About Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken
With summer on the way, I know my future will hold a lot of grilling dishes like this one with balsamic chicken marinade – although, technically, we don’t own a grill.
What we do own is a NuWave Oven, which we use for all our grilling needs, and it certainly gets the job done – although we have to do without those pretty dark grill lines.
But then again, being able to get grill-like results in the comfort of my kitchen and being able to clean my “grill” in the dishwasher?
Totally worth the sacrifice.
We typically use our Nuwave Oven for steaks, but every now and then I get adventurous and try something on the other ends of the meat spectrum. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a bit of a chicken breast fanatic, buying in bulk at Costco and freezing them until the mood strikes me, and yesterday I just happened to be in one of those moods.
I was absolutely craving chicken breast. And not only that, but grilled chicken breast.
It was probably all that “Memorial Day” talk that’s been going around.
So when I started to research different types of marinades, one ingredient practically jumped off the screen and slapped me in the face: balsamic vinegar. I typically only have balsamic vinegar with deep fried seafood (thanks to so many trips to Captain D’s as a kid) but I still keep a bottle of it on hand in our kitchen, just in case, even though I hardly ever make the “right” kind of deep fried fish to use it with.
The time had finally come to branch out and find new uses for my beloved balsamic!
Once I hunted down a recipe that met my requirements (one that must include balsamic vinegar, a short marinade time, and all the ingredients I already have in my kitchen) I got to work. And by “got to work” I mean I thawed the chicken, mixed some ingredients, and then watched the first few episodes of Grace and Frankie on Netflix while I waited for the marinade to do its magic.
Seriously, this almost felt like cheating. Sometimes I spend so much time making elaborate meals that I forget just how easy grilling is, especially when you take out all the complications of an “actual” grill.
I could get used to dinners like this every night.
What I loved most about this marinade was not only the taste but also the effect that the balsamic vinegar had on the chicken. The chicken was extremely tender and juicy, so much so that I think it’s probably the best texture I’ve ever had when cooking chicken. Far too often chicken can be tough and dried out, even after marinating overnight.
I was lucky enough to be able to marinate the chicken for close to 4 hours, which isn’t even that long on the marinating scale, but I still think it made all the difference in the end result. So if you have the time, I highly recommend marinating for at least few hours. You will not regret it.
But on the other hand, if you’re pressed for time (or don’t have Netflix to help ease the wait) then a shorter marinate is still worth it, if only for the taste alone. I’m already trying to think of what else I can soak in this honey balsamic sauce. Or, more accurately, what I wouldn’t soak in it.
Welcome back, balsamic vinegar. Oh, how I’ve missed you.
notes & tips for this balsamic chicken marinade
- As mentioned in the text above, an old friend of mine and I don’t own a standard grill, so I used our Nuwave Oven to cook this chicken. You might not get the charcoal grill lines of a standard grill, but our Nuwave Oven has always cooked meat evenly, thoroughly, and juicy. However, if you do want grill lines but still don’t want to invest in an outdoor grill, I’ve also used the Nuwave Cast Iron Grill Top for our Nuwave Induction Cooktop. Both are great options for all types of cooking!
- If you’re curious what else you can do with a Nuwave grill, be sure to check out this recipe for Grilled BBQ Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa!
- And if you love recipes with a tasty marinade, don’t miss Honey Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli, Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs, and Sticky Honey Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks.
More great chicken recipes
Recipe Details
Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
For the Chicken Seasoning
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Place olive oil, salt, black pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a Ziploc bag (gallon sized). Add chicken and toss to coat, covering chicken with spices and oil. Set bag nearby.
For the Honey Balsamic Marinade
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In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, ketchup, garlic, and honey.
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Divide the sauce in half. Pour one half in the bag with the chicken and store the other half in a sealed container (or bowl covered in plastic wrap).
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Shake bag with chicken so that the meat is covered in the marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Also store sealed marinade in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Putting it all Together
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When ready, remove chicken from ziplock bag. Discard bag and marinade that the chicken soaked in.
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Grill your chicken per typical cook time, usually 3-5 minutes per side (or until no longer pink inside).
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While chicken cooks, take the marinade that was stored separately and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
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Once chicken is cooked, drizzle or brush remaining marinade on top.
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Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic.
This recipe is a keeper. I’m always looking for new ways to cook chicken. I think my kids would love this.
This Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken looks fabulous! Love the photos and the seasonings used. Thanks for sharing this Chrisy! 🙂
This chicken sounds so flavorful! Balsamic + honey are a match made in heaven!
This chicken looks so delicious and it looks great from every angle. The Balsamic on the chicken is such a great idea.
Love this marinade!
The glaze on the chicken makes my mouth water, can’t wait to try this tonight!
Also I’m working for a tech company called Chicory that works with food bloggers to make their recipes shop-able via online grocer. I really like your blog and wonder if you are interested in becoming a Chicory Recipe Partner?
Ok so popped on here from Sits Girls this morning and you caught my eye. We eat chicken breast and salad over the summer, and one look at your chicken and I was in.
What is awesome about this recipe is that I had everything in the PANTRY!!! Yeah me 🙂
I had three very large breasts defrosting, and only used one for tonights dinner as I and only one other child was home. It was awesome 🙂
The rest are marinating over night and we will put on the BBQ tomorrow for dinner with a green leaf salad.
Thank you, this is a keeper!!
xoxoxo
Hmm.. That sounds delicious.
I learned to love chicken. Such an awesome source of protein and made in such an amazing fashion.
I need to try it one of these.
Thanks for joining #WednesdaysWisdom.
YUM’d! This looks delicious. A definite must try! Please come share your blog posts over at the Home Matters Linky Party! We’d love to have you for a visit. The Door OPENS tonight at 9pm Pacific Time. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
If I hide the balsamic vinegar from my guys they would love it. If they see me add it to the marinade they won’t even try. I think I sounds awesome.
Congratulations on your feature on Happiness is Homemade Linkup.
I don’t grill… Can I cook the chicken on the stovetop? Will that method alter the taste too much?
Hey Kisha! Sorry it’s taken me so long to write back. You should probably bake the chicken for a similiar result. Baking for 20 minutes at 450 F should do the trick, but be sure to check for any pink in the chicken before serving. Can bake for 5 minutes more if needed.
Is it OK to marinate longer than 4hours? (I’m thinking of prepping this tonight and baking it tomorrow using the instructions you gave the last commenter.)
We made this tonight and it was fantastic! I only had about 1.15 hr to marinade and it still turned out well and it was easy–especially since these are all ingredients we had on hand. It paired well with roasted veggies (potatoes, carrots, squash, zucchini) tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. It will be a staple for sure. Thank you!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear it turned out so well 😀 And yeah, the marinade is fairly potent, thanks to the balsamic. Makes for an easy weeknight meal, even when there’s not a lot of time to spare.
So VERY Good….just like they said, so tender, juicy and flavorful. I will make this again and again. I doubled the recipe. I served it with risotto on a bed of fresh spinach. YUMMY!!!
I’m so glad they turned out so well! 😀 This is still one of my favorite dishes on this little blog. Next time I make it I’ll have to try it with your sides, sounds like a tasty combo!
Sounds delicious! Would you mind sharing directions for how you cooked it in your Nuwave Oven?
Hey Cathy! I certainly can 😀 These instructions are for the Elite Nuwave Oven:
1. Marinade chicken per recipe instructions.
2. Using the 3 inch rack, spray metal grid with cooking spray.
3. Place chicken on rack and cook 5 minutes at 400 degrees F. Flip chicken and cook for another 4-5 minutes at 400 degrees F. Since there are multiple versions of the NuWave available, be sure cut into the center of the chicken and check for any pink. If needed, cook in 1-2 minute increments until desired doneness is reached.
This was so good – and easy to make that I could make this a regular meal.
This is now my favorite recipe for chicken!!! Thank you for sharing!
😀 Thank you Pam! I’m so glad you liked it!
I tried this for a family birthday grilling party and it received RAVE reviews. I was only able to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours and the chicken came off the grill tender and juicy. I’ll be making this often…thank you so much for sharing!!! 🙂
😀 I’m so glad everyone liked it! Thanks so much for writing in Leisa!
Tried the recipe today, the recipe had a lot of potential but the vinegar was incredibly overpowering. We salvaged the chicken by rinsing the marinade out with water and brushing it with barbecue sauce instead.
I do have to add that I marinated for 4-5 hours, unlike most of the other reviewers that only marinated for 2 or less. I also pan seared my chicken breasts, have a feeling that grilling may have actually resulted in a less vinegary chicken.
Made this tonight for dinner~ It was out of this world! Totally loved it, it will definitely be on my rotation!!
We bought a stove top Lodge cast iron grill/griddle as well as one of their grill skillets several years ago so we can grill year round. With our daily temps being in triple digits the last thing we want to do is stand next to a fire!!
This recipe is delicious. I didnt think there would be enough marinade but it was perfect. My family all asked for extra servings even my little guy (3 year old). Thanks so much for sharing this new family favorite.
Hi Chrisy- I also sent you an email thru the website, then saw this place to contact you. Please disregard if you’ve already answered elsewhere. I am going to be having 26 people to my house for dinner this coming Saturday night. I have decided to make your Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken for the family. This chicken dish looks so delicious… I do have several questions—
1. I will be using chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. I will also be increasing the recipe 6X!! Should I plan to increase ALL the ingredients this much?
2. Instead of using the Ziploc bags to marinade, I plan to marinade the chicken in large pans. Should that be okay?
3. To marinade the chicken, can this be done overnight or will the balsamic vinegar to d something (chemically) to the chicken to hurt the texture or taste? I think I heard this somewhere!
4. Instead of grilling the pieces on the BBQ, I plan to bake them in the oven. Should this be okay? 350 for 30 minutes??
5. Any other suggestions in order to make this main dish a complete success, especially while multiplying the recipe as I plan to?
Thanks so much for your help on this. I look forward to hearing back from you ASAP. Thanks. Elana
This chicken was amazing! I marinated for about 4 hours and I loved how much flavor the chicken had. Great recipe!
Let have a look on the recipe of honey paprika chicken tenders, try it and have fun.
This looks delish! What sides do y’all recommend?
All 4 of my kids ate it and none of them complained. That is close to a miracle! My an old friend of mine called the recipe a keeper. Thank you!!!! Next time I will double the sauce though. I used the chicken in a salad with some greens and the sauce was my dressing. Strawberries would have been the perfect addition.