A one-skillet chicken dinner with a quick stovetop sear followed by an oven finish, ready in under an hour.
Prep Time40 minutesmins
Cook Time22 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr2 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Balsamic Chicken Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 391kcal
Ingredients
4boneless and skinless chicken cutlets,pounded to an even thickness (approximately 1 ½ pounds total, each piece approximately ½ inch thick)
⅓cupbalsamic glaze
¼cuplemon juice
1tablespoonhoney
1tablespoonminced garlic
1 ½teaspoonsitalian seasoning blend
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
3tablespoonsolive oil,divided (2 tablespoons to cook the chicken and 1 tablespoon to mix with the tomatoes and cheese)
¾cupcherry tomatoes(approximately 18-20 tomatoes)
½cupfresh mozzarella pearls(approximately half of an 8-ounce package)
1tablespoonfresh basil,chopped (plus additional for garnish)
Instructions
Place the chicken cutlets into a large zip top bag, or a lidded shallow dish.
Whisk together the balsamic glaze, lemon juice, honey, minced garlic, italian seasoning blend, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Pour the balsamic mixture over the chicken and seal the bag tightly, being sure that all the sides of the chicken are covered with the marinade. Press out excess air from the bag, or cover the dish with plastic wrap or a lid.
Marinate the chicken at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. If marinating for longer than 30 minutes, place the chicken into the refrigerator then remove it 10-15 minutes prior to cooking.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. While it preheats, cook the chicken in the skillet.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large (oven-safe) preheated skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing as much excess marinade to drip back into the bag or dish to use for later. Place the chicken into the skillet in a single layer being sure not to overcrowd the skillet to ensure the chicken is evenly browned and cooked. If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches.
Cook and brown the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side or just until golden. If cooking in batches, remove the first two pieces of browned chicken and place onto a clean plate while cooking the remaining two pieces.
While the chicken is searing, combine together the tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls, chopped fresh basil, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set aside.
Turn the heat down to low, add the first batch of browned chicken back to the skillet if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet around the chicken, not directly on top, to maintain a good sear on the chicken. Allow the marinade to come to a low simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat, top the chicken with the tomato and cheese mixture. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cheese is melted, the tomatoes have started to pop and give off some of their juices and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Carefully remove the skillet from the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the skillet for 3-4 minutes before adding an additional sprinkle of fresh chopped basil for garnish.
Notes
Small grape tomatoes can be substituted for the cherry tomatoes.
Two large boneless-skinless chicken breasts (totaling at least 1 ½ pounds) can be cut in half lengthwise to form 4 thinner cutlets. You may need to pound them out to even thicknesses.
If your skillet is not large enough, you may need to cook your chicken cutlets in two batches to ensure the chicken is evenly browned and cooked.
A large (12-inch) oven safe heavy duty skillet is best used for this recipe. A cast iron skillet works best for this recipe.