Balsamic Lemon Chicken
Updated
Updated
This Balsamic Lemon Chicken recipe is an easy and ultra-flavorful chicken dish, with sweet, tart, crispy lemon-sugar skin and buttery pan juices engulfing every nook and cranny. My family just can’t get enough of it! The bright lemon and rich balsamic vinegar create the perfect balance of tangy and savory flavors, while the oven finish keeps the chicken juicy with beautifully crisp skin. It’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough to serve to guests.
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5 STAR REVIEWS
My husband and I affectionately refer to this balsamic lemon chicken recipe as “crack chicken” because we can’t stop eating it. I’ve taken bone-in chicken pieces and briefly marinated them in a simple lemon-balsamic mixture, pan-fried them, then sprinkled them with lemon-sugar before roasting them in the oven for a few minutes. The meat is infused with an amazing flavor and is incredibly tender, while the skin is sweet, tart, and crispy. But let me tell you the buttery pan sauce seals the deal. It’s SO GOOD!
Helpful Tips
- Pat the chicken dry for crispier skin. Removing excess moisture helps the skin sear properly in the skillet and allows it to become golden and crisp instead of steaming.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Leave a little space between each piece of chicken so the skin can brown evenly. If the pan is too crowded, the chicken will steam instead of crisping.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest provides a bright citrus flavor that bottled lemon juice can’t replicate and helps balance the richness of the balsamic and butter.
- Let the chicken rest before serving. Resting for about 5 minutes allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat tender and flavorful.
- Use a heavy oven-safe skillet. A cast-iron or stainless steel skillet holds heat well, creating better browning on the chicken and allowing you to transfer the pan directly from stovetop to oven.
Balsamic Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken, legs and thighs*
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 lemons, zested, 1 juiced, and the other cut into wedges
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar**
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
Instructions
- Prick the chicken pieces all over with a fork and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar with half of the lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Mix the sugar with the remaining lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Melt 2 tbsp of the butter, and place the chicken skin-side-down in the pan along with the remaining marinade. Cook until the chicken is browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes, and then flip over and cook 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle the lemon sugar over the chicken and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until chicken is completely cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, about 25 minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven—be careful! The handle will be hot! Cut the remaining 2 tbsp of butter into small pieces and scatter around the chicken. Pour lemon juice over everything. Once butter is melted, serve with pan sauce drizzled over the chicken and lemon wedges on the side.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Balsamic Lemon Chicken Step by Step
Gather all the ingredients together.
Marinate the chicken: Using a fork, prick the skin of 8 chicken legs and thighs all over. This helps the marinade penetrate the meat and allows the skin to render properly during cooking. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, half of the lemon zest from 2 lemons, 2 tsp coarse salt, and 2 tsp ground black pepper until well combined. Add the chicken pieces and turn them several times so they are evenly coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to absorb.
Prepare the lemon sugar: In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp granulated sugar with the remaining lemon zest and mix with your fingers until fragrant. Set the lemon sugar aside and then preheat the oven to 400°F.
Sear the chicken: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering and very hot, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of unsalted butter and let it melt and foam slightly. Place the marinated chicken skin-side down in the skillet along with any remaining marinade. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until the skin becomes deep golden brown and begins to crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for 1 minute more on the second side.
Add lemon sugar and roast: Sprinkle the prepared lemon-sugar evenly over the chicken skin, then transfer the entire skillet to the oven. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
Finish the pan sauce: Remove the skillet from the oven – careful, the handle will be very hot! Cut 2 tbsp unsalted butter into small pieces and scatter them around the chicken. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over the chicken and pan juices. As the butter melts, gently spoon the buttery lemon sauce over the chicken to coat.
Serve and enjoy: Serve the chicken with the pan sauce drizzled over the top and the remaining lemon cut into wedges on the side.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this balsamic lemon chicken with simple sides that soak up all of the buttery pan sauce. Roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes are always a great choice, and roasted asparagus makes an easy vegetable on the side. If I want something fresh and bright, I’ll add a shaved Brussels sprouts salad or a simple arugula salad to balance the richness of the chicken. And I never skip crusty bread for dipping into the pan juices. For a heartier dinner, caramelized onion pasta is also delicious alongside it.
How to Store
- Fridge. Any leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. To freeze, place in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat. Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat in a nonstick skillet or in the microwave. Add in a splash of broth to loosen up the sauce and prevent the chicken from drying out.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Lemon Cream Chicken: An easy weeknight dinner made with just a few ingredients, featuring juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin finished in a rich, creamy lemon sauce.
- Chicken Alfredo: This easy Chicken Alfredo recipe includes golden pan-fried seasoned chicken breasts and tender noodles, coated in the most dreamy cream sauce ever. A showstopper meal and it’s all done in just over 30 minutes!
- Chicken Marsala: A skillet dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in about 30 minutes. Tender chicken cooks in a savory mushroom and Marsala wine sauce that’s perfect with pasta or mashed potatoes.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I made this the other night even though I didn’t have the best chicken pieces – so so good! The flavor combination was new and better than I imagined. Definitely will make again.
Highly recommend it was delicious and easy to make.
No onion and no garlic, so totally outside my comfort zone, but boy oh boy was this good! The combination of balsamic, sugar and lemon gave the chicken a “bright” taste. Served it over rice to soak up that delicious sauce. This is a keeper for sure!
This IS a keeper! The zest and sugar make it SO unique! Thanks for sharing this!
OMG this recipe is amazing! I wasn’t sure whether to make it with eight pieces as it’s only the two of us but I’m so glad as we have leftovers! ❤️🇨🇦
Our family doubled this and put it on a foil lined rimmed pan to cook in the oven. It fed a crowd and was a hit. We will definitely make this again. Thank you for a delicious well written recipe.
I’ve never had anything quite like this before. Anyone who has doubts about balsamic, lemon and sugar on chicken, don’t! It’s amazing!! My whole family loved this recipe so much. I served it with orzo and a green salad.
I’ve made this enough that I can make a suggestion — I add lemon wedges to the pot when I put it in the oven so they get cooked at the same time as the chicken. I don’t change anything else because it’s good as the recipe is written. I recommend this one!
I made this for my daughter and family. It was a 10 out of 10. Even my 7 y.o. grandson have it a 2 thumbs up. Followed directions as written. This is definitely going in our dinner rotations.
Total winner. The lemon sugar on the top is amazing!!
I marinaded boneless,skinless chicken breast in the morning. When ready to cook I followed instructions, adjusting the roasting time to 10 minutes. This is a keeper. Easy and delicious
I made this last night for dinner, and I followed the recipe, exactly, except for using boneless skinless chicken thighs. My thighs were a little bit dry, but that was my fault because I should’ve cooked them less since there was no bone in the meat. The flavors were delicious and there was sauce left over to put on top of rice. At first I thought it was gonna be too lemony, but it wasn’t. It was just perfect.
Truly FABULOUS chicken recipe! We loved the lemon zest and sugar baked into the tops of the chicken thighs. So crunchy and delicious! Served this with maple glazed baby potatoes and Caesar Salad. This will be a regular recipe in our rotation. THANK YOU!
This is our new favorite chicken dish. I made it twice in one week! No changes.
Yes, I have made this recipe and it turned out great, I am still learning more complex recipes, other than making top ramen and toast.
Excellent chicken dinner. Light and healthy but very very good!
I made this for dinner tonight and wow wow wow, it was so delicious! I love the combination of ingredients and that sugar/zest mixture on top adds such great flavor. It was deemed a “make again, please” meal! So, so good and a new family favorite. Thank you!
Really wonderful. I use cornish game hen halves and throw in some garlic. My family loves this recipe! Thank you!
Oh. My. Gosh! This is just delicious. Really, really good! My husband and I both loved it!
This is the first recipe I tried from your site and it was amazing! I am not a good cook at all but it was really easy.
I made this chicken for my family tonight and it was OUTSTANDING. My husband and daughter both raved over this. I added garlic, marinated it for about 8 hours and didn’t fry it because I almost never fry stuff if I can get away with it. I just roasted it and it was still delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe.
I’m so happy to hear it! Everyone who makes it always raves…it’s just one of those great chicken dishes. Thank you so much for stopping by :D
I just made this tonight and it was delicious!! I added a couple tsps of fresh rosemary to the lemon/sugar mix and used no B/S (boneless/skinless) chicken BREASTS…It was TDF (to die for) served w/rice and asparagus…
I saw this while at work and even though I got off late and didn’t get home until 7:30 PM, I started it anyway. So at 8:45, I was eating this delicious chicken. I used a whole chicken that I butterflied and was amazed at how tender and juicy the breast meat was. I am now sitting here looking at my husband make a pig of himself and wondering if anything will be leftover for lunch tomorrow. Dear Lord, he’s going back into the kitchen . . . Lol!
two of my favorite ingredients, gonna try this one for sure.
That chicken looks really tasty!
This was the perfect chicken dish – whole family loved it!
Always looking for delicious and simple chicken dishes to try. This sounds like a winner and I’m putting on the to-dos for the next grocery store visit.