Name: Juicy Balsamic Grilled Chicken (Easy Chicken Marinade!)
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 4 garlic cloves (crushed); 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

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This balsamic grilled chicken recipe makes the most juicy and succulent boneless skinless chicken breasts EVER! Made with a simple 4 ingredient balsamic chicken marinade and just 10 minutes of marinating time.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken

Allow me to introduce you to one of my family's favorite grilled chicken recipes... This delicious balsamic grilled chicken is a MUST-TRY recipe!

This easy recipe starts with a super simple marinade. With just a handful of ingredients, it transforms boring, blah boneless skinless chicken breasts into juicy and succulent grilled chicken that you will crave — all in under 30 minutes!

4 INGREDIENT CHICKEN MARINADE - The tangy balsamic vinegar marinade uses just four simple ingredients but gives maximum flavor.
JUICY GRILLED CHICKEN - The flavorful balsamic vinaigrette marinade + high-heat grilling = the juiciest chicken.
ULTRA VERSATILE CHICKEN RECIPE - Perfect for meal prep! And works with boneless skinless chicken thighs, as well as chicken breasts.
EASY WEEKNIGHT DINNER - Learn how I marinate chicken fast to get dinner on the table in no time.

This balsamic chicken recipe is a weeknight dinner staple. We pair it with some Instant Pot sweet potatoes or sauteed green beans, which I start on while the chicken is marinating. Then I use the period when the chicken breasts are resting after grilling to cut up some fresh fruit and/or throw together a simple side salad.

Talk about an EASY dinner option for busy evenings!

"I NEVER leave reviews..."

But I had to for this recipe. This chicken breast is amazing and so flavorful. Definitely a keeper!!

balsamic chicken marinade made with 4 ingredients in a pyrex measuring cup

Balsamic Chicken Marinade Ingredients

All basic marinades start with an oil and an acid, and this 4 ingredient chicken marinade is no exception. For this tangy balsamic marinade, we'll start with extra virgin olive oil and, you guessed it, balsamic vinegar.

Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need for this easy marinade:

🫒 Olive oil: Use a quality extra virgin olive oil for best results.
Balsamic vinegar: No need to use a high-end aged balsamic, but I recommend looking for one that does not contain added sugar.
🧂 Italian seasoning: This earthy combination of dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage is one of my favorite all-purpose spice mixes. However, not all brands are the same, so make sure to read my note below.
🧄 Garlic cloves: Crushed fresh garlic cloves add depth of flavor.

NOTE: Find quantities and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Simply whisk together the oil and vinegar mixture in a small bowl, along with plenty of fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, and some salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in a plastic Ziploc marinade bag or other resealable bag, pour the marinade over top of them, and seal.

A Note On Italian Seasoning Blends

Recently, I received a comment on Pinterest that said this recipe contains too much Italian seasoning. Having made this recipe many, MANY times with excellent results, I was little surprised by this.

After doing some investigating, I discovered that there is a great deal of variation in the texture of the dried herbs between different brands. Some have a coarse texture and some are a more finely ground powder.

This balsamic vinegar chicken marinade recipe was tested with my favorite Simply Organic Italian seasoning, which has a very coarse texture. I suspect that the person that left the comment used one of the ground blends, which would definitely be overpowering if you don't cut back on the quantity.

If you choose to use a ground blend, I recommend starting with a half tablespoon and adding more to taste.

boneless skinless chicken breasts in a ziploc bag with a balsamic marinade for chicken

How To Marinate Chicken Fast

We all want juicy and tender chicken breasts without marinating them for hours, right? Well, I'll let you in on my secret for marinating chicken in a fraction of the typical time...

If you want to super speed up the marination process, this meat tenderizer is your new favorite kitchen gadget! The sharp blades easily pierce the meat, creating pockets which allows this balsamic marinade for chicken to penetrate your meat far more quickly. This significantly reduces the minimum marinating time for these balsamic chicken breasts to as little as 10 minutes!

Use the tenderizer to stab the chicken breasts all over, drop them into the marinade bag, and then pour in the balsamic marinade. Close the bag tightly and squish them around to coat the chicken completely. Place the bag on a plate and marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Don't have a meat tenderizer? Slicing the boneless chicken breasts into strips is another simple way to speed things up, because it allows more surface area to come into contact with the marinade.

You can also skip the tenderizing step and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. I really don't recommend any longer, because the acid can actually cause the chicken to start to break down resulting in mushy and stringy chicken.

However, freezing halts the marination process. So you CAN mix it up ahead of time and freeze the chicken breasts in it. Then just thaw it in the fridge and grill at a later time.

balsamic vinegar chicken marinade for chicken breasts

How To Make Grilled Balsamic Chicken

After your chicken breasts have completed their soak in the marinade, it's time to throw them on a hot grill. Grill over medium-high heat until the chicken breasts register 160 degrees, about 8-10 minutes per side. If you don't have an outdoor grill, you can achieve similar results by cooking your chicken indoors on a grill pan on your stove top.

I recently picked up this digital meat thermometer, and it's really upped my grilling game! It makes it super easy to check whether meat is grilled to perfection without cutting into it.

PRO TIP: The key to juicy chicken breasts is to let them rest after grilling! Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter. Tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. SO good!!

Printable Recipe ↓

sliced balsamic grilled chicken made with a 4 ingredient chicken marinade

Juicy Balsamic Grilled Chicken (Easy Chicken Marinade!)

4.53 from 128 votes

This balsamic grilled chicken recipe makes the most juicy and succulent boneless skinless breasts EVER! Made with a simple 4 ingredient balsamic chicken marinade and just 10 minutes of marinating time.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time 14

Cook Time 16

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 148.5 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
▢ ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
▢ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
▢ 4 garlic cloves - crushed
▢ 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Tenderize the chicken breasts using a meat tenderizer. Then place them in a Ziploc bag, and pour the marinade mixture over top. Close the bag tightly and squish it around to coat the chicken. Place the bag on a plate and marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
Discard the excess marinade. Clean and oil your grill grates. Then grill chicken over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes per side, until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 160°F. This simple and inexpensive digital meat thermometer will change your grilling game forever!
Remove the chicken breasts to a platter to rest and cover with a tent of aluminum foil for 10 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Leftover chicken can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

*Italian Seasoning
This balsamic vinegar chicken marinade recipe has been tested with my go-to brand of Italian seasoning. It is a coarser mix then most other Italian seasonings. If you use a brand that is more finely ground or powder-like, I recommend starting with a half tablespoon and adding more to taste.

Featured Products

Bladed Meat Tenderizer

Simply Organic Italian Seasoning

Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Stainless Steel Garlic Press

Half Gallon Marinade Bags

Digital Meat Thermometer

Nutrition information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment & tag @unsophisticook on social

sliced grilled chicken breasts made with a 4 ingredient chicken marinade garnished with chopped parsley

Best Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Wondering where to get the very BEST boneless skinless chicken breasts? I received the chicken breasts used in this post in a sample box I received from ButcherBox, and I have to say, they were honestly some of the very best chicken breasts I've ever had! Partly because of this delicious 4 ingredient chicken marinade, but also because they were just really high quality meat.

I'll share more about ButcherBox soon, but if you're interested in checking it out before then, use this link to get a FREE ground beef for life! Yep, you'll receive 2-lbs. of 100% grass-fed ground beef in every order for the life of your membership. This is seriously SUCH an amazing value...

More Grilling Recipes

If you like this marinated grilled chicken recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious grilling recipes:

Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your balsamic grilled chicken turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!

Comments

4.53 from 128 votes (120 ratings without comment)