Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Tender, flavorful Balsamic chicken is simple to make with this marinade! Balsamic chicken marinade comes together quickly with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, and a few more simple ingredients. 

Making this Balsamic Chicken Marinade

This easy chicken marinade is a recipe that is on repeat in our house all summer. The kids all love it, so we have it at least a couple times a month.

It is easy to whip up a few batches of chicken and marinade, and store it in the freezer for later dates. I love how versatile it is because I can make a variety of different dishes with the balsamic grilled chicken!

Keep reading to learn my tips for making this balsamic chicken marinade, how to marinate chicken, and how to cook great balsamic grilled chicken. 

Tools Needed to Make Greek Chicken Marinade 

You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare this balsamic marinade recipe. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:

• Cutting board and sharp knife — to chop the basil and garlic cloves.
• Measuring Spoons — to measure the marinade ingredients.
• Large measuring cup — For measuring out the liquid ingredients in the marinade. 
• Whisk — All you have to do is whisk together the marinade! 
• Gallon-sized zip-top bag — I like to combine the marinade and chicken in a zip top plastic bag. Be sure to discard the bag after using. 
• Large mixing bowl — If you don’t have resealable bag, use a bowl large enough to hold the chicken and marinade 
• Blender — Not necessary, but I know some people prefer pureeing marinades in a blender to make them super smooth. 
• Meat thermometer — useful for checking the internal temperature of the chicken when you’re cooking after you’ve marinated the meal.

What’s in this Balsamic Chicken Marinade?

This is a balsamic vinegar marinade for chicken. The balsamic vinegar tenderizes the meat and adds tons of flavor. 

Here’s else what you’ll need to make this quick marinade recipe: 

• Balsamic Vinegar
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Honey
• Dijon Mustard
• Fresh Garlic 
• Fresh Basil
• Dried Basil
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this easy balsamic chicken marinade, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Balsamic Marinade for Chicken

Making this tangy balsamic vinegar chicken marinade is so easy!

I’ve given detailed instructions on preparing the marinade and cooking the chicken in the printable recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview: 

1. Make the marinade: In a mixing bowl or large glass measuring cup, combine all of the marinade ingredients.
2. Whisk the ingredients together using a wire whisk. 
3. Marinate the chicken: Pour the balsamic chicken marinade into a gallon sized zip-top bag or other container of your preferences. 
4. Add chicken pieces to the marinade.
5. Seal the bag or container and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or up to 2 days for best flavor.
6. Before cooking, remove chicken from the marinade. Discard the excess marinade.

Tip: Instead of using a whisk, you can instead add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend on low to combine.

Cooking the Balsamic Marinated Chicken

My favorite way to cook the balsamic marinated chicken is on the grill. Here’s how:

1. Preheat the grill to 450ºF.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
3. Pat the chicken dry on both sides using a paper towel.
4. After the grill has preheated, place the chicken directly on the grill grates and close the lid.
5. Cook for 5-7 minutes, then flip the chicken and cook for 5-7 more minutes.
6. Check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Once it has reached 165ºF at the thickest portion the chicken will be done. 
7. If after 10 minutes of cooking the chicken has not reached 165 degrees F internally, flip the chicken again and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Flip and repeat.
8. Remove cooked chicken from the grill and place on a plate or cutting board. 
9. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving or slicing.

The key to amazing balsamic grilled chicken is letting the grilled chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking. Rest time allows the juices within the chicken time to redistribute and makes for a more tender piece of chicken. 

Tip: To create those lovely grill marks, pat the chicken dry before grilling. You will not get grill marks using wet chicken.

Tips for Making the Best Balsamic Chicken Marinade

• Pound the chicken to an even thickness — It will cook more evenly and this helps tenderize the chicken even more.
• Salt to taste — Everyone’s paletes are different, also check if your Greek seasoning contains salt. 
• Don’t over-marinade the balsamic chicken — Don’t be tempted to leave the chicken in the marinade for too long, otherwise the chicken will become tough and rubbery rather than moist and juicy. Marinate the raw chicken at least 8 hours, or up to 48 for best results.
• Do NOT poke holes in the chicken — The balsamic marinade will penetrate the chicken all on its own. Again, just give it enough time to work its magic. 

Balsamic Chicken Marinade FAQs

Got questions about how to make this easy balsamic chicken recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Can I use a different meat in this recipe?

This chicken marinade works great with boneless skinless chicken breasts and boneless skinless chicken thighs. We’ve also used this easy marinade recipe for flank steak and skirt steak, too. 

Just note that the cooking time of different types of meat will vary based on safe doneness temperatures for eat variety of meat. 

How should I cook this if I don’t have a grill?

If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can pan sear, bake, or grill using a grill pan.

To pan sear or cook the balsamic chicken on grill pan:

1. Remove chicken from marinade. Pat dry on both sides.
2. Cook in a cast iron pan (or grill pan) over medium high heat greased with a small amount of oil.
3. Cook for 5 minutes per side, then test the internal temp. If chicken isn’t done, turn heat down to medium-low and continue cooking 2 – 3 minutes per side until done.

To bake the balsamic chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade
3. Place the chicken in an oven-safe baking dish with 1/2 cup of the marinade (discard the rest), then cover the pan with foil.
4. Bake the chicken covered for 15 minutes. 
5. Remove the foil and continue baking until the chicken registers 165ºF when a meat thermometer is inserted in the thickest portion of the breast.

Can I freeze this balsamic marinade?

Yes! One of my favorite meal prep tips is to prepare batches of chicken marinades:

• After that, freeze the raw chicken with the marinade in freezer bags.
• Then, on busy weeks, I take the frozen marinated chicken out for the freezer 3 days before we plan to eat it so it can thaw and marinade in the fridge.

You don’t, however, ever want to freeze used marinade to use again later. You should always discard the marinade once used.

​What should I do with leftover balsamic chicken?

Store it in an airtight container for up 3 – 5 days. We like to use the leftover honey balsamic chicken in salads for lunches during the week.

You can also freeze the leftovers to use in freezer meals on busy weeknights if you aren’t going to be able to eat the leftovers while it is still fresh.

Favorite Sides to Serve with Balsamic Chicken Breasts

There are so many ways to enjoy this balsamic marinated chicken! Here are a few suggestions for a delicious meal:  

• One of our favorite ways to use this is to slice the grilled chicken and add it to this Mushroom Alfredo.
• Toss pasta with basil pesto or sun dried tomato pesto to serve alongside the chicken.
• For a side salad, this Zucchini Tomato Basil Salad or this Prosciutto Salad with Italian Mixed Greens are both delicious.
• Since you’ve already got the grill on, you might like to make this Grilled Zucchini and Squash Salad. It’s the perfect side dish for the hot summer days of zucchini season!
• Make a bruschetta topping and serve this as Grilled Bruschetta Chicken. It is so fresh and light for a summer meal. 

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

Try this Simple Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Next time you’re looking for an easy chicken marinade, give this Balsamic Chicken Marinade a try! 

Did you think the marinade gave the chicken a ton of flavor? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this delicious marinade.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see a photo of your balsamic marinated chicken!

More Chicken Marinade Recipes

Juicy, flavorful Greek chicken is easy to achieve with this marinade! Greek chicken marinade comes together quickly with homemade Greek seasoning, yogurt, and a few more choice ingredients. 

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Chicken is flavored with a simple Caribbean chicken marinade, then grilled to perfection before being topped with pineapple salsa. This Pineapple Salsa Chicken is easy to make and so delicious!

This recipe for Grilled Chicken Kebabs is great during summer months! Honey Garlic Lemon Chicken is skewered with veggies and grilled to perfection.

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken is one of our favorite easy chicken recipes. The chicken tenderloins are marinated in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary and lemon juice, then quickly cooked on a hot grill.

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