Grilled Balsamic Herb Chicken
This grilled chicken recipe is moist, tender, and packed with flavor through and through. It can be turned into a freezer meal and is a great recipe for groups of people.
Grilling season isn’t quite over yet in mid-Missouri thankfully. We’ve had 70 and 80 degree sunny days for what feels like months and our family is loving it! You’re going to love this grilled chicken recipe, especially the marinade.
Ingredients in Grilled Balsamic Herb Chicken
Marinating chicken is THE key to infusing flavor into typically lean, bland poultry cuts. The simple Balsamic Herb marinade in this recipe requires only a few pantry staples to turn that lackluster cut into something super tasty!
- Olive or avocado oil – To keep things moist.
- Balsamic vinegar – Acid is a must in all marinades, yet this one brings a little sweetness along with it.
- Honey – A bit more sweetness to balance out the acid.
- Dijon mustard – Brings a complex tanginess.
- Garlic cloves – Delicious pungent flavor.
- Dried parsley, basil, and oregano – All the herbs add color and an herbaceous undertone.
- Salt and Pepper – Basics that balance every marinade.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Widely available and lean. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work, too.
1 Minute Video: How to Make Grilled Balsamic Herb Chicken
Check out just how quickly this marinade and recipe comes together using only pantry staples…
How to Make This Into a Freezer Meal
Freezer cooking is our jam! We’ve co-authored two popular freezer meal cookbooks and been blogging about it for 9 years now. It’s a way of life that makes getting dinner on the table SO much easier each night.
Here’s how to make this grilled chicken recipe into a freezer meal to have on hand when you need it…
1) First, you’ll pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even grilling.
2) Then, to a large freezer bag, add the marinade ingredients. Seal and shake to combine.
3) Add in the chicken, seal, and freeze. Be sure to label your bag with the recipe name, cooking instructions, and the date. You might find our Freezer Meal Labels helpful for that.
4) When you’re ready to eat your freezer meal, defrost it using one of these safe thawing methods. Grill the chicken according to Step 3 in the recipe. Note: Be sure to cook the thawed chicken as soon as possible so it doesn’t get mushy or tough from over-marinating.
What to Serve with Grilled Balsamic Herb Chicken
This recipe can be served up a variety of ways. You could go simple, like I usually roll for our family dinners. I served my grilled chicken with some cooked quinoa, steamed green beans, and grapes for what ended in a filling, tasty, and quite healthy dinner.
Or, you could serve it alongside your favorite grilled produce, like:
Another idea is to offer a colorful salad on the side like our Strawberry Avocado Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette, which mirrors the flavors in the marinade well.
Try All Our Chicken Marinades
I have to say, this is definitely one of my go-to marinades from our 7 Best Chicken Marinades. Oh, did I mention we have 7 delicious chicken marinades for you?? Try some of our other favorites to mix things up:
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- Honey Dijon Chicken Marinade
- Asian Sesame Chicken Marinade
- Southwest Chicken Marinade
- The BEST Savory Chicken Marinade
If you want to have all 7 of our simple marinade recipes on hand anytime, download our free cheat sheet. This handy one-page printable includes all the recipes and 4 options for cooking your marinated chicken breasts. Tape it up inside a cabinet or pantry door, so you can whip up these recipes anytime.
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PinDescription
This Grilled Balsamic Herb Chicken recipe is made with all pantry staples and turns out moist, tender, and packed with flavor through and through.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes, crushed in hand
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed in hand
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in hand
- 4 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 – 2 lbs)
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even grilling.
- To a large zip-top bag, add the balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and oregano. Seal and shake to combine. Add the chicken and seal. (Freezing instructions begin here.) Refrigerate for about 2 hours and up to 24 hours to allow chicken to marinate.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates well. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, maybe longer depending on the thickness, until done. Chicken is done when it registers 165°F internally or has no more pink inside.
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-2. Seal the bag tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Defrost the freezer meal using one of these safe thawing methods. Cook the chicken according to Step 3. Note: Be sure to cook the thawed chicken as soon as possible so it doesn’t get mushy or tough from over-marinating.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
Here are a few more grilled chicken recipes you might like. All of these can be turned into freezer meals, too!
Southwest Grilled Chicken Tenders
Gourmet Chicken Sandwiches
Grilled Honey Garlic Chicken Kabobs
