Baked Balsamic Chicken Thighs

By now you know that I am not a complicated cook. I like my recipes fairly easy, not with unfamiliar ingredients, and done within an hour. So when I find something that fits all that criteria, you can bet it goes in the front of my recipe book. And yes, I have a recipe book. An actual 3 ringed binder that you can physically open and close and even write in! In this digital age hardcopy cookbooks are getting less and less common, but I still love the smell of book covers and actually holding something in my hand. And really, should we be standing by fire when our faces are buried in our phones reading a recipe? Anyway, I’m getting carried away now. 🙂 These Baked Balsamic Chicken Thighs found their way to the front of my folder because they are not only delicious, but simple. Check them out:

I originally found this recipe from RecipeTin Eats. She has some amazing stuff and is one of the few bloggers I know who meticulously checks and re-checks her recipes. I have made several of her dishes but my favorite is her Crockpot Bolognese Sauce.

First, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Second, cover a 13×9 baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Place 2 pounds (or about 5-6 pieces) of chicken thighs upside down so that the meaty part is touching the foil. Use chicken thighs that still have the bone and skin attached. This recipe also works with drumsticks or wings. It doesn’t work with chicken breasts, however. Breast meat secretes more juice when it cooks so the balsamic sauce gets watered down.

Now for the balsamic sauce! You need a high quality balsamic vinegar. Pour 1/4 cup into a small bowl and add 2 1/2 Tablespoons of soy sauce.

Now add a 1/4 cup of honey, a 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 Tablespoon of minced garlic. Use a sturdy whisk to distribute the honey and sugar evenly.

Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs. Make sure there is a little bit of space between each chicken thigh. If the chicken thighs are too close together it affects how the sauce reduces and thickens. So if you want to bake more than 4-6 baked balsamic chicken thighs, use your largest dish.

Bake the baked balsamic chicken thighs for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

When that is finished, turn the chicken over and spoon the sauce on top. Bake them for another 20 minutes and make sure the sauce has thickened.

Pull the baked balsamic chicken thighs out of the oven and let them sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. When plating, pour some of the balsamic sauce over the top for a finishing touch. This dish has a lot of flavor so it is best to serve it with mildly flavored sides. I chose a simple Pecan and Goat Cheese Strawberry Salad and steamed green beans. These baked balsamic chicken thighs taste even better the next day. Simply reheat in the microwave or chop up leftovers and put them on top of a salad.

Need some other easy dinner ideas or something that doesn’t take more than 30 minutes? Check out my Recipe Index or follow my Pinterest boards below. Happy cooking y’all!

Baked Balsamic Chicken Thighs

Heidi Davison

These baked balsamic chicken thighs are flavored in a simple balsamic sauce that reduces in the oven while it cooks. The sauce tastes great poured over the top.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Entree

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup high quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 lbs 5-6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a 13x9 baking dish with foil.
• Place the chicken thighs skin-side down on the foil.
• Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the chicken thighs.
• Bake for 30 minutes, turn the chicken over, and spoon some sauce on top.
• Bake another 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
• Let chicken cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve with sauce spooned on top.

Notes

Recipe adapted from RecipeTin Eats