Succulent baked balsamic chicken with a bold marinade made with balsamic glaze, garlic, lemon juice, honey, and herbs. Ready in just over 30 minutes. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can use use chicken breasts, if you prefer (see the recipe notes).
8boneless and skinless chicken thighs,(about 1 ½ pounds)
Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic glaze, tomato paste, honey and lemon juice. Add the garlic cloves, thyme, oregano and sweet paprika. Whisk again to combine.
Pat the chicken dry and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
Add the chicken to the mixing bowl and toss to coat with the balsamic marinade. Set aside briefly for a few minutes while you heat the oven (or if you have time, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours).
Heat the oven to 425 degrees F and adjust a rack in the middle.
Transfer the chicken to a baking dish or a heat-safe skillet. Bake on the center rack of the heated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature of cooked chicken should register 165 degrees F).
Video
Notes
Marinate the chicken ahead of time. If you have time, allow the chicken thighs to sit in the balsamic marinade in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. This will really amp up the flavor.
Chicken Breast Option: For best results, use chicken breasts that are similar in thickness. To do this, lightly pound each breast with a meat mallet (like I do in my Italian baked chicken breast recipe). Chicken breasts baked at 425 degrees will take about 18 minutes or so to fully cook, and it does help to start the chicken covered in the oven for the first 10 minutes or so.
Leftovers and Storage: Allow any cooked balsamic chicken to cool, then transfer to a tight-lid container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.