Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken is the best way to make juicy chicken thighs and get the best results that will have everyone raving after enjoying this super simple chicken dinner recipe.
After making this homemade balsamic marinade all you have left to do is let the chicken sit and do the work in the fridge. Talk about an easy way to make balsamic chicken marinade.
If you have busy weeknights ahead and aren’t looking to grill, this chicken cooks up well in a grill pan too so you can still get the grill marks you want, making this one of my favorite easy chicken recipes to make with little meal prep involved.
Ingredients Notes:
- Oil: use olive oil (plus more for the grill) for best results
- Seasonings: you will need paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper
- Honey: use your favorite honey, I like using raw honey with this recipe
- Sauce: balsamic vinegar, a key ingredient for this quick marinade
- Ketchup: we always have ketchup on hand so I grab it from the fridge, but use your favorite
- Chicken: use bone-in skin on chicken thighs
How to make Honey Balsamic Chicken:
- Make the marinade. Whisk together the olive oil, paprika, honey, balsamic, garlic powder, onion powder, and ketchup.
- Marinade the chicken. Place the raw chicken in a large Ziplock bag and pour half of the marinade over it. Reserve the other half of the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Place plastic bag in the fridge for at least an 1 hour for the best flavor.
- Season the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while you preheat the grill.
- Prep the grill. Preheat one side of the grill to medium-high heat and rub the grate down with olive oil over the hot grill.
- Grill the chicken. Place chicken skin-side-down and grill for 3-4 minutes on the hot side of the grill. Flip the chicken and brush each piece with the reserved marinade. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the side of the grill that is not preheated. Close the grill and cook for 5 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the largest piece reaches 165°F.
- Rest. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Storing and other tips for honey balsamic grilled chicken:
Fridge: Place any leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days after grilling and allowing the chicken to cool down to room temperature.
Freezer: For a quick freezer meal, you can always use a freezer bag and put the chicken in the freezer after combining it with the marinade and let it sit in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you are short on time, make sure that you have at least an hour to let this marinade recipe penetrate the chicken to get flavor. However, if you want lots of flavor or just looking to meal prep ahead of time, you can make this up to 24 hours before.
With this recipe we enjoy using the skin-on chicken thighs, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t use something else with this easy balsamic chicken recipe. You can substitute the bone-in thighs for boneless chicken breasts, skinless chicken thighs, or boneless thighs.
More chicken recipes to make:
- Baked Panko Chicken
- Baked Bruschetta Chicken
- Tuscan Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Lemon Pepper Glaze Recipe
Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (plus more for the grill)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup Honey
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 3 pounds bone in skin on, chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Whisk together the olive oil, paprika, honey, balsamic, garlic powder, onion powder, and ketchup.
- Marinade the chicken. Place the chicken in a large Ziplock bag and pour half of the marinade over it. Reserve the other half of the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Season the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while you preheat the grill.
- Prep the grill. Preheat one side of the grill to medium-high heat and rub the grate down with olive oil.
- Grill the chicken. Grill the chicken skin-side-down for 3 minutes on the hot side of the grill. Flip the chicken and brush each piece with the reserved marinade. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the side of the grill that is not preheated. Close the grill and cook for 5 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the largest piece reaches 165°F.
- Rest. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Details
