Published 8/25/2020 • Updated 3/17/2024 Say hello to the best balsamic chicken marinade! It is honestly one of our favorite marinade recipes because it pairs so well with so many dishes. You can marinate any cut of chicken in this delicious marinade, and one of our fave ways to use it is on these balsamic chicken thighs served over pappardelle pasta with gooey pearl mozzarella and roasted tomatoes. It’s such a delicious combination. How easy is it to make? Combine the ingredients for your balsamic chicken marinade and then transfer it into a container or gallon-size bag. Submerge your chicken into the marinade and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
What You Need for Balsamic Chicken Marinade
This marinade packs a ton of flavor for using only a few ingredients!
Balsamic Vinegar: Infuses a rich, tangy-sweet flavor and helps tenderize the chicken. Olive Oil: Provides a rich texture and enhances the overall richness of the dish. Dijon Mustard: Adds a zesty kick and helps emulsify the marinade. Brown Sugar: Balances the acidity of the balsamic with a bit of sweetness. Dried Thyme: Adds a warm herby flavor to the marinade.
Substitutions & Variations
Olive oil: Prefer avocado oil or vegetable oil? Most oils will work in this marinade. Brown sugar: Other sweeteners like honey, maple or granulated sugar will also work, but our preferred sweeteners are brown sugar or maple due to the warm flavor they add to this marinade. For a thicker sauce: Start by removing the chicken from the marinade. Then, remove 1/4 cup of the marinade and whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into it. Add the cornstarch sauce back into the pan with the remaining marinade and bring to a light simmer until it thickens, and then add the chicken back into the pan to cook.
How long should you marinate chicken for?
We recommend marinating your chicken for at least 30 minutes. We’ve found the sweet spot for flavor infusion to be around 2 hours, but you can also let it sit overnight in this marinade, which is a great option for meal prep. Balsamic Chicken Thighs
Ways to Cook Balsamic Chicken
Oven: Follow our easy baked chicken tutorial for directions on how to bake the most perfect marinated chicken. Grill: Balsamic chicken tastes amazing on the grill! Instant Pot: Plop your chicken and marinade right into your Instant Pot and in no time, you’ve got dinner. Slow Cooker: Slow cook your balsamic chicken and then shred it. Sous Vide: Want super tender chicken? Use your sous vide to get perfect marinated chicken every time.
How to Freeze Marinated Chicken
This marinated chicken makes for an amazing freezer recipe. Here’s how easy it is:
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Serving Suggestions
We recommend serving your marinated balsamic chicken over pappardelle pasta like we do in this balsamic chicken thighs recipe, but any pasta will do. Looking for something on the greener side? We love serving balsamic chicken with our caprese quinoa salad, The Cheese Knees’ classic caprese salad, roasted broccoli, or our balsamic sea salt roasted brussels sprouts.
