Baked Balsamic Chicken Recipe
This one-pan balsamic chicken is a recipe I’ve made so often it feels second nature. What started as a quick weeknight dinner is now a true reader favorite, with 200+ five-star reviews from readers who keep coming back. It’s foolproof, flavorful, and works year-round.
Table of Contents
Balsamic Glazed Chicken
I always sear the chicken breasts first to build flavor, then make a from-scratch balsamic sauce right in the same pan. There are no bottled glazes or shortcuts here.
Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil go on at the end so everything finishes together in the oven, keeping the chicken juicy and tender. The tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil give the chicken a Caprese-style finish that works so well with the balsamic sauce. This is my favorite method for cooking chicken breast, and it’s one I continue to come back to.
This is the kind of meal I make when time is tight but I still want dinner to feel special. It’s weeknight friendly and perfect served over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta to soak up every bit of that sauce.
Video: How to Make One Pan Balsamic Chicken
Balsamic Chicken Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use a good-quality balsamic since it’s the main flavor in the sauce; avoid balsamic glaze, which is already sweetened and reduced.
- Chicken Breast: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are similar in size so they cook evenly. If they’re very thick, pound them to an even thickness.
- Mozzarella Balls: Fresh mozzarella pearls or ciliegine work best; drain them well before adding so they don’t water down the sauce.
- Grape Tomatoes: They hold their shape well as they roast and release just enough juice into the sauce; cherry tomatoes also work.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds a little tang and helps bring the balsamic sauce together without making it taste mustardy.
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well, but cooking time will vary depending on their size and thickness. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step 1. Whisk together the ingredients for the balsamic sauce.
Step 2. In a separate bowl, toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
Step 3. Over high heat, cook the chicken breast until lightly golden brown. Add balsamic sauce and bring to a simmer.
Step 4. Top with tomato mozzarella. Bake at 400F until chicken is cooked through.
My Tips for the Best Balsamic Chicken
- Pound the chicken evenly: This is key to getting the breasts cooked through at the same time without drying out.
- Use an oven-safe skillet: The chicken goes straight from the stovetop to the oven, so you don’t have to transfer anything.
- Drain the mozzarella well: Fresh mozzarella holds quite a bit of moisture, which can water down the pan sauce.
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer and cook to 165°F, then let it rest for 5 minutes.
What to Serve with Balsamic Chicken
This balsamic chicken is especially good with something that can soak up all of the pan juices and sauce. A few of our favorites are:
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
- Pineapple Rice
- Cauliflower and Ricotta Mash
- Egg noodles
- Roasted vegetables
- Quinoa
More One-Pan Meals
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Balsamic Glazed One Pan Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Juicy chicken breasts baked in a sweet and tangy homemade balsamic sauce with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Everything cooks in one pan for an easy weeknight dinner.
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 liberally all over with salt and pepper. 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.
-
Storing Leftovers: Refrigerate leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently until warmed through.
- 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
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Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Love the recipe. I did add some onion and mushrooms to increase the vegetables. Was tasty. I’m making it tomorrow for friends with some seasoned mozzarella. All the store had. Hope it works😃
I made this in my electric frying pan. After searing the chicken and adding the balsamic sauce, I also added some vegetable broth and put some egg noodles and asparagus in. I let that cook for about 15 min then added the tomatoes & mozzarella and let cook a bit longer. Sooooo good! Love one pan meals!
That’s great! I’m glad it worked great in your electric frying pan!
A new family favorite!
This is one of my family’s dinners! It’s pretty quick ( except for pounding the chicken) and the leftoverstasted great the next day.
We loved it! Delicious. I used shredded mozzarella since didn’t have the pearls. Was great!
Really tasty, and easy to make! Should the balsamic sauce be reduced down at all? I added it to the pan and it almost immediately started simmering so I took it off the heat pretty quickly. It was still pretty liquidy after baking in the oven; I’m wondering if I should have let it cook down on the stove a bit longer. Regardless, it was delicious and very moist. Will make it again!
Hi Elise: No need to reduce the balsamic. It should come to a quick simmer and then remove off heat. It will slightly reduce in the oven but not too much where you’ll have plenty of pan sauce.
This was fantastic! A little on the sweet side, I’ll just back off on the honey next time. But I needed a new go to healthier chicken recipe.. thank you!
Thank you Mandy!
This is so easy and delicious served with pasta and bread!♥️♥️
Is the mustard necessary? Some severe allergies so wondering if there’s a substitute or if it can just be withheld?
You can omit the mustard but the taste will be different. I haven’t tried it with a substitute so I can’t answer with certainty.
Could you make this with feta instead ? I dont have mozzarella 🙂
Hi Ls: I haven’t tried it with feta so I can’t answer with certainty but if you do, let us know how it turns out!
Great recipe. I made it for 8 and it was a real hit. Only think I would do differently when doubling the recipe is put less vinegar in as I ended up with really too much juice. I eased back on the honey too and couldn’t taste the sweetness at all, which was good for our tastes.
Preheat Oven should be step 1! Also, didn’t read about cutting the Mozzarella balls in half till after dish was in the oven. It would be helpful to put that in the ingredients section instead of the “notes”. Other than that, I served with Angel Hair pasta and it was delicious!!
Very good and pretty easy to make! My husband loved it and he usually doesn’t like balsamic vinegar.
Thanks for sharing! This was delicious!
DELICIOUS! I followed the recipe exactly. My family absolutely loved their dinner. In fact my husband even licked the plate.
Turned out wonderfully!! Only thing I changed is 1 tbsp of honey rather than two. Baked it for 20 min. Will definitely do this one again.
Delicious low carb dish. Made with a side of green beans. Will def make again and will add some hot pepper flakes to add a little heat.
Delicious!! My husband and I were so happy I made this dish!
I followed the directions exactly. Smelled delicious cooking! Though it tasted good at first, the flavor became overbearing half way through the meal. It was too sweet for our taste. Possibly backing off on the honey by one tablespoon might correct the problem, but I’d rather move on to another recipe instead of making it again.