Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar is a favorite recipe, and even though the marinade has balsamic vinegar, this is really low in carbs! And the balsamic glazed chicken has been a favorite for everyone I’ve made it for!

PIN Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar to try it later!

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar close-up photo of chicken on plate with arugula salad.

For this week’s Friday Favorites pick, I’m reminding you about this amazingly delicious Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar! Years ago when I was the teacher’s association president I made this chicken for a district insurance committee meeting, and people loved it. Then several years later I saw someone who had eaten it that day and she asked me for the recipe.

If you serve a recipe and someone still remembers it years later, you know it’s a good recipe, right? And this is a grilled chicken recipe that has literally been a hit with every person I’ve ever made it for.

This recipe for chicken with balsamic vinegar makes enough marinade for eight chicken breasts making it perfect to make for dinner guests. If you have leftover chicken it’s tasty served over salad or tossed into a stir-fry, so I encourage you to make the full amount if that can work in your household! Of course, you can also cut the recipe in half if you can’t handle that much grilled chicken.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What vinegar should you use for the chicken with balsamic vinegar?

You don’t need to use the extra thick, very expensive, imported balsamic vinegar for this recipe. But I wouldn’t buy the cheapest one in the grocery store either. Use a medium quality balsamic that has good flavor.

Is Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar high in carbs?

If you’re strictly watching carbs, you might wonder about using balsamic vinegar, which is definitely an ingredient that has some carbs. But remember that in a marinated chicken recipe like this, you’re only eating the very small amount of marinade that clings to the chicken. And if you check the nutritional information I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how low-carb this actually is!

Tips for Grilled Chicken Breasts:

If you’re not that experienced at cooking chicken on the grill you might want to read my informative post on how to make juicy grilled chicken breasts. That post shows you the grilled chicken method I’ve been using for years.

Can you make Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar without an outdoor grill?

If you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s not grilling season this chicken can cook perfectly on a Stovetop Grill Pan (affiliate link) or a George Foreman Grill (affiliate link).

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar process shots collage

How to make Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. I like to grind the dried parsley, dried shallots (or onions), Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), dried thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper together with a mortar and pestle, although it’s probably optional.
  2. Then mix the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and dried spices to make the marinade.
  3. Trim chicken and make small crosswise slits, put chicken in Ziploc bag or plastic container, and let it marinate 4-6 hours (or longer is fine, even all day if you’re going out.)
  4. When you’re ready to cook, drain the chicken to remove excess marinade and let it come to room temperature while you oil and preheat grill.
  5. Lay chicken top side down diagonally to the grill grates and cook a few minutes until you see grill marks, then rotate and cook a few minutes more to get those criss-cross marks.
  6. When you have nice grill marks on the top, turn chicken over and cook just until it feels firm (not hard) to the touch, don’t overcook.
  7. Serve Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar hot. Leftover chicken is delicious over salad greens.

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar shown on serving plate with greens

Make it a Low-Carb Meal

Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar is shown in the photo with Kalyn’s Favorite Baby Arugula Salad, and this would also be great with Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan, Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts, or Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts for a low-carb meal.

More Tasty Chicken for Dinner:

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
Yield: 8 servings

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar is a favorite recipe I’ve made for years.

Ingredients

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 T dried parsley
  • 1 T dried shallots or onion (or 2 T minced fresh shallots or onion)
  • 1 T Spike seasoning (see notes)
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. (Click for step-by-step photos of how to make juicy and perfect grilled chicken breasts.)
  2. If desired, use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to grind together the dried parsley, dried shallots (or onions), Spike seasoning, dried thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  3. Then mix the balsamic vinegar, Dijon, olive oil and spices to make the marinade.
  4. Trim all fat and tendons from chicken breasts and trim underneath side if needed so chicken pieces are close to the same thickness. I like to make small slits crosswise along each chicken breast to help chicken cook more evenly and give more surface for the marinade to stick to.
  5. Place chicken in Ziploc bag or container with a snap-tight lid, laying them flat. Pour the marinade over over chicken and marinate in refrigerator 4-6 hours or more. (Marinating all day is fine if you’re not going to be home.)
  6. When you’re ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge, drain it in a colander in the sink to remove excess marinade, and let chicken come to room temperature while you heat the grill.
  7. Oil the grill (a wadded-up paper towel dipped in oil works well) or spray with non-stick grilling spray; then preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high.  (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds.)
  8. When grill is hot lay chicken diagonally across grill grates, top side down first, and cook until you start to see grill marks, about 3 minutes.
  9. As soon as you see marks, rotate chicken so it’s going diagonally in the other direction and cook a few minutes more.
  10. When you have desired grill marks, turn chicken over and cook until it’s browned on both sides and firm, but not hard to the touch, probably only a few minutes longer on the second side unless your chicken breasts are really thick. (Actual cooking time will vary depending on chicken thickness and how hot your grill is, so remove it from the heat when the chicken feels firm when pressed with your finger.)
  11. This chicken could also be cooked in a stove-top grill pan with ridges or a George Foreman Grill with good results.

Notes

If you don't have Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) use another all-purpose seasoning blend; Spike is not Paleo or Whole 30 approved.

Nutritional information is calculated assuming more than half of the balsamic vinegar is discarded in the marinade.

Recipe created by Kalyn many years ago.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 868mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar shown on serving plate with arugula salad.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions
This balsamic-glazed chicken recipe would be approved for low-carb or Keto eating plans, and it’s perfect for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This chicken with balsamic vinegar recipe was first posted in 2007, and I have literally made it every summer since then! It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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