Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
Submitted by lynnyc
Crispy pan-seared chicken breasts drizzled with a rich balsamic vinegar reduction made with shallots, fresh marjoram, and butter. A 40-minute weeknight dinner that feels restaurant-worthy.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThere’s something almost theatrical about reducing balsamic vinegar in a hot pan: the kitchen fills with that sweet, tangy perfume while the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that clings to every bite.
This recipe keeps things beautifully simple. Bone-in chicken breasts get seared until the skin crackles, then a quick pan sauce comes together with shallots, balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, and a swirl of butter.
Fresh marjoram adds an herbal warmth that plays off the vinegar’s acidity in all the right ways.
From start to plate in about 40 minutes, this is the kind of dish you pull out when you want to impress without breaking a sweat.
Chef Tips
- Don’t move the chicken once it hits the pan. Let it sit undisturbed so the skin gets truly crispy and golden.
- When reducing the balsamic, stir constantly and watch it closely. It goes from glossy glaze to burnt sugar in seconds.
- Whisking cold butter into the finished sauce off the heat creates a silky, emulsified finish. Don’t skip this step.
Ingredients
Directions
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and the oil in large heavy frypan over high heat.
Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until skin is crisp.
Reduce heat to medium-low; turn chicken breasts over and cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes.
Transfer chicken to heated platter and keep warm in oven.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from frypan.
Add shallots and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes or until translucent, scraping up any browned bits.
Add vinegar and bring to a boil.
Boil for 3 minutes or until reduced to a glaze, stirring constantly.
Add broth and boil until reduced to ½ cup, stirring occasionally.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove sauce from heat and whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and marjoram.
Whisk in any juices from chicken.
Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
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