One Pan Balsamic Chicken
Juicy one-pan balsamic chicken topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This easy dinner comes together so easily and will surely become a family favorite!
Balsamic Basil Chicken
This one-pan balsamic chicken is one of our favorite dinner meals. It’s flavorful, delicious, and can be made year-round!
The chicken breast is quickly seared on the stovetop with delicious homemade balsamic sauce. Then topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, to finish baking in the oven.
It’s a meal that can easily be prepared on a weeknight. It serves well over anything that can soak up the sauce, such as rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta.
Ingredients
- balsamic vinegar
- honey
- avocado oil
- garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Dijon mustard
- grape tomatoes
- mozzarella balls
- fresh basil
- chicken breast
- salt and pepper
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Yes, you just have to adjust the cooking time. Thighs cook really fast so I recommend checking for doneness after 7-10 minutes. Also, since thighs are more tender and juicy than chicken breast, there’s no need to pound them.
How to Make Basil Balsamic Chicken
- Whisk together the ingredients for the balsamic sauce.
- In a separate bowl, toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
- Over high heat, cook the chicken breast until lightly golden brown. Add balsamic sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Top with tomato mozzarella. Bake at 400F until chicken is cooked through.
Serving Suggestions
This one pan balsamic chicken is a great dish to pair with something to soak up the delicious pan juices and sauce. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
- Pineapple Rice
- Cauliflower and Ricotta Mash
- Egg noodles
- Roasted vegetables
- Quinoa
Video: How to Make One Pan Balsamic Chicken
More One-Pan Meals
- Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken
- Thai Chicken and Cabbage Skillet
- Orecchiette with Baked Mini Meatballs
- Chicken and Quinoa in Mustard Sauce
- Chicken with Zucchini and Corn
One Pan Balsamic Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
One-pan balsamic chicken is such a flavorful weeknight dinner. Made with simple ingredients and easy steps!
Ingredients
Sauce
- 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
Tomato Mozzarella
- 8 oz. grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine or pearls)
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
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
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, to taste. When the pan is hot and oil is shimmering, add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly golden brown. Add the balsamic sauce mixture. It should quickly come to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the tomato mozzarella mixture over the chicken.
- Bake uncovered for 18-23 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through. Internal temperature should register at 165F. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Mozzarella: If using ciliegine mozzarella, also known as “cherry size” fresh mozzarella then cut it in half. If using “pearls” which are smaller size mozzarella balls, then no need to cut in half.
- Chicken: To pound the chicken, place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap or into a gallon size Ziploc bag, and using a mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken to even thickness. Make sure not to skip this step. It helps the chicken cook evenly, tenderizes the meat, and results in moist meat.
- Original Recipe: This recipe was originally published on 9/28/17 and did not include balsamic vinegar. Instead, the recipe relied on a combination of ingredients that resembled the taste of balsamic vinegar. However, it ended up being too confusing to so many readers so we decided to rewrite the recipe to include balsamic vinegar. Here is the old version of the recipe: ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.), 2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (pounded to even thickness), 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 8 oz. grape tomatoes, halved, 8 oz. fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine), 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, Kosher salt and fresh black pepper . In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, tomato sauce, and lemon juice. Add chicken tossing to coat in the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Melt butter over high heat in a large oven-safe skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly golden brown, seasoning both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Immediately, off heat, top the chicken with tomato mozzarella mixture and bake uncovered for 18-23 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 6 oz. chicken with sauce
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 530.2 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.6 g
- Protein: 40.3 g
- Cholesterol: 93.5 mg
This looks like a great recipe. I was looking for an air fryer recipe and came across yours. 🙂 Have you ever tried a version of this using an AF? Thanks.
I have not tried it in an air fryer and I’m not sure how it would do.
Followed the recipe exactly. It was so freakin’ good! This is one of those recipes you cook when company comes over. Thank you!
Thank you for the feedback Meredith! So happy you enjoyed it.
Delicious and easy
Everyone loved it told me to put it on list of cook this again.
My hubby and I agree that this is a winner chicken dinner! I used the updated version that called for balsamic vinegar. We tend to go less sweet for everything so I cut the honey to 1 tbsp. More garlic, of course, and I also added about a cup of fresh chopped spinach just before placing pan in oven. Short grain brown rice and french green beans as sides. The flavor was SPOT ON and the time to prep was minimal! My life needed this, thank you!
I made this for my Mom and I and she had 3 servings 😂. I marinated the chicken first and added a little wine and some extra seasonings! It was sooooo easy!
This recipe is fabulous and so easy to make! We enjoyed it with cherry tomatoes and basil from our garden. It will definitely go into rotation until our plants no longer produce. Thank you for sharing!
Has anyone tried making this with chicken tenders? I have a huge bag of them to use up. Thanks.
Hi Donna: You can use chicken tenders but just keep in mind they will require less bake time. I would start checking for doneness around 12-15 minutes. Also no need to pound them before searing. Hope that helps!
I didn’t have a few of the ingredients but I improvised. It was really delicious
This dish was delicious with one exception. My cheese once I took it out of the oven and served it, turned into big globs of rubbery cheese. What did I do wrong?
The cheese will soften and slightly melt but it should not be rubbery. My only guess is that it might’ve overcooked slightly?
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Served with just a sweet crunchy green salad with raspberry vinegarette. Will definitely be making again as it was so easy and truly one pan(cast iron). VERY TASTY! My Husband even loved it and he’s not big on chicken.
Family loved it! I used boneless chicken breasts and instead of mozzarella balls I only had a package of whole milk shredded and it turned out fabulous! Made it 2 days in a row since they wanted more
I tried the updated recipe and it was so tasty! I used my garden black cherry tomatoes and added a Japanese eggplant and 2 Serrano peppers because we like a little heat! It truly was delicious and will be in our regular rotation!
Loved this recipe!! I even added broccoli to add a little green to the plate. It tastes amazing. I love how you have calories listed, but I am wondering how much would be considered one serving? Thanks!!
Thank you ! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. I used three larger chicken breasts for this recipe and each breast is enough to feed two people. So approximately half a breast, plus some sauce makes up one serving.
Loved this recipe!! I even added broccoli to add a little green to the plate. It tastes amazing. I love how you have calories listed, but I am wondering how much would be considered a serving? Thanks!!
Can you make this recipe early in the day and finish it off in the oven later for dinner?
It could probably work but I would just keep an eye on it so the chicken does not overcook.
Has anyone made with chicken thighs instead?
Delicious and easy! It I’ll be a regular for me!
Hi, new to cooking in general.
Can I use any pan? I didn’t know you could put pans in the oven. I have stainless steel and no sticks. That looks like cast iron.
Stainless steel or cast-iron pans are usually oven safe. Just make sure the handle is safe too before putting in.
Go invest in a cast iron! I didn’t get one till I was like 40, and I use it almost Exclusively now
I have made this twice and it is to die for. I suggest using Willams Sonoma Balsamic Vinegar, it is amazing and worth the purchase. I also cut up some crusty bread and throw it in for last 5-10 of cooking. Place it deep in the pan so it soaks up the sauce a bit.
Love that! I’ll have to try WS balsamic vinegar now!