Description
This One Pan Balsamic Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts cooked in a flavorful balsamic vinegar and honey sauce, topped with fresh grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil. It’s a delicious, easy-to-make dish that combines tangy, sweet, and savory flavors all in one skillet, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp oil, such as avocado or olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Tomato and Mozzarella
- 8 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine or pearls)
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Chicken
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other high-heat oil
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and Dijon mustard. Season with kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside.
- Mix tomato and mozzarella: In a separate bowl, toss the halved grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls, and chopped fresh basil. Season this mixture with kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste, and set aside.
- Preheat and sear chicken: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil or another high-heat oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet until shimmering. Season the chicken breasts all over with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Add the chicken to the hot skillet in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until they develop a light golden brown crust.
- Add sauce and simmer: Pour the prepared balsamic sauce over the chicken in the skillet. It should begin to simmer quickly. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate those flavors into the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat immediately after stirring.
- Add tomato and mozzarella topping: Evenly spoon the tomato and mozzarella mixture over the chicken breasts in the skillet.
- Bake the chicken: Place the skillet uncovered in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. The internal temperature should read 165°F (74°C) when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Rest and serve: Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. This helps the juices redistribute, making the chicken moist and flavorful.
Notes
- Pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness ensures they cook evenly.
- You can substitute fresh mozzarella with shredded mozzarella if fresh is unavailable.
- If you don’t have a large oven-safe skillet, transfer the chicken, sauce, and toppings to a baking dish before baking.
- For a lower fat version, you can reduce the amount of oil used for searing.
- Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for safe consumption.
