Incredibly easy, low carb, delicious and juicy Braised Balsamic Chicken ready in just over 30 minutes! Perfect for a quick busy weeknight meal or even a special occasion. Serve with rice or pasta.
Braised Balsamic Chicken
Making delicious chicken breast that is not only tender and juicy but loaded with flavor does not have to be a mystery. This easy braised balsamic chicken requires just a few staple ingredients for the ultimate chicken dish.
This dish features caramelized onions, juicy and tender chicken breasts in a tomato and balsamic vinegar sauce. This chicken is then slowly braised in this sauce which is what makes it extremely flavorful and juicy. It’s easy as can be and you’ll end up with an irresistible main dish that’s perfect to serve over rice or pasta.
Braised Balsamic Chicken Highlights
- One-Pan Wonder. What’s not to love when a dinner only dirties up one pan. Less cleaning means more time to enjoy your evening with your loved ones.
- Easy And Quick To Put Together. This is worth mentioning again because this dish really is easy to prep and make, plus it only requires a few ingredients.
- Restaurant-Worthy. Yep, that’s right. Your kitchen will smell incredible and your family will be rushing to the dinner table. Not only is this great looking chicken dish perfect for your busy weeknight but also for restaurant-worthy occasions like date-night!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – While I usually love using chicken thighs, chicken breasts are perfect for this recipe because of the braising process so have no fear that there will not be any dry chicken breasts. Of course, you can use chicken thighs as well if that’s what you prefer.
- Onions – You’ll want a large onion here because it will add lots of great flavor to our tomato and balsamic vinegar taste. Yellow onions are best because they are quite mild and caramelize easily.
- Herbs – I love using some dried oregano and basil. Of course fresh herbs work just as well. I also like to garnish the final dish with some fresh parsley for a pop of color.
- Balsamic Vinegar – I recommend going with a good quality balsamic vinegar here. This balsamic vinegar will give us a rich, complex sweetness with notes of molasses and chocolate. It’s really good and I wouldn’t substitute this with anything else.
- Diced Tomatoes – You’ll need a can of diced tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes will also work.
- Spices – You’ll need some garlic powder for a little garlicky flavor, fresh garlic cloves can be used as well.
How To Make Braised Balsamic Chicken
- Prep the chicken. Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels. Season them with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Cook the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion to a plate.
- Sear the chicken. Add the chicken to the skillet and sear for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until browned.
- Braise the chicken. Top the chicken with the cooked onion, diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165°F.
- Garnish and serve. Serve garnished with parsley over rice, pasta or couscous.
How Do I Know When Chicken Breast Is Cooked Through?
The best and safest way to tell when your chicken breast is cooked through is to insert an instant-read meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken. When cooked through, the thermometer should read 165°F.
What Is Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar is a dark brown color, and is sweet and intensely flavored. It originates in Italy and it’s made wholly or partially from freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds and stems.
How To Serve Braised Balsamic Chicken
I love serving this succulent chicken over rice, pasta or even couscous. But you can certainly serve it on its own for a complete low carb meal. To make it even more decadent, feel free to sprinkle some cheese over it such as mozzarella or cheddar.
Expert Tips
- You can use either skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this balsamic chicken. While I usually prefer thighs, this dish is perfect for using up some breasts because of the slow braising process, you’ll end up with perfectly tender and juicy chicken every single time.
- Braising is a cooking technique where you lightly fry or sear the meat before cooking it over low heat in some kind of liquid until fully cooked.
Leftovers
If you have leftover balsamic chicken, lucky you! It’s great to enjoy throughout the week. Simply store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
This chicken is also great frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
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Braised Balsamic Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes undrained (1 can)
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels. Season them with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Cook the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion to a plate.
- Sear the chicken. Add the chicken to the skillet and sear for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until browned.
- Braise the chicken. Top the chicken with the cooked onion, diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165°F.
- Garnish and serve. Serve garnished with parsley over rice, pasta or couscous.
Tips & Notes:
- You can use either skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this balsamic chicken. While I usually prefer thighs, this dish is perfect for using up some breasts because of the slow braising process, you’ll end up with perfectly tender and juicy chicken every single time.
- Braising is a cooking technique where you lightly fry or sear the meat before cooking it over low heat in some kind of liquid until fully cooked.
Delicious! A little sweet, a little tangy, and a whole lot of tasty. I served it over rice and the only change I made was to halve the recipe because there’s just the two of us here at home. This one goes in the “favorite recipes” file!