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This 30-minute balsamic chicken recipe is an easy yet elevated weeknight meal! It has a creamy, mouthwatering balsamic sauce that’s comforting and delightfully tangy.
You may also like my Creamy Balsamic Pork Tenderloin next.
This post is sponsored by our long-term partner DeLallo – thank you for supporting the brands that keep Salt & Lavender cooking! I only work with brands whose products I love. All opinions are my own.
Why you’ll love it
Balsamic vinegar lovers, you’re going to enjoy this recipe! This irresistible creamy balsamic chicken is a simple way to change up your chicken rotation. It’s made with a handful of quality ingredients, and this elegant dinner is good enough for company.
We’re talking juicy pan-fried chicken, sautéed mushrooms, real cream, aged balsamic vinegar from Italy, a hint of garlic… basically, it’s heaven in a skillet! This balsamic sauce for chicken is like something you’d get at at a fancy restaurant, but it’s so simple.
Pro tip
If you’ve never cooked with it before, balsamic vinegar mellows out beautifully when cooked, especially in creamy sauces. It isn’t sour, and it adds a really special quality and rich depth of flavor!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts
- Olive oil and butter – DeLallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil is what we’re using for pan frying the chicken to golden perfection. It’s delicate, uses only the highest quality olives from orchards in Sicily and Tuscany, and is a staple in my kitchen!
- Mushrooms – we’re using cremini, aka baby bellas
- Garlic – more savory flavor
- Italian seasoning – it’s a blend of dried herbs in a single jar
- White wine – use a dry white wine you’d enjoy drinking like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Chicken broth works just fine, too.
- Balsamic vinegar – the star of the sauce! We’re using DeLallo Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. It’s made right in the birthplace of balsamic vinegar and has that traditional tangy-sweet flavor you crave. It’s aged for 2-3 years in traditional oak casks for a complex flavor and velvety texture.
- Cornstarch – to the thicken the sauce
- Heavy cream – it gives a luscious, rich quality to the sauce
- Parsley – an optional pop of freshness
Helpful tips
- Be sure to salt the sauce properly — cream sauces need it!
- I absolutely love DeLallo’s gourmet (yet totally affordable) Italian goodies. If your grocer doesn’t stock them, they ship nationwide right to your door from their website.
- DeLallo is a family-owned company based in Pennsylvania for over 60 years. They have everything from charcuterie to pasta to Italian desserts and tons more authentic Italian delights!
How to make balsamic chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Slice the chicken to make four thinner cutlets, and season with salt & pepper. Heat up the oil, and pan fry the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Melt the butter in the skillet, then sauté the mushrooms.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, wine, and balsamic vinegar. Let it bubble until reduced by half. Make a cornstarch slurry, then stir it into the sauce along with the cream. Return the chicken, and simmer until cooked through. Add extra salt & pepper, and top with parsley.
Substitutions and variations
- Try adding in a couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach towards the end of cooking time to add in some greens.
- Feel free to swap with your favorite kind of mushrooms!
- Be cautious subbing the cream for something lower fat. The sauce may curdle and/or end up thinner and won’t taste as intended.
What to serve with balsamic chicken
- Pair it with my Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or rice.
- For a vegetable side, try some steamed spinach, my Easy Roasted Green Beans, or Easy Asparagus.
- Round out the meal with this light Parmesan Arugula Salad and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this chicken for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing it; the sauce may change texture due to the dairy.
If you made this creamy balsamic chicken recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I would love to hear from you. You can also tag me on Instagram.
Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons DeLallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons DeLallo Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- For serving: fresh chopped parsley optional but recommended, to taste
Instructions
- Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make four thinner cutlets. Season them with salt & pepper.
- Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook it for 4-5 minutes/side until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the butter to the skillet. Let it melt, then add in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until the water has been released, it cooks off, and they get a good sear.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, white wine, and balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Let it bubble until the liquid is reduced by half.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cold water and stir until dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cream and cornstarch slurry to the pan and give it a good stir.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened a bit. Season with salt & pepper as needed and sprinkle with parsley if using.
Notes
- If the sauce gets too thick at any point, add in a splash of wine, chicken broth, or cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was amazing! It reminds us of a dish from one of our favorite restaurants that costs $28. This was much cheaper and my husband said this was better. No one in my family likes mushrooms, but me and everyone raved about this dish. Sauce is so good over pasta. This will be on our regular rotation. Thanks so much!
Wonderful! You’re very welcome, Stacey!
This recipe was amazing- I loved that sauce, it was incredible. I made the recipe exactly as written, and it was perfection. ❤️. I served it with farro, but I think it would be even better with mashed potatoes. Excellent recipe Natasha, thank you so much!
Thank you, Jenny!! 😀 So happy you liked this one!!
Hi Natasha! Made this last night and we all loved it! I added baby spinach and substituted onions for the mushrooms (I strongly dislike mushrooms). Love the balsamic! We served it over rice. Will definitely be making it again. Thank you!
That’s wonderful! You’re very welcome, Angela!
This is an easy cheap meal that really is restaurant-level fine dining. As usual, chicken thighs are better here and please pair this with Salt and Lavender sour cream mashed potatoes, which will also blow your mind
Thank you so much, Troy!! 😀
This was very easy to make. I even changed it up by using bone in, skin on fryer parts. So I only had to change the cooking time a little. Otherwise, the sauce is spectacular, went well over mashed potatoes. Family loved it, this will be a go to favorite!
That makes me so happy, Barbara!! Thank you!!
This dish looks & sounds delicious; It’s going onto my make-for-winter-2024 list! I love Delallo products. Thank you for this recipe!
I hope you love it, Mich!! 😀 Let me know if you try it!
This was delicious and very easy to make! Will definitely make this again.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Michelle! Thanks for your review! 😀