Balsamic Chicken Skillet

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Sometimes I get really excited about recipes. Can you tell? This Balsamic Chicken Skillet is one of those recipes. It’s just so freaking easy, the flavor is big, and it looks all pretty and fancy. :D I love it and I hope you will too.

The marinade for this Balsamic Chicken Skillet is super simple and uses basic pantry staples, which means you can probably whip it up any time you want. When the delicious marinade hits the skillet it cooks down to a gloriously thick and rich glaze that coats the chicken in flavor. Using chicken thighs is key for this recipe because they are small and cook quickly, but always stay moist and tender. Plus, they’re really inexpensive, especially when you buy a value pack like I did, which will help keep this recipe affordable.

Another key to making this recipe so scrumptious is whole milk mozzarella. None of that “part-skim” stuff here. Whole milk mozzarella melts 100x better than part-skim mozz, and has a really rich flavor. For some reason I can only find it at Walmart, and it happens to be a lot less expensive than part-skim mozzarella. I don’t know what gives there, but I’m not complaining. Whole milk mozzarella is awesome.

If you happen to grow basil, slice up a few leaves and sprinkle them over the chicken after it cooks. I don’t have a basil plant anymore, so I just used some fresh parsley to keep things budget friendly.

You can serve this Balsamic Chicken Skillet over rice or pasta, but served some Marinated White Beans with the chicken this time.

Balsamic Chicken Skillet

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Prep time 45 mins
Cook time 25 mins
Total time 1 hour 10 mins
Total Cost: $5.66 Cost Per Serving: $0.94 Serves: 6
Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.08
¼ cup balsamic vinegar $0.39
1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.09
2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
Freshly cracked pepper $0.05
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs $3.02
4oz. whole milk mozzarella $0.91
2 Roma tomatoes $0.54
¼ bunch fresh parsley $0.20

Instructions

Prepare the marinade by stirring together the olive oil, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size zip top bag or a shallow dish and pour the marinade over top. Stir to coat the chicken in the marinade. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 8 hours, turning occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
When ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium flame. When the skillet is hot, carefully take the chicken thighs out of the marinade and place them in the hot skillet. Cook the chicken thighs until cooked through and browned on each side (about 5 minutes each side). While the chicken is cooking, slice the mozzarella into six pieces, slice the tomatoes (at least 12 slices), and roughly chop the parsley.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it to a clean plate. Pour the remaining marinade into the skillet and let it boil over medium heat, stirring often, until it has reduced to a thick and rich glaze.
Turn the heat under the skillet down to medium-low, return the chicken to the skillet, and spoon some of the glaze over each piece. Place a slice of mozzarella on top of each piece of chicken, followed by two slices of tomato. Place a lid on the skillet and let it heat through until the mozzarella is melted. Top the chicken with the chopped fresh parsley, then serve.

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Step by Step Photos

Prepare the marinade first, by stirring together 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and some freshly cracked pepper.

Place six boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a gallon-size zip top bag, or in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over top and stir to coat the chicken in the marinade. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 8 hours.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium flame. When the skillet is hot, carefully add the chicken pieces (there will likely be some sputtering and splattering). Cook the chicken on each side until browned and cooked through (about 5 minutes on each side).

Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate and pour in the remaining marinade. Let the marinade boil until it is reduced to a thick glaze. Stir the marinade often while it boils.

While the chicken and glaze are cooking, slice the mozzarella into six pieces (one for each piece of chicken). I bought a one pound block, so I cut it into quarters, then sliced one quarter into six slices.

Slice two Roma tomatoes, making sure you have at least twelve slices, or two for each piece of chicken.

Once the glaze is thickened, turn the heat down to medium-low and return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Spoon a little of the glaze over each piece of chicken, then top each one with a slice of mozzarella.

Place two slices of tomato on each piece of mozzarella. Place a lid on the skillet and let the chicken heat through until the mozzarella is melted.

Once the mozzarella is melted, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over top and serve. I also added a touch more cracked pepper.

You can also drizzle a little of that glaze from the bottom of the skillet over top… Oooooh yeah. This Balsamic Chicken Skillet is gonna earn you some POINTS.

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