I know this is a chicken post, it says so right in the title. But, bear with me for a minute. I promise it will all come full circle, hopefully. Most kids like things like ketchup and ranch dressing… my boys like everything with vinegar on it. I’m talking red wine vinegar on mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli, meat- we get some weird looks at restaurants when my boys ask the waitress for a side of vinegar. They just hope that the server doesn’t bring Malt Vinegar to the table. On nights that they have vinegar on their plates are the nights that I don’t have to encourage them to eat. So you guessed it, they can have ALL the vinegar that they want!
Luckily, I have a fantastic recipe for chicken thighs with a sweet balsamic reduction sauce that we all can agree on. The kids gobble this one up… Who am I kidding? Everyone gobbles this recipe up. The fresh basil and combination of fresh with roasted tomatoes really give this dish a pop of brightness. Everyone that I have passed this recipe on to has raved about it. Personally, I love it with some crusty bread, or gluten free baguette on the side to soak up some of the extra sauce. Yum!
Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs. Butter Dairy Free Option if needed
- 2 Tbs. Garlic minced
- 1/3 cup Chicken Broth
- 2/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar a good quality viengar if possible
- 4 Tbs. Brown Sugar packed
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes divided
- 1/4 cup Fresh Basil chiffonade
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Season both sides of chicken thighs with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. Once the butter and oil are hot, place chicken thighs skin side down into hot pan. Make sure to spread the chiken out to ensure even browning.
- After the chicken skin has browned (about 3-4 minutes), flip each thigh over and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a plate to the side. Drain almost all of the excess oil from the pan. Turn the heat on the stove down, and replace the skillet over the heat. Gently sautee the garlic until fragrent, about one minute. Pour in the chicken broth, but be careful because the pan is still very hot-it will most likely steam up quickly.
- Add the vinegar and brown sugar to the cast iron pan and stire until the sugar has dissolved. Bring it all to a light boil then reduce the heat to simmer. The sauce should start to thicken after about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning the sugar.
- Place the chicken back into the sauce. Be sure to cover all sides and leave skin side up. Put half of the cherry tomatoes in the sauce around the chicken. Move the entire skillet into the oven uncovered for about 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- OPTIONAL: If not avoiding dairy, you can melt 1/4" fresh mozzarella cheese on the chicken for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Cut the remaining tomatoes in half. Sprinkle tomato halves and fresh basil over the top of the chicken.
