This balsamic chicken marinade will infuse your chicken with so much delicious flavor. This marinade is tangy, sweet and savory, and yields a sauce that is perfect for spooning over rice and veggies. We share tips so you can prep it ahead and freeze.
Chicken marinades are one of our staples for meal prep - from honey garlic to Greek chicken, and this balsamic chicken marinade. We're on a mission to banish bland chicken once and for all!
This simple balsamic chicken marinade is a freezer-friendly chicken recipe that you can prep ahead for an easy weeknight meal.
With some sweetness from the maple syrup and savory flavors from the garlic and dijon, this juicy chicken is finger-licking good. You can use this marinade for chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or even chicken wings!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- it's simple and made with household staples
- it infuses a ton of flavor into the chicken
- it can be prepped and frozen for meal prep
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see how to make balsamic chicken marinade, and how to cook the chicken in the oven! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient Notes
- Maple syrup - honey or brown sugar may be subbed
- Balsamic vinegar - we used a balsamic vinegar of Modena; any grocery store balsamic vinegar will do the trick. Read more about balsamic vinegar here - there are many varieties but you don't need to splurge on the most expensive bottle!
- Chicken - we used chicken thighs, but you may swap for your favorite cut of chicken such as chicken breasts or wings; this recipe is for 1lb, but the marinade can be stretched to up to 2 lbs of chicken
- Dried basil - dried thyme was also great in place of dried basil
step by step driections
Important Note - This recipe requires a longer marinade time. If possible we recommend overnight - 24 hours. However, longer than 24 hours can have detrimental effects on the chicken's texture, so for longer marinade periods, we recommend freezing.
Combine
In a reusable bag or shallow bowl, stir together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, salt, basil, and oregano until completely combined. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 24 hours in the fridge.
Bake
Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Add chicken to the baking dish along with the residual marinade. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Serve
Chicken is ready when a digital thermometer reaches 165°F in the thickest part. If chicken is well submerged in the marinade, there is no need to flip.
FAQ
Yes, absolutely. Pop the marinating chicken in the fridge for 2 hours all the way up to 24 hours. We don't recommend marinating longer than that without freezing.
Do not thaw your chicken if you are going to freeze again. Add the balsamic chicken marinade to already frozen chicken, and either pop back into the freezer, or allow the chicken to thaw in the marinade. You will still get a ton of flavor from marinating while it thaws!
The safest bet is in the fridge overnight (it can take longer in Stasher bags, so we immerse in cold water when using them). Alternatively, you can use a bowl of cold water on the counter for a few hours, just make sure your freezer bag is heavy-duty so you don't have any leakage!
Alternative Cooking Methods
This balsamic chicken is delicious and so juicy when cooked up in the oven, but you could also grill it, pan-fry, or air fry it!
- grill - Cook over medium-high heat on a well greased grill until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
- frying pan - can work, but requires attention and frequent flipping at the end to prevent the marinade from burning. If pan frying, cook for 5 minutes over medium heat on first side, 6 on the second side, monitoring closely and flipping if needed to prevent burning.
- air fryer - could work (we have not tested this exact recipe). If you do try it, shake off excess marinade, and try cooking at 390°F/ 200°C for 4 minutes per side.
Storage + Meal Prep
- Uncooked - chicken can be stored in the marinade for up to 24 hours in the fridge or frozen for up to 6 months.
- Cooked - after cooking, cool chicken completely, then store in an air tight container for up to 4 days. Cooked chicken may also be frozen for up to 3 months
Reheat
- Reheat - chicken in the microwave or in a frying pan until steaming hot. Do not reheat more than once
Freezer packs
- Uncooked - chicken in marinade can be frozen for up to 6 months
- To cook - thaw completely before baking as instructed above
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Balsamic Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 lbs boneless chicken thighs see note 1
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar see note 2
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup see note 3
- 1 teaspoon dijon
- 4 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil see note 4
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Combine- in a reusable bag or shallow bowl, stir together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, salt, basil and oregano until completely combined. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 24 hours in the fridge.
- Bake- pre-heat oven to 425°F. Add chicken to baking dish along with residual marinade. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Serve- chicken is ready when a digital thermometer reaches 165°F in the thickest part. If chicken is well submerged in marinade, there is no need to flip.
Tips:
- you may swap for your favorite cut of chicken; this marinade can be stretched to up to 2 lbs of chicken
- we used a balsamic vinegar of Modena; any grocery store balsamic vinegar will do the trick
- honey or brown sugar may be subbed
- dried thyme was also great in place of dried basil
- for best results, marinate for 24 hours. If you plan to marinate for longer than that, we recommend freezing, as chicken texture can deteriorate in the vinegar.
- chicken can be stored in the marinade for up to 24 hours
- after cooking, cool chicken completely, then store in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
- cooked chicken may also be frozen for up to 3 months
- reheat chicken in the microwave or in a frying pan until steaming hot
- do not reheat more than once
- uncooked chicken in marinade can be frozen for up to 6 months
- thaw completely before baking as instructed above
Video
Nutrition Information
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