Maple Balsamic Glazed Chicken
This Maple Balsamic Glazed Chicken is so deliciously tasty yet so easy to make, you’ll want to serve it to your family and friends all the time!
If you read me regularly, then there’s a very good chance that you’re now thinking something along the lines of “Whoa, wait a minute, didn’t Sonia post this exact same recipe just a couple of weeks ago?”
Well, almost…
I have to admit that this Maple Balsamic Glazed Chicken is extremely similar to the Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloins that I recently made, except well, it’s a tad spicier and well, it’s made with chicken, as opposed to pork!
The thing is I know a lot of people out there are not really fans of pork, including some of my close relatives, so I decided to offer them a bit of an alternative. The other clear advantage that this poultry version has over the pork is that it is made entirely on the stove top, so it won’t warm up the entire house (I know, I know, it’s wintertime so this shouldn’t really be an issue, but think I have a problem with my oven — whenever I turn it on, the entire house gets so hot, I practically have to open all the windows! Good thing I happen to know a good ventilation guy, I’ll have to have him look into this… ) and it’s also a little bit quicker to make
Just like its predecessor, though, this dish is so incredibly delicious and tasty and easy to make, I have no doubt that you’ll want to make it a part of your regular rotation and even choose to serve it on special occasions.
Ideally, you’ll want to get started the previous night, though, so your meat has plenty of time to marinate.
In a large mixing bowl or even better, a glass measuring cup, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and give them a good whisking until everything is well combined.
Place the pieces of chicken in a baking dish that’s just big enough to accommodate them and then pour the marinade right over them.
Note that I chose to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they are by far my favorites, seeing as they are so naturally moist and tender and super juicy, but if you preferred to use the leaner chicken breasts, go right ahead and do that. Just maybe cut them into 3-4 pieces so they cook in about the same time. Or, finish them off in the oven like I did with the pork tenderloins.
Toss the meat delicately with your fingers until all the pieces of chicken are completely submerged in the marinade, ensuring that it also goes UNDER them, then cover the dish with plastic wrap and place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
When you are ready to eat, heat a few tablespoons of healthy cooking oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot enough, remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe off excess marinade; I simply dabbed mine lightly with a paper towel…
Place the chicken nice looking side down in the pan and sear it until it gets nice and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Flip the pieces of chicken over and let them cook for about 2 minutes.
As you can see, the pan will get quite dark from the caramelization of the sugar, but don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of this in a minute…
Pour the marinade right over the meat and let that simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
You’ll want to regularly spoon some of that marinade over the pieces of chicken, so they get a beautiful glaze.
After 10 minutes, your maple balsamic sauce should be have thickened up nicely and taken a beautiful dark brown color; kill the heat and allow the chicken to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve your chicken with cooked white rice and the maple balsamic sauce, if desired.
I also chose to accompany mine with a side of Rustic Coconut Rutabaga Mash. It may sound like a strange match, but it totally worked!
I say you should give it a try…
See how moist and tender and juicy that chicken is?
Deeeeelicious!
Maple Balsamic Glazed Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp healthy cooking fat or oil of your choice
- 10-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs , (about 950g | 2lbs)
For the marinade/glaze
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, I use Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3-4 birds eye chili peppers, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and whisk until well combined.
- Place the pieces of chicken in a baking dish that's just big enough to accommodate them and then pour the marinade right over them. Toss delicately with your fingers until all the pieces of chicken are well surrounded in the marinade, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- When you are ready to cook your meat, heat a few tablespoons of healthy cooking oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot enough, remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe off excess marinade; place the chicken nice looking side down in the pan and sear it until nice and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip the pieces of chicken over and let them cook for about 2 minutes, then pour the marinade over the meat and simmer for about 10 minutes, regularly spooning some of that marinade over the chicken to give it a nice glaze.
- Kill the heat and allow rest for 3 to 5 minutes and serve with the maple balsamic sauce.
Nutrition
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7 Comments on “Maple Balsamic Glazed Chicken”
These chicken thighs look so tender and juicy! I have to admit that I’m not a fan of pork, so I’m glad you recreated it with chicken!
This sounds so good, but I’m a bit concerned about food bacteria when reusing the marinade. Chicken is infamous for being contaminated. Perhaps when the chicken has been removed for browning the marinade could be boiled for a few minutes. That combined with the 10 minute simmer given in the recipe should be enough kill bacteria in the marinade.
The marinade gets to simmer for 10 minutes, Gail. That would be plenty enough time to kill any bacteria…
I loved your pork recipe, but we don’t eat much pork, so I was going to make it with chicken! So glad you posted this recipe! I marinated this overnight and am about to cook it… I was just wondering if I could bake it rather than cook it on the stovetop. Any thoughts on baking (reasons not to do it, etc)?
Thank you!
I see no reason not to, Cindy. I chose to do it on the stove top because I thought it was quicker this way, but feel free to send it to the oven instead, if you prefer!
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These chicken thighs look good and so tender and juicy! yummmyyyy