Straightforward balsamic rooster marinade has large taste—excellent for grilling rooster breasts, thighs, drumsticks, or kabobs all summer season lengthy!

Balsamic Hen Marinade
This simple balsamic rooster marinade is my go-to for grilling season and meal prepping rooster for the week. Made with much less oil than most recipes, it’s a lighter, more healthy strategy to pack daring taste into any reduce of rooster—breasts, cutlets, thighs, drumsticks, or kabobs. With only a few easy components like balsamic vinegar, Dijon, and rosemary, it comes collectively in minutes and works whether or not you’re firing up the grill, baking within the oven, or meal prepping for the week. For a sheet pan balsamic rooster, do that Balsamic Hen with Roasted Greens.
Components You’ll Want
Listed below are the balsamic rooster marinade components. See the recipe card under for the precise measurements.
- Further Virgin Olive Oil supplies moisture for the rooster and balances the marinade’s acidity.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The acid tenderizes meat by breaking down the proteins and infuses the rooster with a candy, tart taste.
- Rosemary for a contemporary, earthy aroma
- Dijon Mustard for tanginess
- Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning. Salt additionally helps hold rooster moist and tender, so it’s juicy as soon as cooked.
Methods to Make Balsamic Hen Marinade
Right here’s the straightforward step-by-step instructions. See the recipe card for printable instructions.


- Make the balsamic marinade by whisking all of the components in a big bowl.
- Marinate the Hen: Toss the rooster within the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes or refrigerate it for as much as 5 hours. In the event you select to marinate it at room temp, don’t let it sit out for any longer than an hour to make sure it’s suitable for eating.
Notice: Don’t go away the rooster for longer than the beneficial time. The marinade’s acid will begin to break down the rooster, making it stringy or mushy.

Methods to Cook dinner Balsamic Hen
Grilling Directions:
I grilled boneless, skinless rooster breasts over medium warmth for 4 to six minutes on all sides. To verify they’re absolutely cooked, insert an instantaneous learn meat thermometer into the thickest a part of the breast—it ought to learn 165°F.
Grilling kabobs? Cook dinner them for 12 to fifteen minutes, rotating each jiffy for even char and doneness.
Air Fryer Directions:
Desire the air fryer? Comply with my instructions for:
These strategies work completely with this balsamic marinade and assist lock in taste whereas holding the rooster juicy.

Variations
- Herbs: Rosemary is a basic, however you should utilize no matter you might have obtainable. Attempt it with chives, oregano, or thyme, and if you wish to use a couple of, go for it. Dried herbs would additionally work.
- Oil: Substitute olive oil for avocado oil.
- Seasoning: Add additional seasoning, like onion powder or garlic powder.
- Protein: Do that balsamic marinade on pork
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Dimension: 1 /4 of recipe
Add the entire components to a mixing bowl and whisk till emulsified. Add the rooster to the bowl and gently toss to coat it within the marinade.
Cowl and let sit at room temperature for Half-hour- 1 hour, or cowl and switch to the fridge to marinate for as much as 5 hours.
Final Step:
Please go away a ranking and remark letting us know the way you appreciated this recipe! This helps our enterprise to thrive and proceed offering free, high-quality recipes for you.- This marinade works for 1 to 1½ kilos of rooster (breasts, cutlets, thighs, drumsticks, or kabobs). Double the recipe for bigger quantities.
- The marinade could be made forward and saved within the fridge for as much as 1 week.
- Marinate rooster for Half-hour to five hours—now not, or the vinegar might have an effect on the feel.
- Let rooster sit at room temperature earlier than cooking for even outcomes.
- Grill over medium warmth to keep away from burning the marinade.
- Use contemporary rosemary for finest taste (or substitute ½ tsp dried).
- Flippantly oil grill grates to forestall sticking.
- You may freeze uncooked rooster within the marinade for as much as 2 months.
Serving: 1 /4 of recipe, Energy: 65.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Protein: 0.5 g, Fats: 7 g, Saturated Fats: 1 g, Sodium: 310 mg, Fiber: 0.5 g, Sugar: 0.5 g
Balsamic Hen Marinade Useful Ideas
- Don’t over-marinate (within the fridge): Half-hour to five hours is right. After that, the vinegar can begin to break down the rooster and have an effect on the feel.
- Room temp = juicy rooster: Let rooster sit out for Half-hour earlier than cooking so it cooks extra evenly.
- Use contemporary rosemary: It provides the most effective taste, however dried works in a pinch—use ½ teaspoon dried if wanted.
- Keep away from excessive warmth on the grill: Balsamic marinade can burn rapidly over excessive flames. Grill over medium warmth to forestall charring and guarantee juicy rooster.
- Oil the grill grates: Helps forestall sticking, particularly with lean rooster breasts.
- Double the batch: Simply scale the marinade for meal prep or bigger portions of rooster.
- Wish to prep forward? Freeze it: Add uncooked rooster and marinade to a freezer bag and freeze for as much as 2 months. The marinating stops whereas frozen, then resumes because it thaws—simply cook dinner it as soon as absolutely thawed.
What to Serve With Balsamic Hen
Whether or not you’re firing up the grill for a summer season gathering or making a fast weeknight dinner, this rooster pairs properly with a wide range of sides. Listed below are some favourite pairings:
Meal Prep Concepts:
This rooster can be nice chilled or reheated in:
- Salads with leafy greens and goat cheese
- Grain bowls with quinoa, farro, or brown rice
- Sandwiches or wraps with lettuce and roasted crimson peppers
Storage
- Refrigerate marinade an hermetic container for five days.
- Freezer: Add uncooked rooster and marinade to a freezer bag and freeze for as much as 2 months.
- Thaw it within the fridge the day earlier than, then cook dinner it as soon as absolutely thawed.

Extra Hen Recipes You’ll Love
For extra dinner concepts utilizing rooster, try these 5 scrumptious rooster recipes to encourage your subsequent meal!
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