Honey Balsamic Chicken With a Tangy Pan Sauce to Spoon Over Rice

Recipe and photographs by Julie from Redhead Can Decorate, shared here as a guest contribution.

After several rounds of Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, I wanted a different dinner. This honey balsamic chicken gave us a sweet sauce with enough tang for my husband, who tends to avoid sweet dishes. I served the chicken over rice, where the sauce could soak into it.

Garlic balsamic vinegar and olive oil

I adapted the original Budget Bytes honey balsamic chicken tenders recipe, replacing butter with olive oil and using garlic balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic vinegar also works in my version, which includes chopped garlic in the marinade.

The chicken breasts are cut into medium pieces and marinated for 1 to 3 hours with vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Keep the bag in the refrigerator during that time.

Use the browned bits for the sauce

Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade and brown them on both sides in a pan with olive oil over medium heat. Set them on a clean plate while you make the sauce, then lower the heat a little.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the additional 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar specified in the recipe card. Stir to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the 3 tablespoons of honey, raise the heat enough to reduce the sauce a little, season to taste, and return the chicken to the pan.

Make sure the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer before serving. The FDA’s food-handling guidance gives that temperature for poultry and advises marinating food in the refrigerator. Browning alone does not establish that chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice or pasta

Rice was my choice for the photographed meal, though pasta is another option. Broccoli or mushrooms would also go with the chicken and sauce. Finish with parsley as noted in the recipe.

Honey balsamic chicken recipe

The card groups the marinade ingredients first, then lists the extra oil, vinegar, honey, and parsley used after marinating. Those are additional amounts for cooking and finishing the sauce.

Honey Balsamic chicken

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1-2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts cut into medium size pieces see above
• ¼ cup garlic balsamic vinegar regular balsamic is fine
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• s & p

Method

 

Marinate chicken for 1-3 hours in a plastic bag first with the above ingredients. After the marinating you will need

1. 2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
2. 2 tablespoons garlic balsamic vinegar
3. 3 tablespoons honey
4. parsley

Directions

1. After you have marinated the chicken for at least an hour, pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan set on medium.
2. Place just the chicken pieces in the pan.
3. Brown the chicken on both sides. It won't take long.
4. Set chicken on plate.
5. Turn heat down a little.
6. Add last tablespoon of olive oil to pan, along with the the last 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
7. Dissolve all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the honey and turn up heat to reduce the sauce a little.
9. Add s & p to taste, and add the chicken.
10. *broccoli and/or mushrooms would go perfect
11. *serve over hot steamed rice, or pasta if you like that better like me 🙂
12. *garnish with parsley

For another chicken dinner with a different flavor, see the slow-cooker Buffalo chicken recipe.