The best Balsamic Vinegar Marinade creates a juicy, tender, and immensely flavorful chicken breast. It's a freezer-friendly marinade that uses Worcestershire, soy sauce, and brown sugar along with some garlic and herbs to create a main dish that goes with a large variety of sides. It's our little black dress of chicken marinades that we've made hundreds of times!
Put it on the grill for a quick and easy way to get a delicious dinner on the table any night of the week. We've also included tips for how to grill it up tender and juicy every time!
This marinade is a simple recipe that equals tons of flavor! We have been making it for over a decade of summer BBQs, family reunions, weeknight dinners, and camping trips. There is something special about such a versatile recipe that our whole family of 7+ loves!
I originally found it on Mom on Timeout. It was delicious, although a bit sweet for us, so we lowered the sugar and added some freshness by swapping out dried herbs and garlic for fresh. Now it's over the top!
Another easy one is this 4-Ingredient Chicken Marinade (with Italian Dressing). Or if you need a great grilled recipe but don't have time for a marinade, try this easy Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken! If you're feeling it, spice things up with this incredible Hot Honey Chicken Marinade!
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Why this recipe is great
Every recipe on Borrowed Bites gets tested, re-tested, and tasted by multiple groups to ensure it's something you can be proud to serve! Here's why this one earned its spot:
- It's amazingly delicious! Everyone stops and comments on how good the it is!
- It pairs well with a variety of sides. Think rice or potatoes, grilled veggies or roasted veggies, frozen veggies or fresh veggies. All of which makes it so easy to serve.
- The leftovers make the most amazing salads for lunch.
- It is freezer-friendly. My go-to method for keeping dinner easy is to freeze packets of meat in marinade.
- It is so easy to serve a large group.
Ingredients for balsamic vinegar marinade
This recipe requires just a few ingredients that are so easy to throw together! Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips.
- Chicken: Either boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Sometimes using a neutral-flavored oil is fine, but we want the flavor from the EVOO.
- Balsamic vinegar: High quality balsamic is not necessary. The standard grocery store bottle will do. If you want a lighter flavor try white balsamic instead.
- Soy sauce: Regular or low-sodium.
- Worcestershire sauce: Essential for deep flavor.
- Brown sugar: Either light or dark.
- Stone ground mustard: Can be substituted with dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary is best, but feel free to substitute dried if needed.
- Salt & pepper: Essential to rounding out the flavors.
- Minced garlic: Fresh garlic is great, although I love the already minced stuff from the grocery store. In a pinch garlic powder will work as well.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make balsamic chicken marinade
Make sure to start this process at least 8 or more hours before you want to cook so it has plenty of time to develop flavor.
Place all the ingredients in a bowl or bag and mix thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally and place in the bag.
Mix it around until every side of the chicken is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Heat half of the grill to medium-high heat, leaving the other side turned off. Grill the first side of the chicken for 5-6 minutes over the direct heat until the edges begin to dry out and change color. Then flip them over and grill for another 4-6 minutes, depending on their size.
If they begin to brown too much on the hot side of the grill, transfer them to the unheated side, close the lid, and cook until done.
Hint: These are our favorite long-handled tongs for using on the grill! Hand-savers!
Variations and substitutions
Here are a few simple variations if you want to customize this recipe!
- Instead of stone ground mustard, use Dijon or spicy brown mustard.
- Substitute fresh thyme or oregano for rosemary.
- You can use honey or maple syrup in place of the brown sugar.
- Try white balsamic vinegar instead of regular for a lighter flavor profile
FAQs
Absolutely! This is great for meal prep and one of my own go-to freezer prep marinades. After pouring the marinade over the chicken and combining well, lay the bag down on a cookie sheet and freeze until it's solid. Stack multiple bags on top of each other to make the most of available space. Thaw completely when ready to use and grill as instructed.
The chicken breast shouldn't be left in the marinade longer than overnight. If they are left too long they will develop a mealy texture. If you want to make it further ahead, I recommend freezing the meat in the marinade using the instructions above.
Once it is cooled, place it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Tips & Tricks
- Dissolve the sugar completely by stirring before adding the meat.
- Before marinating the chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally.
- Make sure all parts of the chicken come into contact with the marinade. Sometimes they like to stick together.
- It is key to marinate for a minimum of 8 hours if you want to develop tons of flavor. Worth it!
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Recipe
Chicken Marinade with Balsamic Vinegar Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon stone ground mustard substitute dijon or spicy brown
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary may substitute with dried
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 5 chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved.½ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon stone ground mustard, 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
- Add the chicken breasts and combine well so that every part of the meat is coated in marinade. Marinate the chicken for 8-24 hours.5 chicken breasts
- When it's time to cook, heat the grill to medium-high heat (leave half the grill unheated). Grill the first side of the chicken for 5-6 minutes until the edges begin to dry and change color. Flip and grill for 4-6 minutes longer, or until it is cooked through to 165°F. *If chicken begins to brown too much, move it to the unheated side of the grill. Close the lid and allow it to finish cooking.
Notes
- Dissolve the sugar completely by stirring before adding the meat.
- Before marinating the chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally.
- Make sure all parts of the chicken come into contact with the marinade. Sometimes they like to stick together.
- It is key to marinate for a minimum of 8 hours if you want to develop tons of flavor. Worth it!
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
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