You only need one pan and 5 ingredients to make the most tender, juicy balsamic chicken thighs! Make a simple balsamic reduction while the chicken roasts for an easy and delicious weeknight meal.
Chicken thighs are a weeknight go-to for me. Easy to cook and hard to mess up, they're always perfectly juicy and don't need much pampering to be delicious. If you've never made a balsamic reduction, that is just as simple and you'll want to drizzle it on everything!
How to Make Balsamic Chicken Thighs
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pat the chicken dry and trim any excess skin and fat off of your chicken thighs. Season with salt and pepper. (I like to start with bone-in, skin-on thighs for maximum flavor, but this works equally well with boneless skinless thighs, or chicken breasts. Cut the cooking time down to about 15-20 minutes if using either of those).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. I love a cast iron pan for this. Add the chicken skin side down and sear until golden (about 3-4 minutes).
- Flip the thighs and transfer to the oven for about 20 minutes.
4. As soon as the chicken is in the oven, start the balsamic reduction. In a medium saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar.
5. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for about 8-10 minutes, until the vinegar is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Once the reduced vinegar starts to cool, it will thicken so that it coats a spoon.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven and brush or spoon some balsamic reduction over the thighs. Return to the oven to continue cooking another 10 minutes or so, until cooked through. Drizzle with additional balsamic reduction before serving.
What to serve with balsamic chicken thighs
My favorite thing to do when I make these chicken thighs is just to halve some baby potatoes, toss them with a little oil, salt and pepper, and roast them on a baking sheet at the same time as the chicken. They take about the same amount of time, and the balsamic reduction is perfect over roasted potatoes.
Garlic cream cheese mashed potatoes are another delicious option, as is Parmesan roasted broccoli.
I always serve these chicken thighs with a simple green salad too.
Balsamic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on*
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pat the chicken dry and trim off any excess skin and fat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in an oven-safe or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the thighs and transfer to the oven for about 20 minutes.
- As soon as the chicken is in the oven, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and brush or spoon some balsamic reduction over the thighs. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes until thighs are cooked through. Drizzle with additional balsamic reduction before serving.
Notes
Hi! I'm Ann and I blog at Our Happy Mess. I'm all about fast, fresh, and family-friendly recipes. I believe cooking from scratch can not only be doable but FUN, no matter how busy life gets!
You can find more of my recipes at Our Happy Mess.
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