BBQ Balsamic Baked Chicken Breasts
These Balsamic BBQ Baked Chicken Breasts are juicy, full of flavor, and so easy to make – no grill needed! Just season, bake, and top with a tangy balsamic barbecue sauce for a weeknight dinner everyone will love. It has just the right touch of sweet and savory Italian-inspired flavor!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I do love grilled BBQ chicken. The flavor from grilling over an open flame, and that thick, rich sauce coating every bite makes it truly irresistible. In fact, I love it so much that I want to be able to enjoy it any time of the year. But that doesn’t mean I always want it to taste the same. And it doesn’t mean I want to head outside to fire up the grill on the coldest, hottest, or wettest days of the year.
That’s the beauty of baking chicken breasts in the oven and coating them in a deliciously simple Balsamic Barbecue Sauce. It’s perfectly juicy, so flavorful, and there are no worries about the weather affecting your dinner plans. Yet you still end up with a mouthwatering meal the entire family will enjoy!
Juicy Baked Chicken Breasts with Balsamic BBQ Sauce
I demand a lot from an easy chicken recipe, and this one holds up. Here’s why…
- Locked in flavor. The chicken breasts are coated in a mixture of olive oil and seasonings to start to infuse some flavor while sealing in the juices.
- Seared in juiciness. Cooking the chicken in a heavy cast iron pan or casserole dish helps to insulate it and conduct the heat so it can cook through before it gets dry on the outside.
- Slathered in sauce. The Balsamic BBQ Sauce isn’t added until 10 minutes into the cooking time. This will ensure it has a chance to thicken and caramelize. But it won’t be in the oven so long that it will burn while waiting for the chicken to cook through.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make this baked chicken recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and detailed instructions.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Many packages in the grocery store have three chicken breasts that are a total of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. This is perfect for this recipe, though you can double it and use a larger baking dish.
- Olive oil: You’ll use this to make a seasoned oil mixture to coat that chicken.
- Salt, onion powder, garlic powder: Yes, the sauce is flavorful, but chicken breasts can be bland, so you want to season at every stage.
- Balsamic BBQ Sauce: Click that link for a full post on all the details of the recipe, but I do give the directions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You only need a few pantry ingredients and it takes just minutes to make. Or make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for a week or two until you are ready to use it.
Tips for Success
- Make the sauce in advance. You can prepare the balsamic BBQ sauce ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you need it.
- Use the right pan. I like the way the heat distributes from using a cast iron skillet, but you can also use a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Use a thermometer. You want the middle to be cooked through and the juices to run clear. But cutting it open to check will just cause all of those juices to run out of the chicken. So I highly recommend having an instant-read thermometer to check that it has reached 165°F.
- Let it rest. Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, remove it from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it.
Storing Leftovers
Let the chicken cool, then place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 or 4 days. You can also wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a plastic freezer storage bag to freeze for up to 2 months.
- Add something a little different (and tastier) to your basic Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad.
- BBQ Chicken Tostadas will be even more flavorful if you chop up this leftover chicken and use the extra sauce, especially if you top it with mozzarella, and maybe even a little parmesan cheese.
- Make a Gluten Free Pizza Crust for some barbecue chicken pizza.
Make it a Meal
Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions for side dishes to round out your meal.
- Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes: You can stick with Baked Potatoes or Baked Sweet Potatoes, whip up buttery Foil Pack Potatoes, or get creative with Zucchini Tater Tots or Parmesan Mashed Potatoes.
- Vegetables: Fire up the air fryer for Air Fryer Asparagus or Air Fryer Zucchini, keep the same flavor profile and make Balsamic Roasted Vegetables, or turn it into a fancier meal with elegant sides like Creamy Green Beans and Mushrooms or Ratatouille
- Salads: It’s always nice to have a nice, cool side dish, so try Italian-Style Wedge Salad, flavor-packed Bacon and Blue Cheese Potato Salad, a light and fresh Tomato Cucumber Salad with Feta, or crunchy Broccoli Apple Salad.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
You truly can never have enough chicken recipes. Here are some more ideas that show you just how versatile this simple protein can be.
BBQ Balsamic Baked Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or glass baking dish
Ingredients
For the Balsamic BBQ Sauce:
- 6 oz. can of tomato paste
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (see Note 1)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For the Chicken:
- 1 1/4-1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3-4)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup of the Balsamic BBQ Sauce , plus more for serving, if desired
Instructions
For the Balsamic BBQ Sauce:
- Combine a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tablespoons molasses, 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a medium saucepan and whisk together until smooth.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened to the desired consistency.
- Use immediately, or cool and transfer to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1-2 weeks.
For the Chicken:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 1 1/4-1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet or glass baking dish.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Pour over the chicken breast and rub it in to coat the chicken thoroughly.
- Bake the chicken at 375°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and pour 1/2 cup of the Balsamic BBQ Sauceover the breasts. Return to the oven an additional 15-25 minutes or until the internal temeprature reaches 165°F. Check the temperature at the thickest part using an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If you don’t want as tangy or strong of a balsamic flavor, reduce the balsamic vinegar to 1/2 cup and increase the water to 1/2 cup.
- You can replace the molasses with brown sugar or add an additional 1/4 cup brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
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