that it doesn't look super appetizing to me. Maybe it's because of the pale color of the chicken, versus the golden brown or almost toasted look to chicken that is cooked on the stove top.
So over the past year, I've almost exclusively pan-seared chicken, because it tastes and looks SO much better.
If you struggle to create juicy and delicious chicken dinners, this recipe is for you!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Pan searing poultry is wonderful, for a number of reasons:
- This easy recipe includes instructions to make the most flavorful peach balsamic vinegar marinade. Using chicken marinades has become my go-to method.
- Balsamic chicken tastes and feels like an upscale dinner, almost fancy, but it's just so simple to make!
- The protein is lean and juicy, and most kids love the sweet peach flavor.
If you enjoy skillet meals, you may also want to try my recipes for Cast Iron Skillet Steak, One Pan Chicken Piccata, and Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet.
Grab kid tested recipes that actually work for busy families who want wholesome meals without the stress!
Ingredients and Substitutions
You won't believe how just a few simple ingredients can create so much flavor!
- boneless skinless chicken breasts: You'll want enough breasts to serve 4 people. A typical serving size is about 4 ounces, so pick up a pound, or more if you want leftovers. You can use bone-in chicken if you'd like, but the cooking time will be longer.
- olive oil: Any oil with a smoke point will be fine, but in my opinion, olive oil and balsamic vinegar are a perfect pair.
- garlic: Fresh has the fullest flavor, but using minced garlic would also work.
- balsamic vinegar: You can use either white or dark balsamic vinegar. To elevate the flavor even more, there are also flavored balsamic oils available. Originally, I used peach balsamic vinegar in this recipe, but changed it to be standard balsamic which is easier to find!
- seasonings: For this recipe, I used classic Mediterranean spices of dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme, along with salt and black pepper. Feel free to adjust and/or substitute the spices to your liking. An Italian seasoning blend would be delicious, too.
Useful Tools for Pan Searing Chicken
- Oil Safe Pan with a Lid: Use a heavy-bottomed cast iron pan or skillet
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer: You'll want to use a digital cooking thermometer to be sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 163°F.
I usually season my stainless steel pan before cooking in it, and with the oil in the marinade, that's usually enough to prevent any food from sticking.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
- Make the balsamic marinade and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes. Just whisk together the oil, vinegar, and spices and pour it into a gallon-sized zip top bag or large glass bowl along with the chicken.
- Pan sear the breasts in the balsamic marinade. Sear the first side for 2-3 minutes, then flip the pieces over, put the lid on the pan, and continue cooking.
Unlike beef and pork, poultry doesn't have strands of protein or fibrous tissue to break down. So, the point of marinating is just to add flavor. This is why you only need to marinate chicken for 30 minutes!
Optional step: Let the balsamic vinegar reduce. As the balsamic reduces, it bubbles and creates a perfect coating over the chicken. I like to kind of swish the chicken around in the balsamic reduction to make sure everything is coated nicely.
Tips for Success
This incredible balsamic chicken recipe couldn't be much easier to make. For the best flavor, here are a few helpful tips:
- Avoid over cooking. You'll know that the chicken is ready to flip using tongs when the chicken breasts pull away from the pan easily and without sticking.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Keeping the pan covered helps to trap the heat in, which shortens the cooking time.
- Test for doneness. Ensure the chicken is cooked to the correct temperature of 165°F by using an instant read meat thermometer. Actually, you can remove it from the heat when the internal temp reaches 163°F, because "carryover cooking" brings the temp up a couple of degrees.
- For the juiciest chicken, let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Starches/grains: I serve this on a bed of quinoa, which is currently a favorite of ours. It's really quick and easy to make, and it's a really healthy, protein-packed dish.
If you're looking for an even fancier side dish, read my post on How to Make Risotto and serve the balsamic chicken with that instead!
Vegetables: The flavors of balsamic chicken pair really well with almost any hot or cold veggie sides. You could serve it with a green side salad or make an easy vegetable tray
If you want some warm veggies, try my recipes for Garlic Green Beans with Brown Butter or Steamed Broccoli.
Balsamic Chicken Recipe FAQ
When it's safe to eat, the internal temperature of poultry should be 165°F. Press the thermometer probe into the thickest part of the breast to read the temperature.
Both of these types of balsamic are made from grapes. White balsamic has a clear color and traditional balsamic is darker in color. The other difference is that white balsamic is cooked at a lower temperature, so it's less sweet and syrupy than darker varieties.
Other Easy Chicken Dinners
- Chicken Meatballs - My kids love the meatballs with pasta and spaghetti sauce!
- Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Pistachio Crusted Chicken
I'd love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Pan Seared Balsamic Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- If breasts are very thick, use a sharp knife to slice through the pieces horizontally to make them thinner.
- Place chicken breasts in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add remaining ingredients, seal the bag, and shake to combine.
- Place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes. (If only marinating for 30 minutes, you can marinate at room temperature - this will help the chicken cook more evenly.)
- Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear the first side for 2-3 minutes. You'll know that the chicken is ready to flip using tongs when the chicken breasts pull away from the pan easily and without sticking.
- After you flip to the second side, pour the marinade over the chicken, cover the pan with a lid, and continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes.
- Remove lid and use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature at the thickest portion of the meat. Chicken is finished cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
- If desired, use the tongs to move the chicken around the pan to get some extra balsamic reduction on it.Transfer chicken to a serving platter and let it rest for about 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
My friends call me Mad and you can too. Here you'll find easy, wholesome recipes, and designed to share with those you love.
You're always sharing such delicious recipes and this one totally looks easy to make and so yummy!