Friends, I’m really excited about sharing this one with you today. You all are always asking me for easy chicken recipes, and balsamic chicken might just be my new ideal easy chicken dinner.
What’s Great About This Recipe
Almost no cutting required. You’ll need to slice an onion and maybe a couple of chicken breasts. That’s it. You can prep the ingredients in about 5 to 10 minutes. Even though this dish is big on flavor, there aren’t a ton of ingredients, so the recipe comes together FAST. After searing, the chicken cooks in the sauce so you can walk away and don’t have to babysit it. The chicken comes out PACKED with flavor. Super tangy, and a little sweet, this definitely isn’t your usual old boring weeknight chicken recipe.
I hope you immediately add this to your weeknight dinner rotation and then come back here and tell me how much everyone loved it!
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
Chicken breasts: Chicken breast size varies wildly these days, so you can use either 4 small chicken breasts (8 ounces or less) or 2 large (12+ ounces). If using large chicken breasts, in the recipe, I simply have you slice them into cutlets before cooking. Sweet onion: I love using a sweet onion here, but you can substitute a red or yellow onion if that’s what you have on hand. Canned diced tomatoes: You can substitute crushed or whole canned tomatoes if you’re out of diced. Crushed tomatoes will change the texture of the sauce but will still be delicious. To use whole canned tomatoes, pulse them a couple times in the can with an immersion blender or in your food processor or blender before adding them to the pan. A deep 12-inch skillet with a lid: A standard 12-inch skillet works okay for this recipe, but it gets a little full so you’ll want to watch it closely once you put the lid on to make sure everything stays at just a simmer and does not boil over. A deeper skillet gives you a little more breathing room. If you don’t own a skillet with a lid, you can also make this in a large dutch oven.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken
Slice the chicken if needed: If using 2 large chicken breasts, slice each piece of chicken into 2 cutlets by placing your hand on top of the chicken breast and running a sharp knife horizontally through the breast, slicing the top and bottom into two even pieces.
Brown the chicken: Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and brown both sides of the meat. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Cook the onions and garlic: Add butter, garlic, and onions to the pan and cook until the onions are wilted and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. While the onions cook, be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the skillet and dislodge any cooked-on bits of fond. The fond adds flavor to the sauce, but it can burn if left sitting at the bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining ingredients: Stir everything together and bring to a simmer.
Return the chicken to the pan: Nestle the chicken breasts in the simmering liquid and cover skillet. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 165°F. Cooking time is going to vary depending on how thick your chicken breasts are, so if you’re working with thicker pieces of meat, don’t worry if they’re taking a little longer to cook.
Reduce the sauce. Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a clean plate or cutting board to rest and tent with foil to keep warm. Simmer the sauce uncovered until the onions are softened to your desired level of doneness and the sauce reduces to a thicker consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll know the sauce is good to go when you run your spoon down the pan and you can briefly see the bottom without the liquid immediately covering it up.
Time to eat: Serve chicken with sauce spooned over the top alongside egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!!
Can I use bone-in chicken breasts/thighs or boneless skinless chicken thighs?
You can, but bone-in meat will require longer cooking times, especially for chicken breasts. If the sauce becomes too thick before the meat has finished cooking, add a couple tablespoons of water back to the pan to keep the sauce from burning.
What to serve with balsamic chicken?
You can serve balsamic chicken breasts over egg noodles or with rice, but my favorite is mashed potatoes. Pair the chicken with a simple vegetable like:
Roasted Green Beans Roasted Broccoli Roasted Zucchini Steamed Broccoli Roasted Carrots
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
You can. Make this dish up to 48 hours in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Shredded BBQ Chicken Chicken Shawarma Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Chicken Francaise
Recipe Adapted From Dishing With Leslie (no longer available online) This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
