One Pan Balsamic Chicken
You’ll love this easy one pan Balsamic chicken recipe! Tender breasts nestled in a savory and tangy mushroom broth with a hint of dark balsamic vinegar cream sauce. This is perfect for busy weeknights and it’s ready in no time – minimal prep time, the cook time in total is about 20 minutes and it uses only one large skillet.
If you like the tangy flavor of balsamic vinegar, you’re gonna appreciate this easy chicken dinner!
Ingredients
The ingredients are pretty simple:
Use a good quality dark balsamic vinegar. Do not use a balsamic glaze for this recipe. WHY? The glaze has added sugars and will change the entire flavor of the recipe.
- Chicken breasts – Two large breasts cut in half lengthwise
- Olive oil
- Butter-use unsalted for best results
- Mushrooms– white button, cremini or baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
- Garlic– minced garlic- about 3 fresh minced garlic cloves; you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you like
- Dried oregano
- Chicken broth or stock
- Dark balsamic vinegar– for best results, use a high quality balsamic vinegar; aged balsamic vinegar is the best
- Slurry – cornstarch and a little tap water to thicken the sauce
- Heavy cream – room temperature
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs – parsley or fresh basil as garnish
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice – just a few drops for the finishing acid
How to make it
This is an overview of how to make one pan balsamic chicken. For exact ingredient measurements and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Rinse, pat dry and slice mushrooms. Set aside
- Remove heavy cream from refrigerator and let it come to room temperature
- Mince garlic if using fresh garlic. Set aside
- Pat breasts dry with a paper towel and slice in half lengthwise; lightly season with salt and pepper and pound the breasts to 1/4″ inch thickness with a meat mallet
- In a large skillet on medium heat, heat oil; once it’s hot, add the seasoned poultry in a single layer and cook on both sides until light golden brown, then transfer to a plate
- Drain the oil out of the skillet and wipe dry; return skillet to stovetop
- Melt the butter to the same skillet. Once it is melted, add sliced mushrooms, stirring occasionally until they’re all well-coated with butter; lightly season with a pinch of salt and pepper
- Add minced garlic, dried oregano, broth, and balsamic vinegar
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with cold water and stir until dissolved. Add the heavy cream and cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir until well blended
- Add chicken back to the skillet. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the internal temperature reaches 165°F degrees and the sauce has thickened a little
- Plate and top with plenty of the balsamic vinegar gravy, garnish with fresh parsley and give it a few drops of fresh lemon juice
Recipe Tips
- About the skillet – if you use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a non-stick skillet, you will only need about a Tablespoon of oil to brown the chicken. If you use a stainless steel pan, you can use a little oil or spray it with nonstick spray. You can also make this in a Dutch oven or ceramic skillet.
- I recommend draining the oil out of the pan after you’ve browned the chicken and dry the skillet out with some paper towels. Otherwise, the mushrooms “fry” in the oil versus sauteeing in the butter.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F degrees in the thickest part of the breast
- Use a good quality dark balsamic vinegar. Do not use a balsamic glaze for this recipe. WHY? The glaze has added sugars and will change the entire flavor of the balsamic gravy.
Serving suggestions
This tangy one pan balsamic chicken pairs beautifully with pasta, rice or veggies. I like to serve it with roasted broccoli, steamed Brussels sprouts or homemade green beans. It’s also great with rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For best results, reheat on the stovetop; you may have to add a little water to thin the balsamic sauce, as it thickens upon refrigeration.
This one pan Balsamic chicken dinner is super easy to make and a great way to get dinner on the table fast!
Related recipes
- Chicken Fricassee
- Creamy Southern Chicken Spaghetti
- Dutch Oven Mexican Chicken
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry
If you make this recipe please scroll down and leave a comment! I love to hear from you!
One Pan Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1-2 tablespoons oil (olive oil, canola or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 8 ounce pkg. whole mushrooms, fresh (white button, cremini or baby bellas)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves, fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dark Balsamic vinegar See Recipe Notes
- ¾ cup chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream See Recipe Notes
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- chopped fresh parsley
- fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice; set asideTake the heavy cream out of the fridge and let it come to room temperatureMince garlic. Set asidePat dry chicken breasts; slice in half lengthwise and lightly season both sides with a little salt and pepper; use a meat mallet and pound to ¼" inch thickness.8 ounce pkg. whole mushrooms, fresh, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 large chicken breasts
Let's Cook!
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet on medium heat; once oil is hot, place chicken in a single layer and cook 4-5 minutes per side; transfer cooked chicken to a plate1-2 tablespoons oil
- Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel; return skillet to stovetop and add butter2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- Once butter is melted, add sliced mushrooms; stir to coat all the mushrooms evenly with butter; cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat
- Add garlic, oregano, chicken broth and Balsamic vinegar to pan; stir well1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ cup chicken broth or chicken stock, 2 tablespoons dark Balsamic vinegar
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and water; stir till smooth¼ cup water, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Add the cornstarch slurry mixture and the room temperature heavy cream to the pan; stir well until mixture is well blended
- Add chicken back to skillet; coat each breast with the sauce; turn heat to simmer, cover and cook 5-8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken in 165°F
- Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly; transfer chicken and balsamic gravy to a plate, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a little squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice.chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste, fresh lemon juice
