Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar is a favorite recipe, and even though the marinade has balsamic vinegar, this is really low in carbs! And the balsamic glazed chicken has been a favorite for everyone I’ve made it for!
PIN Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar to try it later!
For this week’s Friday Favorites pick, I’m reminding you about this amazingly delicious Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar! Years ago when I was the teacher’s association president I made this chicken for a district insurance committee meeting, and people loved it. Then several years later I saw someone who had eaten it that day and she asked me for the recipe.
If you serve a recipe and someone still remembers it years later, you know it’s a good recipe, right? And this is a grilled chicken recipe that has literally been a hit with every person I’ve ever made it for.
This recipe for chicken with balsamic vinegar makes enough marinade for eight chicken breasts making it perfect to make for dinner guests. If you have leftover chicken it’s tasty served over salad or tossed into a stir-fry, so I encourage you to make the full amount if that can work in your household! Of course, you can also cut the recipe in half if you can’t handle that much grilled chicken.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard (affiliate link)
- olive oil
- Dried Parsley (affiliate link)
- dried shallots or Dried Onion (affiliate link) (or minced fresh shallots or onion)
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or other all-purpose seasoning blend
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
- Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
- coarse ground black pepper
What vinegar should you use for the chicken with balsamic vinegar?
You don’t need to use the extra thick, very expensive, imported balsamic vinegar for this recipe. But I wouldn’t buy the cheapest one in the grocery store either. Use a medium quality balsamic that has good flavor.
Is Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar high in carbs?
If you’re strictly watching carbs, you might wonder about using balsamic vinegar, which is definitely an ingredient that has some carbs. But remember that in a marinated chicken recipe like this, you’re only eating the very small amount of marinade that clings to the chicken. And if you check the nutritional information I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how low-carb this actually is!
Tips for Grilled Chicken Breasts:
If you’re not that experienced at cooking chicken on the grill you might want to read my informative post on how to make juicy grilled chicken breasts. That post shows you the grilled chicken method I’ve been using for years.
Can you make Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar without an outdoor grill?
If you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s not grilling season this chicken can cook perfectly on a Stovetop Grill Pan (affiliate link) or a George Foreman Grill (affiliate link).
How to make Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- I like to grind the dried parsley, dried shallots (or onions), Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), dried thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper together with a mortar and pestle, although it’s probably optional.
- Then mix the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and dried spices to make the marinade.
- Trim chicken and make small crosswise slits, put chicken in Ziploc bag or plastic container, and let it marinate 4-6 hours (or longer is fine, even all day if you’re going out.)
- When you’re ready to cook, drain the chicken to remove excess marinade and let it come to room temperature while you oil and preheat grill.
- Lay chicken top side down diagonally to the grill grates and cook a few minutes until you see grill marks, then rotate and cook a few minutes more to get those criss-cross marks.
- When you have nice grill marks on the top, turn chicken over and cook just until it feels firm (not hard) to the touch, don’t overcook.
- Serve Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar hot. Leftover chicken is delicious over salad greens.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal
Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar is shown in the photo with Kalyn’s Favorite Baby Arugula Salad, and this would also be great with Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan, Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts, or Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts for a low-carb meal.
More Tasty Chicken for Dinner:
Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar is a favorite recipe I’ve made for years.
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 T dried parsley
- 1 T dried shallots or onion (or 2 T minced fresh shallots or onion)
- 1 T Spike seasoning (see notes)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- (Click for step-by-step photos of how to make juicy and perfect grilled chicken breasts.)
- If desired, use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to grind together the dried parsley, dried shallots (or onions), Spike seasoning, dried thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Then mix the balsamic vinegar, Dijon, olive oil and spices to make the marinade.
- Trim all fat and tendons from chicken breasts and trim underneath side if needed so chicken pieces are close to the same thickness. I like to make small slits crosswise along each chicken breast to help chicken cook more evenly and give more surface for the marinade to stick to.
- Place chicken in Ziploc bag or container with a snap-tight lid, laying them flat. Pour the marinade over over chicken and marinate in refrigerator 4-6 hours or more. (Marinating all day is fine if you’re not going to be home.)
- When you’re ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge, drain it in a colander in the sink to remove excess marinade, and let chicken come to room temperature while you heat the grill.
- Oil the grill (a wadded-up paper towel dipped in oil works well) or spray with non-stick grilling spray; then preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds.)
- When grill is hot lay chicken diagonally across grill grates, top side down first, and cook until you start to see grill marks, about 3 minutes.
- As soon as you see marks, rotate chicken so it’s going diagonally in the other direction and cook a few minutes more.
- When you have desired grill marks, turn chicken over and cook until it’s browned on both sides and firm, but not hard to the touch, probably only a few minutes longer on the second side unless your chicken breasts are really thick. (Actual cooking time will vary depending on chicken thickness and how hot your grill is, so remove it from the heat when the chicken feels firm when pressed with your finger.)
- This chicken could also be cooked in a stove-top grill pan with ridges or a George Foreman Grill with good results.
Notes
If you don't have Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) use another all-purpose seasoning blend; Spike is not Paleo or Whole 30 approved.
Nutritional information is calculated assuming more than half of the balsamic vinegar is discarded in the marinade.
Recipe created by Kalyn many years ago.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 291Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 102mgSodium 868mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 38g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions
This balsamic-glazed chicken recipe would be approved for low-carb or Keto eating plans, and it’s perfect for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This chicken with balsamic vinegar recipe was first posted in 2007, and I have literally made it every summer since then! It was last updated with more information in 2023.
45 Comments on “Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar”
Dearest Kalyn, this is one of my favorite recipes and I return to it at least twice a month. I was wondering if you could help me out — I make this recipe with thighs, on my Lodge stovetop grill and very often, the outside of the chicken burns to a char. I do drain off the excess marinade as per your instruction. I have tried to reduce my cooking time, and bring down the heat, but then I find that the inside doesn’t cook to a 165 degrees. So I basically keep the thighs on the grill so they are cooked inside, but then they end up burning. It’s still delicious though, and I finish every piece of it, but I would like it to look less burnt 😀 What am I doing wrong?
So glad you are enjoying the recipe even though you’re having this issue. The only thing I can think of is that maybe you’re using a balsamic vinegar with a high sugar content; some brands have much more sugar than others. That would definitely cause it to brown more on the outside.
I don’t use a super expensive balsamic vinegar for this. Maybe look at balsamic vinegars in the store and compare the sugar content? And if the one you have is high in sugar try using a different brand.
Mandy I don’t like mustard at all so typically I will replace that ingredient with either sour cream or mayo. Mustard is an emulsifier. Mayo or sour cream works well, As for the vinegar, you could replace it with something else acidic like lemon juice.
I doubt that person is going to come back to find your response, but for anyone else who sees it, I would not use sour cream in this. Mayo would be fine and lemon juice could replace vinegar, but this recipe is called Grilled Chicken with BALSAMIC VINEGAR! So if you don’t like vinegar, I’d use a different recipe.
Hi
I like this and some of the others you have posted as they don’t have sugar. I cant have garlic ( health reasons) but I just leave it out but love all the other herbs and love balsamic vinegar. I only use thighs, but that is ok, it is still chicken.
Karen W
Hi Karen,
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes and are able to adapt to your needs and preferences!
We use this recipe in rotation for grilled chicken during the summer, and we grill A LOT! It’s delicious and super simple! Sometimes I just don’t feel like juicing a lemon like many of my other recipes call for. Thanks for the share! My family says it’s a hit!
So glad to hear you and the family have been enjoying it!
This is literally my most favorite recipe from your site and I have been following you for years! I make it every two weeks or so, even with chicken thighs sometimes.
Sarah, how sweet of you to take time to tell me! So glad you have enjoyed it. I have to try with thighs, love that idea!
I always love your recipes. I just got my first cast iron grill pan so this recipe will be happily used.
I have a few different types of vinegar in my arsenal: white, red, balsamic and apple cider vinegar. I use them all in my cooking and they always elevate the taste of whatever I’m cooking.
Thank you!
Hope you enjoy the recipe! I am a vinegar fan too, but obviously not everyone is.
WOW! Entitled much? Very juvenile response.
I’m sad your appreciation of those things is so limited, because they are used in cuisines all over the world. And saying “yuck” and “blecch” about someone’s recipes and then asking them to create recipes just for you is not really a good approach.
I recommend you enter ingredients you want to use in the search bar and you’ll find recipes that have those ingredients. Unfortunately it is not possible to filter out certain ingredients, so you will just have to use the recipe name to guess whether it will have vinegar or mustard.
Looks super good but would you be able.to bake it instead? I dont have a grill.
I haven’t ever tried baking this type of recipe so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. You could definitely cook it in a stovetop-grill pan with ridges or a George Foreman Grill though. If you do try baking it, I’d love to hear how it works.
Yum! This chicken looks super delish!
Thanks, glad you like it!
i made the GRILLED CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR for my family tonight and they LOVED it!!! i have 4 hungry boys ages 45, 8 and 4 yo twins.. i was a little nervous about the balsamic with the littles but they loved it and asked for seconds! Can’t wait to try the other recipes….
So glad to hear it was a hit!
I've made this several times, and it's delicious! (Thanks for linking to my Spicy Sriracha Grilled Chicken!)
My pleasure Lydia, and glad you have enjoyed this recipe!
I made this tonight and it's a new favorite! One question: how long do you think the marinade (without chicken) would last in the fridge? I'm doing a lot of camping/road tripping this summer and would love to have some of this marinade on hand!
I have a similar recipe for a balsamic vinegar marinade for chicken and I love it as it gives the chicken so much flavour and makes it really tender so I'll definitely have to try these variations as well.
Hope you enjoy Corina; I think balsamic vinegar is just so tasty!
Looks delicious! Stuffing the cuts in the chicken with freshly minced garlic and spices would make this unbelievable.
Alex I'm pretty sure garlic would burn on the grill but you could use it during the marinating process.
Hi Joe,
The higher quality balsamic vinegars are much more expensive, but really you can use any vinegar that you like the flavor of.
What happens if I use regular supermarket balsamic vinegar? How do I knows high quality balsamic vinegar from a non-high quality one? Thanks!
I wouldn't marinate that long for chicken, although it will certainly still be edible I think the flavor might get a little strong.
Is 24 hours too long to marinade?
Actually I think that's a great idea! I'd only marinate 2-3 hours for salmon.
Super! What do you think of this marinade with salmon? Love to experiment, so I may try it. How bad could it be? Just won't marinate very long.
I’m going to try this one! FYI, you can freeze meat in its marinade. For example, I usually buy chicken breasts in a five pack, and split it up. I trim the breasts into two halves and each pair goes in a separate freezer bag (there’s just the two of us, so one bag is all I need for a meal). If I want my chicken marinated, I add the marinade to a bag before popping it in the freezer. When you pull out the bag early in the day, the meat marinates as it defrosts, and so cuts down on prep time later on.
Thanks Cynthia. So nice to hear everyone likes it. Yes, see you at BlogHer!
I’ve used this recipe three times now – including yesterday for the 4th and it is a major hit every time! Thanks so much – it’s also great for people w/allergies because there is no sesame in it. We love it! Yay Kalyn. See you at BlogHer.
Karen, thanks! Isn’t that marinade so foolproof and delicious! I learned to make it from a guy named George and we used to make it all the time when we were camping, it’s that easy!
Kalyn
This sounds like another excellent recipe…balsamic is always such a great flavoring choice!
I’m a huge fan of your “Completely foolproof 100% delicious” marinade and use that all of the time for both grilled chicken and chicken/veggie kabobs!
Millufe, glad to know you like the dressing. You could definitely make this without the Spike, or you could substitute anything that’s a blend of herbs and spices. Spike has something like 39 ingredients, but some people tell me they substitute Mrs. Dash (which you probably can’t get in Japan either.)
Here’s a post where I talk about the ingredients in Spike. I think you could combine a small amount of any of the things listed that you have on hand.
Hi Kalyn, your grilled chicken looks delicious! I will make them. But I can’t get Spike seasoning in Japan. Umm Can I use something instead of it? By the way, your dressing is very popularity among my family. I made one bottle of your dressing. We have been pouring it on salad this week! Thank you.
Katie, I hope you’re having a great trip.
Toni, summer is here too, Yeeeaaaah!!
I think I’ve grilled about 5 times already.
CC, happy blog b’day to you! I was pleasantly surprised at how good the Costco balsamic was, at about 1/10 the cost of the kind I buy for salads.
Kristen, thanks, it is a keeper for sure!
That looks like a superb recipe! Love the grill marks on the chicken. Gorgeous photo!
Yeah, vinegar with meat is just so zingy.
Thanks for the Kirkland recommendation, and for the mustard idea.
This sounds perfect! I love balsamic, and the addition of mustard makes my mouth water. Summer’s here in San Diego – I just got gas for my grill yesterday. I’m set!
I love grilled chicken with Balsamic, but I’ve never put the mustard in. It sounds great – next time I’ll try it….when I get back to a kitchen!