Recipe

Balsamic Lemon Chicken

by Very Culinary on September 14, 2010 in Main Courses, Poultry

4.90 Mitt(s) 10 Rating(s)

+ Print Recipe

Recipe Description

With crispy skin, sweet sugar, tart lemon, and smooth, buttery pan juices engulfing every nook and cranny, is it any wonder why this is my favorite chicken dish?

Preparation Instructions

Prick the chicken pieces all over with a fork and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar with half of the lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Mix the sugar with the remaining lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, and place chicken skin-side-down in the pan along with the remaining marinade. Cook until the chicken is browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes, and then flip each piece over and cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle the lemon sugar over the chicken and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken is completely cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F, about 25 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and scatter around chicken. Pour the lemon juice over everything. Once butter is melted, serve with pan sauce drizzled over the chicken and lemon wedges on the side.

Ingredients

8 pieces Chicken (legs And Thighs, Skin On, Bone-in)
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 whole Lemons, Zested, 1 Juiced, And The Other Cut Into Wedges
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

Comments

Shelly on 9.8.2010

This sounds delish! I can’t wait to try it.

katiescooking on 9.14.2010

I love balsamic on anything so I’m sure this recipe will become a staple in my rotation. beautiful picture too!

shari on 10.7.2010

This sounds so good! I’m wondering if i could start the marinating process in the morning, and then bake it for dinner?

Very Culinary on 10.8.2010

@Shari – the minimum recommended time is 20 minutes, but several hours is better. So marinating in the morning for a dinner meal would be even better! More time for the flavors to blend. I hope you enjoy it!

rach99 on 12.17.2010

Have you tried this with boneless, skinless breasts or thighs. We prefer our chicken without bones. Just wondering.

Very Culinary on 12.20.2010

@rach99 No I haven’t. I do believe that the darker meet (bone-in) lends to a juicier texture and retains the flavor better. However, the sauce itself in this dish is so outstanding, I bet chicken breasts would still be super yummy. You should try it and let us know.

Amy Taylor Wright on 1.4.2011

I adore this chicken dish! Thank you so much for the recipe! Tonight, I’m trying 1/2 of the thighs without skin! So far it looks like they’ll be yummy!

jkbybee on 1.13.2011

Has anyone tried this in the crockpot? I adore all these ingredients, and will attempt this in my crockpot for next week’s menu. I’ll let you know!

gamps on 3.2.2011

I made this dish with boneless skinless thighs and my husband adores it. Thanks for posting the recipe – it’s become one of our favorites.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

10 Reviews | Be the first to review!

Reviews

ibmzlorinsc01 on 9.14.2010

mmmmmmmmm this was deliciously tangy and very easy to make

There were no leftovers. Will make over and over again

Sex, Food, and Rock & Roll on 10.4.2010

Oh my…oh MY! Delicious! I can easily see why this is your favorite, because it is now one of mine too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

bkraemer on 10.12.2010

I agree with the other two (and want to meet Sex, Food, and Rock & Roll)! I used two bone-in chicken breats and they turned out juicy and flavorful. I did marinate the chicken for a couple of hours versus 20 minutes.

keke575 on 11.15.2010

I love balsamic vinegar. This recipe uses it beautifully.

dliff on 12.2.2010

This was really yummy! I used drumsticks because I couldn’t find thighs at my store. I also forgot to prick them with a fork before marinating and I was hungry so I skipped the last steps about the butter and the lemon juice – still really yummy and I probably used a quarter of the butter this called for

Amy Taylor Wright on 1.4.2011

I love…..this recipe! I’ve made it numerous times already!! It’s a hit with the entire family! Thank you!

3kiddofoodies on 3.2.2011

This received the highest possible rating from my three kiddo foodies. Three thumbs up to outer space and all the way back to earth. Then they told me to print it and put it in a sheet protector for frequent use. This is the highest honor that the kiddo foodies bestow. Dad and I loved it too. After reading the other reviews, I’ll give it a try with a combo of bone in thighs and bone in breasts for my two white meat lovers.

afrigal76 on 3.14.2011

Love, love, love it. I just backed off the butter as the skin added plenty of fat for my tasted.

Delish and great for company.

equustel on 4.8.2011

This was fantastic! Husband went back for seconds, and so did I. Will be making again!

marksoc on 1.27.2012

My husband made this for the family on a worknight for dinner. Easy enough, way out of the park for yumminess!

You must be logged in to post a review.

Related Recipes

Creamy Shrimp Bowties with Cilantro

by RedApron (Liz) and filed in Main Courses, Pasta

I was looking to make a quick satisfying dinner with what I had on hand. I wanted to include a picture but my family started to dig in before I could snap a shot!

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)