Easy, Skinny Balsamic Rosemary Chicken
This is a quick and easy recipe that never fails to please even picky eaters. Making a simple reduction sauce using balsamic vinegar, garlic, and fresh rosemary creates a flavorful marinade for the chicken. This chicken smells wonderful when baking and tastes even better when ready! The skinny for 1 serving, 190 calories and 4 grams fat. Serve with steamed veggies, baked potatoes, and mash some of the delicious sauce (marinade) into each potato.
Why You’ll Love My Easy, Skinny Balsamic Rosemary Chicken
Busy weeknight cooks and health-conscious eaters alike will adore my Easy, Skinny Balsamic Rosemary Chicken. This recipe offers a perfect combination of convenience and healthy deliciousness. It features flavorful chicken breasts coated in herbs, then cooked to juicy perfection. A simple balsamic glaze adds a touch of sweetness and tang, complementing the rosemary's aromatic earthiness. The best part? It requires minimal prep and cooks quickly, making it a perfect go-to meal for busy schedules. With lean protein and a flavorful sauce, it satisfies taste buds without sacrificing healthy eating goals.Ingredients for Easy, Skinny Balsamic Rosemary Chicken
This recipe offers a flavorful and healthy take on chicken, perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Here's a closer look at each ingredient and its role in the dish:Marinade and Glaze:- ½ cup balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is used in two parts. A larger portion (½ cup) is used to create a flavorful balsamic glaze. The remaining balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons) is added later to enhance the sauce. Balsamic vinegar adds a sweet and tangy flavor profile to the dish.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil: Olive oil helps to coat the chicken and adds a touch of healthy fat.
- 1½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped: Chopped fresh rosemary is the key herb in this recipe. It infuses the chicken with its wonderful aromatic and slightly earthy flavor.
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced: Minced garlic adds a warm and savory base flavor to the dish.
- ½ teaspoon salt: Salt enhances the overall flavor of the chicken and the sauce.
- Fresh black pepper, to taste: Freshly ground black pepper adds a touch of heat and complexity to the flavor profile.
- Cooking spray: Cooking spray helps prevent sticking during the initial stages of cooking the chicken breasts.
- 4 (5 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (adjustable size): These are the main source of protein in the dish. The recipe suggests using 5-ounce chicken breasts, but you can adjust the cooking time slightly if yours are a bit larger or smaller.
- Fresh rosemary springs (optional): Fresh rosemary sprigs add a decorative touch and a final hint of rosemary aroma to the finished dish.
How to Make Easy, Skinny Balsamic Rosemary Chicken
Preparing the Balsamic Marinade:- Combine Marinade Ingredients: In a small pot, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary, minced garlic, salt, and fresh black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce and Cool: Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 3 minutes, allowing the marinade to reduce by half. This concentrates the flavors.
- Chill the Marinade: Remove the pot from the heat and let the marinade cool slightly for about 15 minutes. For a quicker chill, you can place the pot in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Pour the cooled balsamic marinade over the chicken pieces, ensuring they are well coated.
- Marinate for Flavor: Cover the baking dish loosely with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. Marinating for longer (even overnight) allows the flavors to infuse deeper into the chicken.
- Preheat Oven: While the chicken marinates, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Bake the Chicken: After marinating, remove the chicken dish from the refrigerator. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. This helps the chicken steam and cook through evenly.
- Bake Until Cooked Through: Place the covered dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes. The exact cooking time may vary slightly depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Separate Chicken and Sauce: Once cooked through, remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully transfer the chicken breasts to a serving plate.
- Reduce Marinade for Glaze: Pour the remaining pan juices and marinade from the baking dish into a small pot.
- Thicken the Glaze: Add an additional 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the pot with the pan juices. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, allowing it to reduce and thicken slightly. This creates a flavorful balsamic glaze for the chicken.
- Plate and Enjoy: Pour some of the thickened balsamic glaze over the cooked chicken breasts on the serving plate.
- Leftover Glaze Suggestion (Optional): The recipe suggests using any leftover balsamic glaze drizzled over a baked potato for an extra flavor boost.
- Make sure the chicken is cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) before serving. You can check this using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast.
- This recipe offers a simple and delicious way to cook flavorful chicken breasts. The balsamic glaze adds a delightful sweet and tangy touch, while the rosemary infusion provides a wonderful herb aroma.
Helpful Tips About this Recipe
Food Facts
Balsamic vinegar is made in Italy in areas around Modena and Reggio Emilia. White Trebbiano grapes are used to produce the vinegar. It has a dark, rich, color and a sweet pungent aged taste due to the lengthy aging process.
Healthy Benefits
Vinegar has been valued for its healing properties for thousands of years. Some feel it aids in digestion and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints 1-Blue
WW SmartPoints 3-Green
Balsamic vinegar is made in Italy in areas around Modena and Reggio Emilia. White Trebbiano grapes are used to produce the vinegar. It has a dark, rich, color and a sweet pungent aged taste due to the lengthy aging process.
Healthy Benefits
Vinegar has been valued for its healing properties for thousands of years. Some feel it aids in digestion and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints 1-Blue
WW SmartPoints 3-Green
| SKINNY FACTS:Â for 1 chicken breast with sauce 190 calories, 4g fat, 1.6g sat. fat, 69mg chol, 32g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fiber, 251mg sodium, 0g sugar |
| FACTS: for Freestyle SmartPoints 40 calories, 0g sat. fat, 0g sugar, 0g protein |
Easy, Skinny Balsamic Rosemary Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray
- 4 (5 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (If your chicken breast are large, cut into 5 ounce sizes to equal 4 breasts)
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Fresh rosemary springs, for garnish
Instructions
- To make the marinade: In a small pot, add vinegar, oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and mix until combined. Bring up to a boil, turn heat down to medium and simmer until reduced in half, about 3 minutes. Place in refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes. For a quicker chill, place in freezer for about 5 minutes.
- Coat a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken in baking dish and pour cooled marinade over chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Can be refrigerated overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take dish out of refrigerator, cover with foil, and baked in marinade. Bake for about 35 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
- Remove chicken to a serving plate. Pour cooked marinade into a small pot. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Cook a few minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit. Pour some of the sauce over chicken and serve.
- Use the leftover sauce drizzled in a baked potato, if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1breastCalories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 32gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1.6gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 251mgBlue Smart Points: 1Green Smart Points: 3Plus Points: 4
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
Hey I just had a quick question, is it possible to use fish or beef instead of chicken. I really like this recipe and was wondering how many different types of meats I could use with this recipe.
Thanks
Amy
I’m sure both beef and chicken will be yummy. These are such simple, versatile ingredients Amy.
Enjoy!
All the best,
Nancy
Nancy I have tried many of your recipes and have found them all to be great. The most recent is chicken tortilla soup, which my husband and I both really liked. I’m a huge balsamic vinegar fan so I’m sure this will be another hit. Thank you so much for all you do! Blessings for a marvelous 2021!
A big Thank You, Carol!
You’ve made me very happy!!!
I hope you enjoy one of the easiest chicken recipes on my site. It’s one of my “go-to’s”
Wishing you all the very best in this new year,
Nancy