Favorite Balsamic Chicken Marinade (Grill or Oven!)
This delicious easy balsamic chicken marinade requires just a few ingredients like balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil; and yields super flavorful and juicy chicken breasts or chicken thighs on the grill or in the oven. A short list of ingredients and quick marinade time makes it easy & doable enough for everyday, but tastes absolutely company-worthy!
5 star review
“Followed the recipe but used chicken thighs since that’s what we had in the freezer. Will definitely make it again! ”
– Tere Ann
The BEST Balsamic Chicken Marinade Also Happens to Be So Simple to Make!
A quick and easy marinade is the simplest way to elevate a basic proteins for dinner and add so much flavor with very little effort (I’m looking at you flank steak marinade!). And this honey balsamic chicken marinade has become my new go-to marinade for any occasion because I almost always have the ingredients in my pantry. It quickly infuses chicken breasts (or thighs) with garlicky and herby flavors, and the honey and balsamic vinegar give a lovely caramelized finish and a deep flavor.
I love balsamic vinegar in particular for making homemade marinades because it’s such a versatile ingredient! It imparts so much flavor, meaning you don’t need a ton of other ingredients and it’s equally good in my homemade balsamic vinaigrette! This is also a great time-saving recipe because the chicken only needs a quick marinate time 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours), but in reality, if you’re strapped for time, you can get away with a 15-minute marinade. Then either cook them quickly on the grill or in the oven, serve with a few easy sides, and you have a meal in no time!
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Chicken Balsamic Marinade
Troubleshooting & Tips for Balsamic Grilled Chicken
If you want to make this chicken marinade with balsamic vinegar ahead of time, I recommend marinating at least 30 minutes and no longer than 4 hours, however if you need to make it further ahead of time, you can freeze the chicken in the marinade for a later time. Simply add your chicken and marinade to a 1-gallon zip-top freezer bag and stash away in the freezer. When you’re ready to use, let it defrost in the fridge.
And once cooked, the balsamic chicken keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. You can also freeze the cooked chicken when stored in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months. This marinade is great with shrimp, steak, and vegetables like portobello mushrooms. For fish, shrimp, or vegetables, just marinate for 30 minutes maximum.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleo
Company-Worthy Balsamic Chicken Marinade (Grill or Oven!)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon no-salt added dried Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Equipment
Instructions
Grilling Instructions
- Whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt together in a large baking dish or 1-gallon zip-top bag until well combined.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade.
- Toss the chicken in the marinade in the baking dish or zip-top bag to coat, then press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover with plastic wrap (if using a baking dish). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours, flipping halfway through.
- When ready to grill, heat a gas grill to high. Allow to preheat, then remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess, and discard any remaining marinade from the bag or dish.
- Grill, with the cover down, for 5-6 minutes, then flip, and grill uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 165F, about 5-6 additional minutes.
- Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of marinade. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices and serve.
Oven Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Add the chicken to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Notes
- See blog post, above, for substitution suggestions, storage, and more.
Looks great! Do you think I could cube the chicken breast before marinating them and grill them on skewers? How long would you marinade? Thanks!
Jennifer, yes, this would be a lovely marinade for cubed chicken breast to grill on skewers. I’d keep the marinade time the same, about 30 minutes, though you could go a little closer to 20 minutes if you’d like. You’ll just want to cut the grill time down since the chicken will cook faster in cubes. I hope you enjoy!
Could this be cooked in a slow cooker? How would you suggest? Thank you!
Leah, I haven’t tested it, but I imagine it would work beautifully! Try following this recipe for slow cooker lemon chicken, but swap in the balsamic marinade for the lemon herb. The key is to add half the marinade for cooking, and reserve the other half for serving. 2-3 hours on high or 3-4 on low should do it. If you give it a try let me know how it turns out!
Had all ingredients on hand. Huge plus.
Followed receipe excatly
Brined chicken breasts for 45 mins.
Marinated about 1 hour
Baked at 425
Perfection
Fantastic, Beverly, so happy to hear this one was a hit for you. Thanks so much for leaving a reivew!
Followed the recipe but used chicken thighs since that’s what we had in the freezer. Added carrots and celery for some veggies. Will definitely make it again!
Wonderful to hear this one was a hit, I love that you added veggies, too! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
Could you use Greek spices instead of Italian?
Andrea, yes, Greek spices would be lovely in this recipe!
This was a crowd pleaser and easy to make !
Yay, so happy to hear this one was a hit! Thanks so much for leaving a reivew!