Best Balsamic Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe Is Flavor to the Bone (6 Ingredients) by Donna John

Chicken thighs are one of my favorite ingredients to cook for dinner. We've been eating a lot of chicken breast lately because we're trying to lose a few pounds, but the craving for bone-in chicken thighs hit – and it hit hard. To remove some of the fat, I decided to take the skin off the chicken when I prepared this balsamic chicken recipe. The result was flavor to the bone!

To make this baked chicken recipe you will need bone-in chicken thighs, a red onion (optional), balsamic vinegar (read about the health benefits of balsamic vinegar), Dijon mustard, honey, dried Italian seasoning, olive oil, salt and black pepper. The skin of the chicken is removed before it's added to the marinade ingredients. Let the chicken chill in the flavorful liquid for as long as you can (I marinated mine for about three hours). Place the chicken on a bed of red onions and bake until cooked through.

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

Cooking Tips: Save the marinade in a small container and use it to baste the chicken, if desired, while it bakes. Use a good-quality balsamic vinegar for this recipe. You can taste the difference! I used Ponti brand balsamic vinegar, but there are many good brands.

This easy high-protein chicken dinner is so delicious! The balsamic, honey and Dijon marry perfectly and flavor the chicken to a balanced perfection. 

Serve the moist, juicy chicken with the soft, creamy onions over rice, quinoa (or your favorite grain) or potatoes. I served mine over brown rice with a side of broccoli.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes plus time to marinate
Cook Time: 40 minutes (ovens vary)
Total Time: 50 minutes plus time to marinate
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 1 red onion (optional)

Marinade

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Here's how to make it:

1. Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and put into a plastic zipper bag or shallow dish. (Kitchen shears are helpful when removing the skin from the chicken.) Add all the marinade ingredients. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Seal the bag and squish the ingredients together until combined and all the chicken is coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (You can leave the skin on if preferred. I would recommend loosening the skin from the meat before marinating so the marinade can get to all parts of the chicken. We did not miss the skin in this recipe.)
   
2. When ready to bake, slice the onion into rings and place on the bottom of an ovenproof skillet. (I used a cast iron skillet, but any ovenproof skillet will work. If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, use a baking dish.) Season with a little salt and pepper, if desired. Remove the chicken from the marinade (save the marinade) and place the chicken on top of the onion slices. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade. (You can omit the red onion, but the balsamic marinade and chicken drippings mix with the onions as they soften to create something magical. The onions are delicious with the chicken.)
   
3. Bake the chicken in a preheated 375-degree F oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
   

Nutritional information for this recipe includes the full amount of the marinade ingredients. Depending on marinating time, ingredients, cook time, etc., the actual amount of the marinade consumed will vary.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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