This balsamic chicken marinade is easy to prepare and adds a ton of flavor to all of your favorite chicken recipes! It's made with pantry staples that you probably already have on hand, including olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, and thyme! Whip the marinade up in just minutes and be on your way to an effortlessly amazing and tasty chicken dinner whether you bake, grill, or pan-fry the chicken!
Balsamic Chicken Marinade Recipe
As a huge fan of all things balsamic vinegar, I may be a bit biased when I say how immensely rich and savory your chicken will be! I love using this easy homemade balsamic marinade!
In fact, I just thoroughly enjoyed my boneless, skinless balsamic chicken breast for dinner last night! My hubby and our daughter loved it too, but this is one of Mom's favorite flavors. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
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Check out all of my delicious and easy-to-make chicken marinades in one spot! You can use them on grilled, pan-fried, or oven-baked chicken breasts, tenderloins, thighs, wings, kabobs, and so much more!
🥘 Balsamic Chicken Marinade Ingredients
In addition to some chicken, you will need some of these basic pantry items to make this easy balsamic chicken. Keeping it simple with just a few herbs will let your balsamic shine as the star of the marinade sauce!
- Olive Oil - ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil adds flavor and keeps the chicken moist while cooking.
- Balsamic Vinegar - ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar. Use a better quality balsamic for best results! See below for notes on balsamic vinegar types.
- Garlic - ½ tablespoon of minced garlic, or substitute a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder to add depth of flavor.
- Thyme - ½ teaspoon of dried thyme. One of my favorite herbs to use with chicken! Just a bit of thyme will add some vibrant floral highlights to the chicken!
- Basil - Use ½ teaspoon of fresh basil if you have it available. The freeze-dried basil or basil paste tubes in your produce section can also be used in ½ tablespoon portions.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of salt & pepper, the base spices that highlight all your tasty ingredients!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
Best Balsamic Vinegar For Marinades
If you don't already have balsamic vinegar stored in the cupboard, this is what you are looking for in the grocery store. For marinades, you'll want a mid-grade balsamic vinegar brand or quality.
You don't need the costly premium balsamic vinegar which includes traditional balsamic or balsamic condimento. You should be looking for a balsamic vinegar that is labeled as 'of Modena' or 'I.G.P.' or the reverse 'P.G.I.', which stands for protected geographical indication.
You can find these types in your local grocery stores and large box stores like Target, Cub Foods, Aldi, and Wal-Mart. The generic brands available there should be avoided, as the flavor profile is not the same.
White balsamic vinegar is a great choice, even though I prefer to reserve mine for vinaigrettes. You are also looking for a higher-quality brand when purchasing white balsamic vinegar.
Overall, the price of a better quality white balsamic is lower than balsamic vinegar. This is due to the addition of white wine vinegar.
🔪 How To Make Balsamic Chicken Marinade
This is a super-easy marinade to mix up and get your bland chicken well on the way to tasty perfection! Do use a Ziploc or zip-top plastic storage bag for marinating as it helps the marinade 'cling' to the chicken and do its 'thing' best!
This marinade makes 8 tablespoons or ½ cup of balsamic chicken marinade. Use ½ cup for each 1 pound of chicken to marinate.
- Make the marinade. In a small mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, ½ tablespoon of minced garlic or garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of basil, ½ teaspoon of thyme, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Add chicken. Place your chicken and marinade into a plastic storage bag, then seal securely while squeezing out any excess air in the bag.
- Coat the chicken. Massage the marinade into the meat for a minute or two, squishing the marinade throughout the bag. Continue until all of the meat has been thoroughly coated with the marinade.
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for best results overnight (between 8 -24 hours). Alternatively, you can freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months.
I love using this marinade to make some crispy balsamic chicken thighs, air fryer chicken, or baked chicken tenderloins. The balsamic flavor lends itself well to most Italian recipes, too! Enjoy!
How Long To Marinate Chicken
Your chicken must marinate for at least 15 - 20 minutes before cooking. The longer you can let the chicken marinate, the more flavorful it will be!
I typically recommend at least 4 hours but preferably overnight (8 - 24 hours) for optimal flavor. 48 hours is the maximum amount of marinating time that I would leave the chicken in a vinegar-based marinade.
Even though you can typically freeze chicken for up to 6 months, I recommend a maximum of three months in the marinade. Transfer your frozen marinated chicken to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight.
The marinade will slowly soak into the meat of the chicken as it thaws, making it wonderfully tender and full of flavor!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- You can use your favorite cooking oil, but the EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) pairs wonderfully with the balsamic vinegar!
- If you have fresh thyme available, use approximately ½ tablespoon for each ½ teaspoon of dried thyme.
- If you plan to grill whole chicken breasts, I like to flatten them so that they cook quickly and evenly. To do this, place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a meat mallet. Start in the middle and work your way to the outside until it is even thick.
🥡 Storing
You can keep the marinade refrigerated without adding the chicken for up to 1 week. I recommend cooking marinated chicken within 48 hours maximum.
The marinade by itself can also be frozen for up to 1 year, then thawed in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can freeze the marinade by itself for up to 1 year to prolong its shelf life, so you always have some on hand. You can also freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months, then defrost it in the fridge overnight before cooking it for an easy and flavorful meal.
You can prepare your balsamic marinade up to 1 week in advance. When you're ready, just add chicken and refrigerate for 1-4 hours or up to overnight.
This marinade tastes great in just about any recipe, but Italian dishes are my personal favorite. It also makes fabulous grilled chicken for salads!
🐔 Chicken Recipes To Try
- Baked Chicken Tenderloins - Balsamic marinade adds plenty of flavor to these baked chicken tenderloins and keeps the meat wonderfully moist!
- Baked Boneless Chicken Breasts - Marinated boneless chicken breasts can be used in everything from pasta dishes to salads!
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts - For a quick and easy dinner protein, toss your marinated chicken breasts in the air fryer!
- Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks - If you have an Instant Pot, these juicy chicken drumsticks will be your new favorite recipe!
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs - Fire up the grill, throw on some marinated boneless chicken thighs, and watch them disappear!
- Chicken and Peppers - This recipe for chicken and peppers is tasty as it is, but it's even better when you marinate the chicken first!
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📖 Recipe Card
Balsamic Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken and marinade in a ziploc plastic storage bag, then squeeze out as much air as possible while sealing securely.
- Massage the marinade into the chicken by squishing the marinade around the bag. Coat all sides of the chicken thoroughly.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- This marinade makes 8 tablespoons or ½ cup of balsamic chicken marinade. Use ½ cup for each 1 pound of chicken to marinate.
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- You can use your favorite cooking oil, but the EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) pairs wonderfully with the balsamic vinegar!
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- If you have fresh thyme available, use approximately ½ tablespoon for each ½ teaspoon of dried thyme.
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- If you plan to grill whole chicken breasts, I like to flatten them so that they cook quickly and evenly. To do this, place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a meat mallet. Start in the middle and work your way to the outside until it is even thick.
Jay Kenney says
What do you like to serve with this ?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I like simple sides with this - steamed white rice, roasted potatoes, sauteed asparagus, or green beans. Roasted cauliflower is also a winner. Enjoy!