Baked Balsamic Chicken Recipe

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You’ll love this home-cooked baked balsamic chicken recipe that’s made with simple ingredients and requires minimal prep. And — bonus! — roasting this balsamic glazed chicken will make your whole house smell so good and cozy. (But if you’re not quite prepared to make a whole chicken, balsamic chicken thighs are a quicker option.)

This simple balsamic chicken recipe is reprinted here with permission from Big Boards For Families by my friend, Sandy Coughlin. I was able to review Sandy’s new book — Big Boards for Families: Healthy, Wholesome charcuterie Boards and Food Spread Recipes that Bring Everyone Around the Table… and that’s just what these recipes do! I love her endless ideas for creating boards out of just about anything (so fun), but many of them (like this one) can also be made without a huge board for easy family meals. Go pick up a copy!

What Is Balsamic Chicken?

Balsamic chicken can be any chicken recipe made with balsamic vinegar. This particular dish is a whole roasted balsamic glazed chicken.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken Ingredients

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for balsamic glazed chicken, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Whole Chicken – I prefer to use organic chicken, but you can use whatever variety you have access to. If you buy it frozen, be sure to let it thaw (either in the fridge overnight or in a bowl of cold water) before you begin this recipe.
• Fresh Thyme – Fresh is best for this balsamic chicken recipe, but if dried is all you have, replace the 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves with 1 tablespoon dried.
• Shallots – Shallots are similar to onions and garlic, and give the chicken great flavor.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Red Onion – The original recipe called for two onions, but I’ve used one here. Red onion pairs best with balsamic vinegar, but a yellow onion is also okay to use.
• Chicken Broth – Feel free to use either regular or low-sodium broth if you prefer, or use bone broth for a richer flavor.
• Balsamic Vinegar – The star of this recipe! It provides all the flavor, plus it tenderizes the chicken. I dont recommend substituting other vinegars. Be sure you get regular balsamic vinegar and not balsamic reduction, which are two different things, but you could drizzle some balsamic reduction over the chicken at the end if you like.

How To Make Baked Balsamic Chicken

This section shows how to roast chicken with balsamic vinegar, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

1. Prep. Pat chicken dry with paper towel.
2. Season. In a small bowl, mix together thyme, shallots, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture under the skin of the chicken.

VARIATIONS: Feel free to add other herbs or spices at this step.

Try herbs like basil, rosemary, or dried oregano. You can also add red pepper flakes, garlic powder, or a few cloves garlic (minced).

3. Set up the pan. Place onions in a roasting pan that has a lid and place chicken on top. (If you don’t have a roasting pan with lid, a baking dish should work if you cover it with foil before baking.)
4. Add liquid. Pour broth and vinegar over the chicken. Cover the pan with the lid.

5. Roast. Bake the chicken, covered. Remove the lid and roast until the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F with a meat thermometer.
6. Rest. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

7. Serve. Pour onion balsamic sauce into a small bowl and skim off fat before serving with chicken.

TIP: Have extra sauce? Serve it over veggies!

The balsamic sauce is delicious over roasted vegetables or even a simple salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftovers in fridge for 2-3 days.
• Reheat: Reheat balsamic glazed chicken in a 350 degree F oven for best results. You can also microwave, just until chicken is warm.
• Freeze: You can freeze chicken in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.

What To Serve With Balsamic Chicken

Classic sides are potatoes, rice, or quinoa, but I prefer to serve it with vegetables:

Mashed Cauliflower

Roasted Asparagus

Avocado Caprese Salad

Roasted Green Beans

More Easy Chicken Recipes

If you like this easy balsamic chicken recipe, you might also like some of these other easy chicken recipes:

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Spatchcock Chicken

Crispy Baked Chicken Legs

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

5 from 10 votes

Baked Balsamic Chicken Recipe (Easy!)

You'll love this baked balsamic chicken recipe — it's so EASY! Balsamic glazed chicken needs just 6 simple ingredients and makes for a delicious dinner.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 2 hours

Resting Time 10 minutes

Total: 2 hours 10 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.

• 1 6-lb Whole chicken ▢
• 3 tbsp Fresh thyme (chopped) ▢
• 2 medium Shallots (minced) ▢
• 1 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1 tsp Black pepper ▢
• 1 medium Red onion (chopped) ▢
• 1/2 cup Chicken broth, reduced sodium ▢
• 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

3. In a small bowl, combine the thyme, shallots, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture under the skin of the chicken.

4. Place the onions in a roasting pan (with a lid), then place the chicken on top, skin side up. Pour the broth and vinegar over the chicken. Cover the pan with a lid.

5. Bake balsamic chicken, covered, for 1 hour.

6. Remove the lid and bake for another hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 170 degrees F (76 degrees C).

7. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

8. Pour the onion balsamic sauce from the pan into a small bowl and skim off the fat. Serve with the chicken.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/6 of entire chicken

Recipe reprinted with permission from Big Boards For Families by Sandy Coughlin. I reduced the red onions from two to one.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 276

Fat 13.6g

Protein 28g

Total Carbs 7.9g

Net Carbs 6.7g

Fiber 1.2g

Sugar 4.6g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked balsamic chicken, balsamic chicken marinade, balsamic chicken recipe, balsamic vinegar chicken

Calories: 276 kcal

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