Easy Weeknight Chicken
Quick, zesty, flavorful and perfect for a busy weeknight.
Serve with honey roasted potatoes alongside a fresh salad or BE BRAVE and serve over rice or whole grains to sop up the delicious sauce.
You can certainly customize the flavors of this recipe by using a flavored balsamic based vinegar such as Date, Fig or Red Onion Vinegar. If you do, remember that these are thicker and may need a little extra stock to make the sauce. Prefer chicken breasts? Not a problem, but keep in mind the cooking time will be reduced slightly.
The sweet and tangy onions and peppers add tremendously to the sauce, so don’t skip those!!
Happy Cooking!
Zesty Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
3 tablespoons O&V Garlic EVOO *
4 large chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon O&V Tuscan dipper *
½ teaspoon EACH, salt and pepper (divided)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (or orange bell pepper)
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup O&V IGP Balsamic *
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
1 tablespoon unsalted butter to finish
Preparation
Season the chicken with the garlic powder, onion powder, Tuscan dipper, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium -high heat and add the chicken. Sear turning once till browned on all sides (about 6-8 minutes total time). Remove to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and sauté the onion and red pepper stirring occasionally until softened and slightly browned.
Combine the stock, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, half the thyme, and remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt & pepper together in a bowl. Add to the skillet and cook, for 1-2 minutes while loosening the browned bits on the bottom of the pan that have been left by the searing of the chicken.
Return the chicken to the pan, partially cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked
Transfer chicken to serving plates, add the remaining thyme and the pat of butter to the sauce, stir and serve over the chicken
Serves 4
Active time 25 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Notes
* The Garlic EVOO adds a nice additional layer of garlicky flavor. The better the quality of the IGP Balsamic, the better the flavor of this dish. A younger, tangier IGP balsamic is perfect for this recipe. Another amazing option is to use Red Onion Vinegar and add an additional ¼ cup of stock. I love the Tuscan Dipper Spice mix, but certainly feel free to use your own favorite and robust Italian seasoning
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores
Categories: Entrée, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Easy Weeknight Meal, Red Onion Vinegar, Garlic EVOO, IGP Balsamic, Chicken Thighs, 30 Minute Dinner
