Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic vinegar is one of those kitchen secret weapons. It's a key ingredients in many sauces, and when cooked down, can make a phenomenal sauce. I've got a white truffle balsamic glaze, actually, that is a delight to drizzle on top of pizza.

Fruit can be a great addition to it, also, as the sweet mixed with the tart are a great flavor contrast. A few years ago I made a Cherry Balsamic Chicken that was phenomenal, and one of my favorite retired dishes from a restaurant I used to frequent was an avocado toast that had strawberry toast and a balsamic drizzle. SO fantastic!

I was trying to use up some cherry tomatoes one night and wanted a simple and easy dish. In checking out my herb garden I noticed I had quite a bit of basil, so a simple, 3 main ingredient chicken dish took the win.

As chicken breasts can often be so large, I have taken to cooking them in halves lately. Great for my portion control and for creating several meals. For this, I halved them, tossed them in salt and pepper, and then added them to a pan heated to medium-high. I also chopped some cherry tomatoes in half and laid those on top of the chicken, followed by fresh basil. Then, I poured the balsamic vinegar over the top.

The balsamic vinegar cooked down and thickened over the next several minutes. I spooned it over the chicken a few times during cooking to cover the pieces well.

A nice full dish of protein and veggies warms my lil heart!

The chicken stayed tender and was very flavorful. The tomatoes and basil cooked down nicely also, and it all combined to make a really nice flavor. I decided to serve it with some zucchini noodles and marinara as I was in the mood for pasta, but I think this would also go fantastic with some mashed potatoes - especially using some of the extra sauce on top. Just adding more balsamic vinegar will create some extra sauce to drizzle, as most of it cooked off here.

Quick and easy weeknight dinner, DONE!

Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Cut chicken breasts into halves and season with salt and pepper, then add to a skillet heated over medium-high. Cut tomatoes in half and spread on top. Chop basil and add over tomatoes. Pour balsamic vinegar over thicken. Cook over medium for 10-15 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken. Serve with side item of choice.