Skillet Balsamic Chicken Breasts

These juicy and tender Skillet Balsamic Chicken Breasts are made in one pan and done in 30 minutes. This will be your new go-to stovetop chicken recipe for busy weeknight dinners!

An Easy & Flavorful Chicken Breast Recipe

There isn’t much that cooks faster and is easier to make than stovetop skillet chicken breasts. I know all you busy mamas out there are with me. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken chicken out in the morning with no plan for what I’d actually do with it come dinnertime. Then I stood in front of my pantry scratching my head and just pulled something together. 

Sometimes, when I do that, lightning strikes and something really magical is created. That’s what happened when I pulled together this recipe for my juicy skillet balsamic chicken breasts. 

Recipe Ingredients

This simple skillet chicken breast recipe is elevated with intense sweet and tangy flavors that will leave you licking your lips. 

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need:

• olive oil
• boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• butter
• yellow onion
• garlic
• Italian Seasoning
• sugar
• balsamic vinegar
• chicken broth
• heavy cream
• chopped fresh parsley

How to Make Balsamic Chicken Breasts

1. Prep: Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Using a meat mallet, pound down the chicken breasts to a 1-inch thickness. Season chicken with salt and pepper
3. Cook: Add the chicken breast to the heated oil and cook them for 5 minutes, undisturbed.
4. Flip the chicken breasts oven and add 1 tablespoon of butter and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should register at 165˚F.
5. Rest: Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and set them aside. Keep them covered.
6. Sauce: Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Stir in the diced onions and cook them for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until very soft. Stir frequently.
7. Add: Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another 20 seconds.
8. Add the Italian seasoning, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2 more minutes.
9. Whisk in the chicken broth. Continue to whisk and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
10. Increase the heat to High and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced a bit.
11. Reduce: Lower heat to medium and whisk in the cream. Whisk for about 30 seconds so that the sauce doesn’t start to boil.
12. Simmer: Let sauce come to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute, or just until the chicken is heated through.
13. Serve: Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it stands.
14. Garnish with basil ribbons and serve. 

Tips for the Best Stovetop Chicken

Follow these simple tips to make sure your skillet balsamic chicken breasts are out of this world:

• When you first add your chicken to the skillet, suppress the urge to touch it. Let it stay in the pan for 5 minutes completely undisturbed. 
• Instead of making sauce at the same time as you cook the chicken, I like to use the same pan, that way, you don’t lose out on any of the flavor. Make sure you use your whisk to scrape up the little brown bits. That is what really adds to the sauce. 
• Make sure to whisk continually after adding your cream. You don’t want the sauce to boil at this point. 
• You can garnish with fresh chopped basil, but you could also use fresh chopped parsley if you’re out of basil. Basil has a powerful aroma and it goes nicely with balsamic. 

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve my balsamic chicken breasts with mashed potatoes, rice, or over noodles. The sauce is so creamy and delish that you really want sides that will serve as a vessel for that yumminess. Of course you can opt for a lighter alternative and go with zoodles or riced cauliflower or mash. I also love these zucchini fries with chicken!

Even lighter still, throw together a mix of steamed veggies to serve on the side of your chicken breasts. 

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Let your chicken breasts come to room temperature. Then, place them in an airtight container and spoon the sauce over them.
• This will help to keep them from drying out. Then, you can store them in the fridge for 3-5 days or in your freezer for up to 3 months. 

• To reheat, simply return the chicken breasts and the sauce to a skillet over low heat until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165˚F.
• If the sauce has gotten too thick, you can add a little chicken broth until it reaches your desired consistency.